DEP
4704 Advanced Laboratory in Developmental Psychology
Professor: Dr. Mary Levitt E-mail:
levittmj@fiu.edu Web Site: www.fiu.edu/~levittmj
Office Hours/Location: T
2-4:30, R 3:30-5/ Academic One, Room 321
Phone: 305-919-5953 (For appointments, please call
Ms. Mara Aronson, 305-919-5867)
Course Description: This course is designed to cover the basics of conducting research in
life span developmental psychology.
Topics to be addressed include research methodology and important
research issues in the study of human development, including the assessment of
reliability and validity, and the assurance of ethical treatment of research
participants.
Course Objectives: Course
objectives for students are (a) to understand how psychologists formulate,
conduct, and apply research on human development, (b) to gain a thorough
knowledge of research ethics, including the protection of research
participants, (c) to learn to critically evaluate developmental research, and
(d) to learn to design, conduct, and communicate original developmental
research projects.
Course Policies:
Attendance and Participation: As this is a participatory
lab course, students are expected to attend regularly and to take part in class
discussion and activities. Poor attendance
will lower your grade (see below).
Conduct: Students must follow the FIU
standards of conduct found at the following web site address: www.fiu.edu/~sccr/standards_of_conduct.htm. Pay particular attention to the section on
academic honesty. For any material that
is used from any source, other than your own brain, the source and date of
publication must be indicated. Any
material that is copied directly from any source, other than your own brain,
must be included in quotation marks with the source, date of publication, and
page number clearly indicated. Academic
dishonesty will result in failing grades and may lead to a formal charge of
academic misconduct.
Format for written assignments: All written assignments must be in APA (American
Psychological Association) format. The
following web sites have useful information on the essentials of APA style:
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/r_apa.html
http://www.wooster.edu/psychology/apa-crib.html
http://www.wisc.edu/writing/Handbook/DocAPA.html
Requirements and Grading Policies:
Lecture: The lecture
requirement is two regular exams plus a cumulative final exam. The final exam is optional if you take both
regular exams and the final exam grade would replace your lowest regular exam
grade. The final exam is required if
you miss an exam and the final exam grade would replace the missed exam
grade. No make up exams will be
given! Each exam will count for half of your lecture grade.
Lab: Lab
requirements, and the percent of your lab grade that each will contribute,
include the following: attendance and participation (20%), a group project
(40%), and an individual research proposal (40%). Details regarding these requirements will be given out in lab
sessions.
Grading Scale:
The
following scale will be used to assign grades:
|
93-100
A |
87-89
B+ |
74-79
C+ |
57-59
D+ |
0-49
F |
|
90-92
A- |
83-86
B |
65-74
C |
53-56
D |
|
|
|
80-82
B- |
60-63
C- |
50-52
D- |
|
Class Schedule
|
||
Date |
Topic/Activity |
Chapter |
|
1/10 |
Introduction |
|
|
1/12 |
Lab
introduction, group formation |
|
|
1/17 |
General
research strategies |
1 |
|
1/19 |
Library
information workshop (Meet in LIB 150) |
|
|
1/24 |
Participants,
researchers, and settings/Certificates due |
2 |
|
1/26 |
APA
style/ Group research topic presentations |
|
|
1/31 |
Newborn
infant/biobehavioral assessment |
3 |
|
2/2 |
Computer
Lab/split group |
|
|
2/7 |
Infant
mental assessment |
4 |
|
2/9 |
Topic
presentation |
|
|
2/14 |
Infant
socioemotional assessment |
5 |
|
2/16 |
Observational
coding exercise/Review? |
|
|
2/21 |
EXAM
1 |
|
|
2/23 |
Individual
topic presentation/IND. TOPICS DUE |
|
|
2/28 |
Child
cognitive development |
6 |
|
3/2 |
Presentations: Groups 1 and 2 |
|
|
3/7 |
Child
social development |
8 |
|
3/9 |
Presentations:
Groups 3 and 4 |
|
|
3/14 |
Adolescent
Assessment I |
9 |
|
3/16 |
Presentations:
Groups 5 and 6 |
|
|
|
SPRING BREAK
|
|
|
3/28 |
Adolescent
assessment II |
10 |
|
3/30 |
Presentation:
Group 7 |
|
|
4/4 |
Adult
development I |
11 |
|
4/6 |
Presentation:
Group 8 |
|
|
4/11 |
Adult
development II |
12 |
|
4/13 |
Review/
PROPOSALS DUE |
|
|
4/18 |
EXAM
2 |
|
|
4/20 |
Final
Exam Review |
|
|
4/25 |
FINAL
EXAM 12:30-1:45 |
|
|
Note.
Dates in italics
are lab days |
||
.