Grinley's Research Methods Class

Collaborating Online: Google Docs

2012-01-27T14:04:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone,
I mentioned in class that Google Docs is a way of collaborating on projects online. You can use it to collaborate in real time on documents, spreadsheets and presentations (hint: your group will be creating ALL THREE!). Even if you've already started a document in Word or some other processing system, you can upload it to Google Docs and share it.

Here's a conceptual explanation about why Google Docs is awesome.

Here is a video about how to use it. And here are a lot more videos on various things related to it. Let me know if your group needs or wants help with this.

The Plan

2012-01-20T15:11:00.001-08:00

Hi everyone,
Okay, so we've lost a whole week of class at this point. Yikes. I've decided that we will plan to do on Monday what I had originally planned for today- we'll be talking about Qualitative Research, and I'd like you to make sure you have read both Chapter 6 and the booklet that I cowrote (Finding Meaning in the Method) by Monday. I will also collect Article Summaries that are done, but in consideration of the fact that we haven't seen each other in over a week, I will accept them without a late penalty through Wednesday. If you would like help with the assignment or have questions, please let me know.

I will be getting a revised schedule to you in class on Monday. It will be a little tight- some scrambling to make up for this lost time, since our schedule was pretty tight as it was, but I'm sure you're all up for the challenge after this little break! We will make it work.

Take care, have a good weekend, and be ready to participate in class on Monday with gusto (if you did not see my earlier blog post about what should be done by then, scroll down).

Melissa

Talent Show Canceled

2012-01-19T14:20:00.001-08:00

Hi everyone,
Just wanted to let you know the Talent Show that was planned for tomorrow night has been canceled because the weather has interrupted the ability to prepare for it. I'll let you know if it gets rescheduled.

Stay warm! I am hoping we will be back in class tomorrow and back on track, if not, stay tuned for an update.

Melissa

Snow Day!

2012-01-18T10:00:00.000-08:00

Hi there,
So since we aren't having class today, there are some things I wanted to pass along to you.

Qualitative Research
This week we are reading about Qualitative research. I ask that you all download the slides "Qualitative Research" and read them. They're basically an outline for what I was going to cover today. The information is from both Chapter 6 in your book as well as the separate booklet you're reading for Friday. There are a few studies I reference in the slides- This is a link to the Watson & Rayner study of Little Albert. It's an interesting study to read for the historical stuff, also for ethical issues. It's written in a very qualitative tradition.

Here's a link to William James' discussion of stream of consciousness. A great piece of writing about what it is like, subjectively, to be conscious. Optional to read, but if you're a true psychology nerd, you should find at least the historical importance of the piece exciting.

Incidentally, here is a link to Classics in the History of Psychology- a great website with a lot of historical papers and texts on there, from which I got the above two links. Very fun to browse around.

As you have read in your book, a coding system is a method of classification that researchers create and use to measure behaviors in qualitative studies such as observations. Here is a video about John Gottman's "Love Lab" at the University of Washington, where researchers use coding systems in their observations of couple's behaviors while talking and arguing. Gottman's research has led to some pretty strong support for particular kinds of behaviors which predict healthy relationships vs. divorce.

Friday's Quiz
Assuming weather forecasts are correct, we will be back in class on Friday and I'm still planning on giving the quiz. So if you have any questions, please ask. Remember, the quiz questions will be pulled directly from the questions at the end of your chapters in your textbook. Please see the quiz guide to know which questions to study.

Also, for Friday, please collect some qualitative data. Ask two different people this question: What does it feel like to fall in love? Write down verbatim what they say. Please ask in person (like a quick face to face interview), rather than via email, text, or social media. Do not give them any prompts other than the question itself. You may also say "tell me more about that" if you want to prod them to say more. But do not change the wording of the question and do try to write down their answer as word for word as possible.

Article Summary
I was going to lead you through doing a peer review for your Article Summary assignment today. Since we aren't doing that, here is the handout I was going to give- you could either arrange for someone you know to go through this for you or pair up with someone in class to do this outside of class time. Unfortunately we won't have time on Friday to do this in class. If you have any questions at all about the article summary, we can talk about it in class on Friday and I'm also available to meet after class if anyone needs help. I'm sorry this assignment isn't getting the attention it deserves, but I hope the sample paper in the reader also helps you understand what I'm expecting in terms of level and depth of content.

First Group Assignment: Proposal and References
Also, I was going to hand out your proposal and references assignment, but I will provide a link to it here for download. It will be due on January 27th (next Friday). Most of you formed groups last week, and those of you still on the fence will make final decisions in class on Friday. It's already time (can you believe it!) to start making decisions on what topic you are going to focus on as a group, and what method you will use to study it. You'll also need to use your amazing PsycARTICLES skills to find background research on the topic. The reason you need to find background research on the topic you'll be conducting your study on is so that you can learn what is already known on the topic, and so that you can provide some of that information in the eventual introduction of your final paper. As you are seeing in the journal articles you've been reading for class, the introduction section contains what we call a 'literature review'. This is exactly what it sounds like: a review of the other research in the area, and the relation of the current study to that previous research. It explains the basis for the study's hypothesis and the reason why the author had this hypothesis. It provides more information to the reader about the topic and justification for the researcher's interest.

For example, one student did a study a couple of years ago on the relationship between dog owners' time they spend with their pet and their pet's behavior problems. The student found studies that were related to the topic such as an article about how a closer bond with a pet can reduce one's perceptions of the pet's behavior problems, and to justify the importance of her study, she also found an article about how many people who give pets up at a shelter often do so because of cited behavior problems. When she did find a correlation in her study, she was able to, in her discussion, present the implications on how spending time with a pet might reduce the number of pets brought to shelters, and that perhaps the amount of time people have to spend with a pet should be taken into account in adoptions from shelters. The research you use in your introduction can be related to but does not necessarily have to be the exact topic you're studying as well.

Whew, I think that's it. Stay warm!

Melissa

Show off your Talents!

2012-01-13T14:42:00.000-08:00

Talent Show!

Fifth Annual NSCC Talent Show & Competition

NORTHSTAR SEARCH!

All are welcome – No Auditions

If you or any of your friends, family members, or students are interested in taking part, please sign up in the Theater Department’s Green Room - LB 1236. You’ll have 3.5 minutes to sing, dance, tell jokes, play your harmonica, juggle, regurgitate, do magic, walk on stilts – whatever your talent is!

All Talents Welcome!

Almost-Valuable prizes!

Join the Fun!

The Talent show is A WEEK FROM TODAY - FRIDAY, January 20^th

Show starts at 7:30, so come early!

Licton Springs Review
Today in class Lindsey Walker visited to share the LSR deadline- January 31. If you write or create visual art, consider submitting. Entries are qualified to compete for cash prizes. More information is available at http://lsr.northseattle.edu/

Want to know more about Autism?

2012-01-11T15:21:00.000-08:00

A classmate shared this with me- for anyone who is interested, Seattle Children's Hospital has a series of classes to better understand the disorder (primarily for parents or caregivers, but open to the general public). As described on their site:

Autism 200 is a series of 90-minute classes for parents and caregivers of children with autism who wish to better understand this disorder. Faculty from Seattle Children’s, the University of Washington and community providers teach the classes. Each class includes time for questions.

Thanks for the info, Elly!

Welcome to Research Methods!

2012-01-04T12:08:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone,
I want to welcome you to our class website! Bookmark this on your computer, as it will be a site you will visit throughout the quarter. This website fulfills several purposes:

1. Assignments and Quiz Reviews are available here- you can look ahead and have copies of those when you're ready for them.
2. See the 'links' to the right- there are some good resources here.
3. I will post the slides for any lectures I give in powerpoint here, you can download them before class (I usually post them by 5pm the day prior to a new lecture).
4. If class is canceled for any reason (e.g. snow), I will post it on here as early as I can, usually by 8am.
5. Also, I will be posting any extra information you might be interested in that is related to things we are talking about in class.

Feel free to respond to any of my postings on this page by using the 'comments' option below.

See you in class!
-Melissa