Why Should I Do a Research Project?

Research experience is STRONGLY recommended for those students who plan on doing graduate work in psychology. If you take a look at graduate programs in psychology (either MS/MA or Ph.D.), courses in research methods and statistics are highlighted as required in many programs (as opposed to just recommended) prior to goingto graduate school. While it is generally true that terminal master's degree programs do not emphasize research as much as Ph.D. programs do, this generalization may not hold for all programs. And it is a safe bet that if you do have research experience, in addition to experience in community service, you'll be more competitive as a graduate school applicant that those students who only have community service experience.
You will gain a sense of competence and understanding of research methodology that adds to and even goes beyond what is covered in Research Methods (PSY 329) and Quantitative Methods (PSY 333).

It aids in developing critical thinking skills as well as helps develop data entry and computer analysis skills needed in graduate school and in the workplace.

And you might even have some fun!

Can I Get Academic Credit for a Research Project?

Yes. There are several ways.
Senior Project: You can do a research project as your senior project (PSY 462). Many research projects generally take more than one quarter. So, the department will allow you to waive PSY 461, the 1 unit senior project seminar, and you take instead a PSY 400 Special Topics course for 1-4 units the first quarter. The second quarter you take PSY 462. So you may end up with up to 7 units, 3 of which goes toward your senior project and the remaining reflect the work you did on the research project. A course substitution form takes care of the PSY 461 and replaces it with the PSY 400. It sounds somewhat complicated and if you have any questions, see Dr. Ryan or the Department Chair.
Research Internship: Instead of working in the community for both quarters of your internship (PSY 453 or 454), you can choose a Research Internship for one of those quarters. This can include, but may not limited to,

Collecting data
Entering and/or analyzing data in SPSS

Literature search using library and electronic data bases

Hypothesis testing

Brief written literature review (4-5 pages double spaced)

If you're interested in being a research intern, contact one of the faculty who is doing research and see if they will take you on as an apprentice. You can click on this link to access psychology and child development faculty in the department.

PSY 400 - Individual Project: You can do a research project within the context of a PSY 400 Special Topics course. This is a course in which you meet with a faculty person on an ongoing basis and work closely with that person on the project. The two of you decide on what the PSY 400 will entail and the requirements you must meet. Cal Poly limits credit in PSY 400 to 4 units and there must be a written report.

What Steps Should I Take in Conducting Research at Cal Poly?

First, make sure you have the academic background. You should have taken a course in research methods (PSY 329 or equivalent) and know how to use a statistical analysis program (SPSS) or taken Quantitative Methods (PSY 333) as well as a course in statistics and hypothesis testing (e.g. STAT 217).
Second, identify your research interests, read the literature, talk to faculty about their areas of research. Use your psychology courses to get you focused on a research topic. In short, you need to be inquisitive, motivated, creative and practical. However, if you don't have a creative bone in your body but still want to gain research experience, visit with a faculty person who is currently doing research and beg them to let you be their research assistant. You can get credit for this through the PSY 400 Special Topics course, or through the PSY 453 and 453 fieldwork courses (research internship). Sometimes a faculty member's web site will have information about his/her research interests. This can lead you to someone who may have similar interests to your own.

Third, if you don't have a faculty member as a supervisor, go ahead and get one. Just visit with individual faculty until someone agrees to work with you. You can work within the course framework of PSY 400 or PSY 462 (senior project).

Fourth, work with the faculty member to fill out the Human Subjects Review Form. You can pick up the form from Dr. Ryan, go to the Graduate Studies and Research office in building 38, room to get one, or you can use the online form by clicking on this link, http://www.calpoly.edu/%7Escdavis/human4.htm. If the risk to your subjects is minimal and especially if the subject's responses will be anonymous, then the turn-around time for approval is generally quick, within 3-4 days. This step is critical since you would be in violation of university policy if you proceeded with data collection using human participants without university review.

Fifth, once approval is granted, you will want to recruit participants for your study. Check out the next section to see how easy it is.

Sixth, once you collect your data, you need to analyze it. You will probably use a computer and a software program. Your faculty supervisor will generally work with you. However, all of the campus computer labs have SPSS installed. Dr. Gary Laver is the department SPSS guru and can help you.

Seventh, write it up and marvel at your accomplishment! If it needs to be in APA style, the latest copy is located in the library, reference section. There is a web site that has information about writing up a research report: http://www./uwsp.edu/acad/psych/apa4b.html/intro

Good luck, and may the wind be with you!

How Do I Go About Getting Participants For My Project?

It's now a lot easier than it used to be. The main procedure involves telling the potential participants (PSY 201-202 general psychology students) which days and times you want them to come so you can collect your data. The number of sessions will depend on how many subjects you wish to recruit. Here are the steps to take:
Step 1. Once you get to the point in your project where you need to get participants, contact the department research coordinator, Debi Linderholm, dschiebe@calpoly.edu or 756-2033. Unless you have made arrangements with a faculty person to use his/her students in a class as your subjects, then you need to follow the steps below. It is really quite easy!
Step 2. There is a Subject Recruitment Form that is available in the department office, or you can download it from this web site by clicking on the link. Fill it out including the part that asks you to list the days/times when you want to collect the data. This part is important. You must be available at the times you list to collect the data. THAT MEANS YOU MUST SHOW UP AT THOSE DAYS AND TIMES.

Advice: Choose times when most students will not be in class. For example, the noon hour, 11 am on Thursday (this is the 'university hour' and not many classes are scheduled), or later in the afternoon. Classrooms will be scheduled at the times you list that will hold from 25-35 students. Schedule enough 'data-collection' sessions that will give you the sample size you need.
This form will be used to schedule the rooms for you to hold your 'data collection' sessions. Please be sure to specify any requirements that you want for the rooms, e.g. overhead projector, blinds on the windows, VCR/TV, computers, etc.

You will not be able to have your research project posted nor be able to recruit subjects until you have Human Subjects Review Committee approval. So make sure this is done before turning in the completed form to Debi.

Step 3. Once the form is filled out, give it to Debi Linderholm in the Psychology and Child Development main office (47-24), or send it to her via email by clicking the SUBMIT button on the form. There should be at least a ONE WEEK INTERVAL before the first data collection session is to begin. That should give Debi enough time to schedule available rooms on campus and get the room locations to you in time for your first session. She will notify you of the room locations via email. (Your email address MUST be listed on the form; If you haven't activated your Cal Poly email address, do so immediately.) When you submit the form to Debi, she will give you a Research Project Sign-Up Sheet to take with you to the session or you can download the sign-up sheet from this web site (click on the link). Be sure to take enough copies of the sign-up sheet as you think necessary to get all the names of your participants. (Approximately 20 names per sheet.) You will also receive a stack of assignments to hand out to your participants.

Step 4. The morning of the session, Debi will notify you of how many subjects plan on attending that session via email. Bring enough materials (e.g. questionnaires, informed consent forms, etc.) for at least 5 more participants than that number.

Step 5. At the session, once the participants have fulfilled your requirements for the research project, and before they leave, have them write their name on the Research Project Sign-Up Sheet and include the course that they are getting the credit in. This form is very important in granting the student credit for their participating, particular for those courses which require their participation. It will be your responsibility to make sure that the student's name is on the list of participants.

Step 6. Turn in the Research Project Sign-Up Sheet to Debi at the end of the session. Don't wait until your project is finished to turn in this sign-up sheet.

Step 7. That's it! Have fun analyzing the data!

How Can I Serve as a Participant in a Research Project?

There is a web site that explains the procedure to volunteer to participate as a research subject. Subjects are always in demand and you will be doing someone a big service if you donate a small amount of your time. CHECK IT OUT!