415 DeGarmo Hall
309.438.7266 (voice)
309.438.5789 (fax)
Office Hours have not yet been determined for the Spring Semester.
(Dates are not yet available for the spring semester)
| Date | Topic | Reading |
| Meet & Greet; Matrix Algebra Review | T&F Ch 13 | |
| Exploratory Factor Analysis | T&F Ch 13 | |
| Confirmatory Factor Analysis | CFA Monograph | |
| Empirical Literature Using EFA/CFA | ||
| Covariance Structure Models | CSM Monograph | |
| Empirical Literature Using CSM | ||
| Multidimensional Scaling | MDS Monograph | |
| Empirical Literature Using MDS | ||
| Cluster Analysis | Clustering Monograph | |
| Empirical LIterature Using Clustering | ||
| Course Project Presentations & Discussion |
|
Component |
Percent of Final Grade |
| Homework Assignments |
25 % |
| Empirical Literature Discussions |
25 % |
| Class Participation |
25 % |
| Course Project |
25 % |
Each week, students will be given a homeowrk asignment that may include data analysis, discussion of material, working with equations, et cetera. Also, students will have four "mini-papers" in which one or more empirical students published in each student's content area will be reviewed, critiqued, and discussed. During that last day of each topic, students will discuss possible applications of the topic to their content areas and present the empirical paper or papers used in the mini-paper. At the end of the semester, students will be required to turn in a class project. The structure and format of the project are flexible, but I anticipate that most students will write up an analysis of a data set either in the form of a truncated APA empirical paper (e.g., with a very concise literature review) or in the form of a consulting report. In additiona, the final exam period will be sued for students to present their project briefly and lead discussion on their project. Sutdents will also be expected to document their own class participation by turning in a brief log detailing the comments and questions asked in each class meeting. I strongly encourage students to track these comments each week rather than waiting for the end of the semester because I can almost guarantee that you will not remember what you said at the beginning of the semester.
Students' written work is expected to be prepared neatly, carefully, and with attention to detail. All work should be word processed, which means you should get familiar with all the features of your word processor, especially equation editors and the like. As with any written document, I expect you to run spell checker, and a failure to do so will result in a zero on the assignment. All work should be laser printed or printed on a high quality ink jet printer. Under no circumstances will dot matrix print be accepted, and running, smeared, or less than clean, clear, legible laser jet printing will be accepted. I expect you to proof read each document very carefully for grammar, style, clarity, and economy of expression. As many of you may be aware, I take writing very seriously, and your written work will be evaluated on the basis of the quality of expression as well as the content. As with so many things in life, it is not only what you do, but how well you do it. APA format should be followed whenever possible, which means (among many other things) that you will need to double space everything except direct output. In general, you will not be turning in full output files; rather, the output should be saved do diskette and the relevant portions "cut and pasted" into the word processing file. Here's a helpful hint: Use a fixed font (not a proportional spaced font) such as Courier, so that the spacing and formatting of the output will look right.
Students will have access to the computers in the Psychology Department Computer Lab in 13A DeGarmo. This lab contains 10 Power Mac computers running SPSS 6.1. Students may also access WIntel-based labs on campus, such as in Julian Hall and Schroeder Hall. Additionally, students may wish to purchase the Graduate Student Version of SPSS; this version is unrestricted and represents a full version of SPSS. This version is available for both Macintosh and WIntel platforms at about $200 a copy (see the University Bookstore for full details). Students are not required to purchase SPSS, but those who are planning on conducting further empirical research (e.g., their MA thesis research) will find it invaluable to have their own copy of SPSS. Additionally, compared to the street price of almost $800, this is a steal!
Students are expected to check their e-mail frequently but not on a daily basis. I would recommend checking your mail a couple times a week, but especially the day or two after I give an assignment. I may need to make corrections to the assignment, for instance. Also, please don't hesitate to send me e-mail about any and all aspects of the course; I can't promise to get your e-mail answered immediately, but I do answer all my e-mail eventually. Do keep in mind that formatting equations in e-mail can be difficult, so some questions are better handled in person.
Grades will be assigned using the appropriate distributional model. Frequently, graduate courses generate a "camel humps" distributions (i.e., one that is clearly bimodal). In such a situation, the upper population (exhibiting exceptional grasp of the material) will earn an "A", while those in the lower population (exhibiting a good grasp of the material) will earn a "B", and any negative outliers may get a "C" or lower depending on how problematic the course performance is. Given the small class size, however, it would not be unexpected for everyone to fall in either the upper or lower "hump" of this theoretical distribution, in which case all "A's" or all "B's" may be earned. The determination of which distributional model applies rests solely on the judgment of the instructor. I welcome the opportunity to discuss with each and every student her or his progress in the course, problem areas, and strategies for improving performance. I am available during my office hours and by appointment. Additionally, I believe in the open door policy and welcome students to drop by my office any time I'm in my office with the door open. I may have to ask you to schedule an appointment or return during office hours, though, if I am pressed for time. If you really need to see me, do not hesitate to knock on my door, but if I am in with the door closed, I am much more likely to ask you to schedule an appointment.
Neither cheating nor plagiarism will be tolerated. Cheating, plagiarism, or both will result in a grade of "F" and referral to the Student Judicial Office for disciplinary action. This policy does not apply to students' collaborating on assignments to the extent that the solution or strategy is discussed, nor does it apply to "checking answers" with classmates. THe policy will apply, however, to copying homework verbatim. Should I encounter suspicious work, that suspicion will be distributed equally to all parties involved. Thus, it is in your best interest not to let a colleague copy your work for any reason.