Psychology is an empirical science. Therefore it is important for students in psychology courses to have first-hand acquaintance with actual experiments. By seeing how experiments are done, students can fully appreciate the methods, purposes, and results of psychological research. To fulfill this purpose, each student is given the opportunity to spend a few hours participating in research conducted by faculty and graduate students of the Department of Psychology and/or doing library research related to psychological experiments.

The requirement is 6 hours, calculated in 1/2 hour units. In other words, each student will have the opportunity to serve as a subject in different types of research projects for a total of 12 half-hour units during the semester. One unit is defined as one session or one appointment in the laboratory that lasts 30 minutes or less; many, if not most sessions, will last somewhat over 30 minutes; sessions that last between 30 and 60 minutes count as 2 units. Some few sessions may last over an hour; for these, you will receive correspondingly more units of credit.

During the semester, there should be enough research projects to provide each student with an opportunity to participate in all 6 hours. However, this will not be true for students who delay their participation until late in the semester. Such students may find fewer than 6 hours of participation possible. They must then complete the requirement by writing reports.

You will sign up for experiments on the web-based program of the Department of Psychology. Instructions for use of this program may be downloaded at: http://www.psy.vanderbilt.edu/faculty/chun/experimetrix.pdf

You must register on the experimetrix system in order to use it (http://experimetrix.com/vandy ). You only need to do this once, and we recommend that you do it as soon as possible. Instructions for registering are available in the PDF document listed above.

If you find you cannot make an appointment you have signed for, you can cancel it on the system a minimum of 3 hours before the appointment is due (except for authorized medical excuses). If you fail to keep an appointment cancelling, you will have one-half hour of laboratory credit subtracted from your total credit for each appointment missed.

When you complete an experiment, the experimenter will give you a credit slip and will grant you credit on the Experimetrix system. When you log in to Experimetrix, your credit balance will be available to review at any time. Please keep these CREDIT SLIPS in case your credit balance on Experimetrix is not correct. While the experimenter will keep a record of your credits and record them on the system, mistakes do happen; you can help us correct them with your credit slips. Please give the experimenter at least one week to log your credit on the system before reporting a discrepancy (except in the last week of classes during which credits should be posted within 24 hours).

Before the last day of classes (December 13, 2001), after you've participated in your last experiment, please review your final credit balance. On December 14, 2001, the credits you've earned will be reported to the instructors. Hence, it is in your best interest to correct any discrepancies in your credit balance before this date.

Generally, once you have served in an experiment, you will not be able to serve in that same experiment again. The Experimetrix system will keep track of this information and prevent you from signing up for the same experiment. However, some experiments may allow you to participate more than once, and accordingly, the experimetrix system will allow you to sign up for those.

Three reports on research articles will satisfy the laboratory requirements.

Each report should consist of a two- to three-page (double-spaced, typed) summary of a research article from a standard psychological research journal (see list of examples of appropriate journals below). Each report should follow the outline below.

I. Introduction: (One paragraph) What is the basic theoretical question or concern of the research? This might include a statement of a particular theory being examined or a statement or particular theories being compared and a statement of the hypothesis being tested or a statement of expected results.

II. Method: (One to three paragraphs) What subjects or organisms are being tested? What is the basic form of experimental test being used?

III. Results and Conclusions: (Summarize briefly) What are the basic findings of the experiment and how do they relate to the theoretical concerns and hypotheses in the introduction?

NOTE: Each of these sections should be brief and the statements should include only the basic and most general points and not many very specific details.

American Journal of Psychology, American Journal of Psychiatry, British Journal of Psychology, Child Development, Cognitive Psychology, Cognitive Science, Journal of Abnormal Psychology, Journal of Comparative and Physiological Psychology, Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, Journal of Experimental Analysis of Behavior, Journal of Experimental Psychology, Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Journal of Memory and Language, Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior, Memory & Cognition, Psychological Bulletin, Psychological Review, Psychological Science, Schizophrenia Bulletin

Reports must be turned in by 4 PM Tuesday, December 11, 2001. Turn in your reports to the Teaching Assistant or Instructor in your section of the course.

One report is equivalent to 2 hours (4 units) of laboratory participation. Any combination of laboratory and reports equalling 6 hours is acceptable.

The names of the experiments and the rooms where they are being conducted will be posted on http://experimetrix.com/vandy. Check it from time to time to see that your credit has been posted. It may take up to one week before the credit is posted.

If you have questions about the posted credits, contact the experimenter..

In any case, be sure to save your CREDIT SLIPS. In the unlikely event that credit for an experiment has not been posted by the end of the semester, you can turn in your credit slips for full credit.

On Friday, December 14, 2001, the final credit report will be distributed to instructors. Check your credit balance on the Experimetrix system before that date to confirm that your records agree. If there is a discrepancy, contact the relevant experimenter (who failed to post your earned credit) immediately. If you cannot reach the experimenter, turn in all of your CREDIT SLIPS to your TA or the Department Receptionist (301 Wilson Hall) by 4 PM Thursday, December 13, 2001.

First two weeks of class : Register on http://experimetrix.com/vandy

December 11, 2001 (4pm) : Last day to participate in an experiment. Deadline for reports.

December 13, 2001 (4pm) : Deadline to report a discrepancy in your credit balance. Submit credit slips.