The MEL Library in the undergraduate research methods course

The MEL Library is a teaching tool for the undergraduate research methods course, designed to teach content and methodology, with additional practical experience in experimental design, graphic presentation of data, and integration of experimental results within the framework of an evolving science of psychology. A set of exercises replicates many classic experiments in psychology. Students can run these experiments using themselves as subjects. Data then can be merged across subjects, and statistical analyses of the group data can be performed. In addition, easy implementation of changes in the experiments permits students to explore beyond the set exercises, allowing them to develop their own research ideas for semester projects or honors theses.     

Signal-processing software for teaching and research in psychoacoustics under UNIX and X-Windows

A package of software is described that generates, analyzes, stores, and displays sampled waveforms. The package is designed for use under UNIX and includes C source code, UNIX manual pages, and tutorial documents. The programs interact via UNIX pipes using an ASCII-text data format, which enables the user to view the data in numerical form as well as through the use of plotting programs. Among many other functions, the programs can do the following: efficiently generate linearphase FIR filters with arbitrary transfer functions; generate impulse responses for rectangular rooms of specified dimensions; convolve waveforms with each other; perform Fourier transformation and inverse Fourier transformation; filter waveforms in the Fourier domain; filter waveforms according to the peripheral frequency selectivity of the human auditory system; cross-correlate waveforms; autocorrelate waveforms; synthesize complex waveforms, including vowel sounds and white noise. The software can read and write a variety of commonly used waveform file formats. The data can be plotted on an X-Window display using thegnuplot software, which has been included in the package. The complete software package is available via anonymous ftp from ftp.ihr.mrc.ac.uk in ~ftp/pub/johncu/wave.tar.Z     

A critical evaluation of software for experiment development in research and teaching

This paper compares several software packages that allow users to create new computer-run experiments, but do not require that users be able to program. Three dimensions are considered: package requirements, ease of learning, and power and flexibility.     

Using internet resources in a research methods course

Internet resources (a WWW home page, a Unix-based Listserv discussion list, and e-mail) were used to supplement traditional materials in a research methods course. The course also included word processing and computerized data analysis, and the student version of MEL was used as a research simulator. A computer usage survey was administered at the beginning and end of the semester. Analysis of the survey results indicated that students were more positive in their attitudes about computers as a helpful tool for psychologists at the end of the course than at the beginning. They did not show an increased appreciation for the usefulness of Internet and e-mail, however, which is probably the result of the text-based Internet browser and the slowness of the e-mail system used.     

Diagnostic scale for evaluation of graduate-level teaching assistants

The TA Evaluator, 20 5-point ratings of the effectiveness of graduate teaching assistants, showed split-half reliability of .95. All 20 items loaded greater than .59 on a single iterative principal axis factor. Average for 10 items pairs was .55. Use in diagnosis and improvement will be undertaken.     

Using microcomputers to control student-designed research in a research methods course

Microcomputers may be used to simulate traditional equipment in the psychology laboratory, such as tachistoscopes, memory drums, and reaction timers. With the diminishing price of microcomputers, such simulation is especially attractive, since it is considerably less expensive than the original special-purpose equipment, and also allows greater versatility. The undergraduate laboratory described here requires only inexpensive microcomputers, simple experimental control programs, and little or no additional peripheral equipment.     

Equipment is cheap,but the field must develop and support common software for psychological research

Over the last 18 years, the commercial sector has provided psychology with very advanced equipment at low cost. It is unlikely, however, that the commercial sector will provide psychology with the special-purpose software that is needed for data acquisition. Software costs are now the greatest cost of data acquisition. Psychology needs common software used by many researchers. Efforts and funds must therefore be concentrated so that comprehensive software systems can be developed and supported. Software systems should provide open architectures to allow individual researchers to add specialized functions within an integrated environment.     

Using ethnographic methods to carry out human factors research in software engineering

This article describes how ethnographic methods were used to observe and analyze student teams working on software engineering (SE) projects. The aim of this research was to uncover the effects of the interplay of different personality types, as measured by a test based on the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), on the workings of an SE team. Using ethnographic methods allowed the researchers to record the effects of personality type on behavior toward teammates and how this related to the amount of disruption and positive ideas brought forward from each member; also examined in detail were issues that were either dogged by disruption or that did not have sufficient discussion devoted to them and the impact that they had on the outcomes of the project. Initial findings indicate that ethnographic methods are a valuable weapon to have in one’s arsenal when carrying out research into human factors of SE.     

A hypertext-based tutorial with links to the Web for teaching statistics and research methods

An online tutorial for research design and statistics is described. This tutorial provides a way for students to learn how scales of measure, research design, statistics, and graphing data are related. The tutorial also helps students determine what statistical analysis is appropriate for a given design and how the results of the analysis should be plotted in order to effectively communicate the results of a study. Initial research suggests that students using the tutorial are more accurate in their decisions about the design and statistics associated with a study. Students are also more confident in the decisions and find them easier to make when using the tutorial. Furthermore, practice with the tutorial appears to improve problem-solving ability in subsequent design and statistics scenarios. Implications for teaching statistics and research design are discussed.     

Personal computer software for teaching differential psychodiagnostics

The third edition of theDiagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (American Psychiatric Association, 1980), outlines for the student what symptoms to consider when attempting to arrive at an accurate differential diagnosis of eight broad psychiatric categories. This paper describes a program developed to instruct a medical or graduate student in the science of such decision making.     

An evaluation of statistical software for research and instruction

A variety of microcomputer statistics packages were evaluated. The packages were compared on a number of dimensions, including error handling, documentation, statistical capability, and accuracy. Results indicated that there are some very good packages available both for instruction and for analyzing research data. In general, the microcomputer packages were easier to learn and to use than were mainframe packages. Furthermore, output of mainframe packages was found to be less accurate than output of some of the microcomputer packages.     

Assessment of methods for measuring social support

A rapidly expanding literature documents the effects of social support on physical and psychological well-being. Although definitions vary, most include both tangible components (e.g., financial assistance and physical aid) and intangible components (e.g., encouragement and guidance). Social support has been implicated in the mediation of stressful life events, recovery from illness, and increased program adherence. There are many inconsistent findings in the literature, however, and it is difficult to resolve discrepancies because measures of social support vary widely from study to study. To guide in the selection of measurement methods for research and applied work, 23 techniques for assessing social support are reviewed and evaluated. Criteria for favorable evaluation included reliability coefficients greater than .8 and documentation of validity. Correlations between various social support and criterion measures are simulated in order to demonstrate the consequences of choosing a measure with low reliability. Scale developers reported reliability data for 19 of the reviewed measures. Internal consistency coefficients ranged from .31 to .98. Test-retest coefficients ranged from .22 to .96. At least some validity documentation was available for 13 of the scales. Discriminant validity evidence, however, is almost universally absent. Despite psychometric weaknesses and variability among the scales, researchers have several instruments available to them.     

Correlation between scores on integration of scientific knowledge and achievement in a course in educational research methods

The purpose of this study was to investigate the correlations between students' scores on integrating science knowledge and their conceptual knowledge of educational research concepts, methods, and applications. Participants were 124 graduate students enrolled in several sections of a required introductory course in educational research methods. Students' integration of science knowledge was measured via the Test of Integrated Process Skills II, and performance in the educational research methods class was assessed via midterm and final examinations. Analysis indicated that correlations between scores on the Test of Integrated Process Skills II and achievement in the course on midterm and final examinations were .36 and .42, respectively, suggesting that those who were more able to integrate science knowledge also tended to exhibit higher performance on the examinations.     

Roles for software technologies in advancing research and theory in educational psychology

While reviews abound on theoretical topics in educational psychology, it is rare that we examine our field's instrumentation development, and what effects this has on educational psychology's evolution. To repair this gap, this paper investigates and reveals the implications of software technologies for researching and theorizing about core issues in educational psychology. From a set of approximately 1,500 articles published between 1999 and 2004, we sampled illustrative studies and organized them into four broad themes: (a) innovative ways to operationalize variables, (b) the changing nature of instructional interventions, (c) new fields of research in educational psychology, and (d) new constructs to be examined. In each area, we identify novel uses of these technologies and suggest how they may advance, and, in some instances, reshape theory and methodology. Overall, we demonstrate that software technologies hold significant potential to elaborate research in the field.     

ArtWare: Macintosh multimedia software for aesthetics research

This paper describes ArtWare, a HyperCard stack for the Apple Macintosh that allows researchers to configure and run simple experiments in visual aesthetics. ArtWare allows researchers to (1) choose paintings or other works of art from commercially available laser discs to use as stimuli, (2) create and edit sets of semantic differential response scales, and (3) create an experiment stack that randomizes the presentation of stimuli and scales as well as collects data from subjects. In addition, the paper discusses revisions planned for the current software to broaden its utility to areas beyond visual aesthetics.     

A microcomputer-based software package for eye monitoring research

A software package is described that collects and reduces eye behavior (eye position and pupil size) data using an IBM-compatible personal computer. Written in the C language for speed and portability, the package includes several unique features: data can be collected simultaneously from other sources (e.g., EEG, EMG), logically defined events can be detected in real time on any data channel, and either of two types of data matrix can be produced. Data reduction algorithms and data structures are described.     

Alternate methods and software for calculating interobserver agreement for continuous observation data

Portable electronic data collection devices permit investigators to collect large amounts of observational data in a form ready for computer analysis. These devices are particularly efficient for gathering continuous data on multiple behavior categories. We expect that the increasing availability of these devices will lead to greater use of continuous data collection methods in observational research. This paper addresses the difficulties encountered when calculating traditional interobserver agreement statistics for continuous, multiple-code scoring. Two alternative strategies are described that yield interobserver agreement values based on the exact time of behavior code entries by the primary and secondary observers.Work on this paper was supported in part by NICHD Grants P01HD15051 and R01HD17650 and Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services Grant G008302980.     

Using on-line and CD-ROM database archives as an adjunct to teaching survey research methods

Many undergraduate courses in research methods include a section on surveys. A number of practical issues can interfere with the design and implementation of student survey research and often preclude the completion of well-designed survey studies. This paper examines the use of on-line and CD-ROM databases as an alternative to student-designed survey instruments. Problems faced by student survey researchers can often be addressed by the use of such databases, rather than by “live” surveys. Data from experimental research collected on line are also available and downloadable for analysis, providing even greater flexibility for analysis. Advantages and problems of using archival databases in the teaching of survey research are considered. A brief list of databases that may be suitable for student research is provided, and a list of URLs, including where and how to obtain archives, is given.