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Course Information

What:  PSY 205-02, Fall 2023
When: Mo/Th, 8:30-11:20 am
Where:
Mo: West Bldg W117
Th: North Bldg 614 
Instructor: Carolina Lopera
Email: cloperaoquendo@gradcenter.cuny.edu
Office Hours: Th 11:30 am - 1:30 pm

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Grading & Assignments

Course Assignment

Your course grade will be determined by your scores on the following assignments.

Assignment Quantity Points
Paper 1 1 60
Paper 2 1 80
Paper 3 1 90
Paper 4 (Independent project) 1 100
Writing and Discussion 10 5
Lab Assignments 10 20

Hunter College Grading Scale

The below percentage scale will determine your course grade. I do not use norm-referenced grading (i.e., grading on a “curve”).  Everyone in the class can earn an A.

Your grade will be determined by the percentage of points earned, as shown in the scale above. You may use this scaling any time during the semester to determine your current grade.

Grade Points Needed
A+ 97.5-100
A 92.5-97.4
A- 90.0-92.4
B+ 87.5-89.9
B 82.5-87.4
B- 80.0-82.4
C+ 77.5-79.9
C 70.0- 77.4
D 60.0 – 69.9
F 0.0-59.9

Assignments

  • APA- formatted papers: This course is a writing-intensive course. You will write 4-full length APA style publication-style papers. Each paper will be between 10 and 20 pages in length. All the paper assignments are designed to teach you how the research process works and how to design and conduct an empirical study and write for publication. We will work together as a class for the first three paper assignments to conduct and write. The fourth paper is an independent project (IP) that you will design, conduct, analyze, and write on your own (with guidance from me).
    • Paper 1: We will analyze an existing data set from a mental rotation task. We will conduct an analysis to compare the performance of the two groups.
    • Paper 2: We will design an experimental study together to examine performance on a Lexical Decision Task. Analyses will involve repeated measures.
    • Paper 3: This study will involve survey data collection using an online platform such as Qualtrics. We will survey people about the social attitudes they hold. Analyses will be compared across multiple groups and variable levels.
    • Paper 4: IP- You will design, collect data, conduct analyses, and write a publication-style paper independently with guidance from me. You MUST obtain approval for your methods and materials before you can begin collecting data for your IP. You will present a conference-style talk or poster of your study at the end of the semester.
  • Lab assignments: You will complete a series of 10 lab assignments in class. Each assignment is worth 20 points. These lab assignments will give you hands-on experience with all aspects of conducting research in behavioral sciences. For example, some labs involve learning how to design an experiment, others involve critiquing published research, and others involve data analysis for your papers.
  • Writing and discussion (WD): In many class sessions, we will engage in short writing or discussion assignments. These are low-stakes assignments worth 5 points each. These assignments aim to give you a chance to apply what you have read for the class session or content from the lecture material for that day. Many of these sessions will focus on writing and directly contribute to your paper assignments.

Course Withdrawal

Check with your academic advisor to find out when the last day to withdraw without a W or WD on your transcript is.