Assignment: Introduction to Research Methods in Psychology
The main point of a research methods class is to enable you to understand experiments as well as design and run your own. For this final project, you will design and propose an experiment as if you were submitting your protocol to Purdue's IRB/IACUC. You may work with one partner but be sure that both your names are on the cover/title page. This final project is worth 30 points total, and both persons on the project will receive the same grade-assuming that both partners contribute relatively equally.
Answer the following IRB questions
a. Title of the study
b. Purpose of study
i. In no more than a page, briefly state the purpose of your study in lay language
ii. Describe your research question(s)/hypotheses that you intend to answer
1. Include your description for your independent variable
2. Include your operational definition for your dependent variable
3. Include what type of data you intend to collect and how you intend to collect it to confirm/disconfirm your hypothesis
iii. Describe your true or quasi-experimental design
1. how you intend to answer your research question
2. how you intend to control for at least one confound
c. Previous research
i. In no more than half a page, summarize previous research leading to the formulation of this study, including any past or current research you conducted that leads directly to the formulation of this study (including citations and references)
1. Include at least 2 published studies as references
2. Be sure to make the connection between those 2 references and your proposed study
d. Recruitment of participants
i. Describe the projected number of participants/subjects
ii. Describe the population from which subjects will be recruited (including gender, racial/ethnic composition, and age range)
1. This includes your sampling technique
iii. Describe how you will recruit subjects (face-to-face, e-mail, flyer, classroom announcement, etc.)
e. APA ethical considerations
i. Describe one way in which you will follow each of the 5 general principles of the APA code of conduct [textbook Chapter 2]
1. beneficence and nonmaleficence
2. fidelity and responsibility
3. integrity
4. justice
5. respect for persons
Format your assignment according to the following formatting requirements:
1. The answer should be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides.
2. The response also includes a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student's name, the course title, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.
3. Also include a reference page. The Citations and references should follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.