Goals of the Course: The primary goal of this course is for you to learn about a variety of methods for gathering behavioral data that can be systematically analyzed to yield implications for underlying cognitive processes. That is, you will learn about various methods for data gathering, various methods for data analysis, and the types implications that can be drawn from them. The second goal is for you to learn about which methods might be best suited to your own research interests, and to consider methods other than the ones you might already be aware of.

In this type of survey course, there is always a trade-off between breadth and depth. I have opted for breadth, for two reasons. First, students (and established researchers) can easily get stuck using a single method in their research; broad exposure to many methods can serve as an antidote. Second, when a useful method is identified, the student can easily find more detailed sources for self-study, but finding the method in the first place might be the most difficult part. Again, broad exposure to many methods can help solve this problem.

Required Textbook:

Breakwell, G. M., Hammond, S., and Fife-Schaw, C. (2000). Research Methods in Psychology, 2nd Ed.. London: Sage. Paperback, approx. $28.

Course Description: The first part of the course will consist of reading the textbook, which surveys many methods for data collection and analysis. Students will write abstracts and questions about the readings. In the second part of the course, students will find existing research articles in fields of their own interest that use various methods, and report these to the class. The presenters will prepare questions for the other students to answer about the materials presented. In the third part of the course, students will propose new research that uses various methods, and report these proposals to the class. One emphasis is on exploring a variety of methods, so that students don't get "stuck" in one dominant research paradigm. Another emphasis is on understanding exactly what implications can be drawn from different methods and analyses. The course schedule provides more details.

Prerequisites: There are no specific prerequisites for this course. It is recommended that you are a graduate student in the Cognitive Science Program. If you already have extensive background in experimental methods, the course should still offer you the opportunity to expand the variety of techniques in your research repertoire. If you believe you have already covered most or all of the material in previous courses, and you are taking the course to fulfill a Cognitive Science requirement, please discuss the possibility of exemption with Professor Kruschke.

Campus Computers: We will be making frequent use of various computers.

• World Wide Web: We will use the World Wide Web for posting announcements, homework assignments, and discussion. Our class web page is
  http://www.indiana.edu/~jkkteach/Q560/

  (The "~" [tilde] character must be included; it is located near the upper left of most keyboards. Notice that the "Q" in "Q560" is upper case.) Please consult these web pages frequently.

• Computer Accounts: If you have not already done so, please activate your computer account and network ID immediately. For information, consult the web document http://kb.indiana.edu/data/achn.html.

Course Grading Method: Grades are based on
(1) good summaries of reading materials, and clear presentations, in the first part of the course,
(2) clarity and incisiveness of reporting existing research articles, and accuracy in answering the questions posed by the presenter, and
(3) creativity, accuracy and thoroughness of new research proposals, along with clarity in their presentation.

Schedule: A detailed schedule is shown on a separate page, accessible from the web.

Disclaimer: This syllabus is meant to be suggestive, not absolute. Any and all of the information on this syllabus is subject to change at any time, including grading policies, etc. Changes will be announced in class.