Laboratory Practice of Experimental Psychology

Code:

P304

Acronym:

PL

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Scientific Research Methodology

Instance: 2011/2012 - 2S

Active?	Yes
Responsible unit:	Psychology
Course/CS Responsible:	Integrated Master Psychology

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
MIPSI	82	Official Curricular Structure 2007/2008	1	-	3	30	81
			2

Teaching language

Portuguese

Objectives

Goals:
The students will:
a) Be able to apply experimental methodology knowledge;
b) Recognize and be able to use the more important apparatus in the lab;
c) Be able to empirically replicate some of the more important effects or psychological laws;
d) Acquire, through their participation in the experiments and the individual results obtained, the awareness and better understanding of some important effects in human cognition;
e) Learn how to collect, process and analyze data and how to write a report communicating the knowledge from this area according to prevailing rules;
f) Participate in the conducting of small experimental studies in this field of knowledge, integrating the methodological and statistical knowledge.

Program

Programme
1. Introduction to experimental research. The historical and contemporary importance of the experimental psychology laboratories.
2. Experimental research in the domain of reaction times. How to use analogical and digital reaction time meters (Superlab). Methodology of reaction time data collection and analysis.
3. Experimental research in the domain of learning. Usage of a simulator to conduct experiments in the field of classic and operant conditioning.
4. Experimental research in the domain of visual sensory memory. How to operate with analogical and digital tachistoscopes (Superlab).
5. Experimental research in immediate memory, working memory and long term memory. Methodology of experimental research in the domain of human memory (behavioural studies).
6. Planning and conduction of experimental research. Utilization of analogical equipment available in the laboratory (taquistoscopes, reaction time meters, mirror tracer and others).
7. Oral and written communication training of scientific results (poster and article format).

Mandatory literature

Alferes Valentim Rodrigues; Investigação científica em psicologia. ISBN: 972-40-1039-2
Pinto Amâncio da Costa; Metodologia da investigação psicológica. ISBN: 972-9036-05-5
Pinto Amâncio da Costa; Psicologia experimental. ISBN: 972-95353-0-2
Shaughnessy John J.; Research methods in psychology. ISBN: 0-07-057272-0

Teaching methods and learning activities

Teaching Methods

The participation in the experiments and demonstrations in the fields of perception, attention, learning and memory will promote knowledge acquisition through discovery and awareness.

Lectures have a brief theoretical component (approximately 25% of the lecture time) and a practical component consisting of experiments, data analysis and result discussions.

Students participate in the experiments as experimental units or subjects. They can also participate, in some classes and in the context of empirical work, as experimenters.

Besides classes, students will have 2 hours per week of individual or small-group tuition in order to conduct the empirical work.

The theoretical-practical classes will take place at the laboratory of experimental psychology and in a support classroom near the laboratory.

Software

Superlab2.0

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation with final exam

Eligibility for exams

Mode of Evaluation
Evaluation is spread along the semester with a final individual exam.

Calculation formula of final grade

Components of Evaluation:
1. Class attendance; Classes on this subject (estimation) 28 Classes
2.Empirical work: Report of an experiment
3. Individual written exam at the end of the semester

Obtaining Attendance Frequency
The «Participation Level» in the activities is an evaluation criterion which represents 20% of the discipline classification. It will be measured by the number of attendances. As such, the assiduity will be valued from 0 to 20, following a non-linear distribution that significantly favours the students with over 50% assiduity.

Calculating the Final Classification
The final classification corresponds to the weighted mean of the three evaluation components: a) Participation level; b) Empirical work and c) Individual written exam

Grade = (20%)*Participation Level + (50%)*Empirical work + (30%)*Individual exam

Examinations or Special Assignments

Exams and Special Works
The empirical work requires a small data collection and will be done in groups of two students. These works will be supervised throughout the following stages: a) planning; b) preparation of materials, equipments and instructions; c) data collecting procedures; d) statistical analysis and e) production of the written report. The final result should be a written report of around 7 pages to be delivered to the teacher plus a PowerPoint slide in the form of a poster followed by a presentation and brief discussion.

Special assessment (TE, DA, ...)

Special Evaluation (Working Students, Students with Learning Disability)
The students with special educational needs should inform the teacher at the beginning of the semester in order to allow for the planning of eventually needed adaptations.

Classification improvement

Improving the Final/Distributed Classification
Only the individual written exam can be repeated to improve the grade.

Observations

Changes to this provisory syllabus will be posted in the discipline folders of this website. Specific information or any doubts would be given by the assistant professor Nuno Gaspar.