Department of Psychology Policy for Research Participation
The Department of Psychology requires a minimum of 6 hours of research. This may be completed by active participation in a department-approved study, by report of instructor-approved library reading, or a combination of these two completed in accord with guidelines set by the instructor. Failure to complete the minimum research requirement results in a one-letter grade drop, so if a student, for example, had a 'B' average at the end of the semester, the grade the student receives is a 'C'.
Research is the basis of knowledge in psychology and provides the content in all areas of the discipline. So that students can learn in depth the nature and content of research, and to become familiar with research in ways that are available only outside the classroom, the Department of Psychology requires students to have a minimum of 6 hours of research experience. This may be obtained by active participation in department-approved studies, by reading research articles and reporting the content in a library report, or by a combination of these two. Each accepted library research report receives one hour of research credit, and active participation in ongoing studies receives credit according to the length of time spent in the study, which can vary from half an hour up to two hours. Details of the research participation and the library assignment will be provided in the 2nd or 3rd week of class.
Students who sign up for research participation, as do the investigators conducting the study, make a commitment to be at the designated place and time. If an emergency arises to prevent the participants from being able to be at the appointed time and place, they must notify the investigator no later than one hour prior to the study time. If students fail to come to the study or fail to cancel with sufficient notice, they will be penalized for the time of that study, which means that if students fail to show up or to cancel in time for a one hour study, they must make up one hour as penalty. Thus, a student who completed 5 research hours and fails to show up at the appointed time and place for the 6th hour of a study is required to complete 1 research hour as penalty and then still make up the 6th hour for completing the minimum research requirement. Failure to meet the 6 hour requirement at the end of the semester will lead to a reduction in grade of one letter grade.
