PSYCHOLOGY 541:
INTRODUCTION TO
PROFESSIONAL PSYCHOLOGY
Fall 2005 Dr. Betsy Shoenfelt
Time: 9:30-12:30 Tues Office: TPH 264
Classroom: TPH 214 Phone: 745-4418
CLASS SCHEDULE:
TOPIC (# class periods) Special Notes
Topic 1: Introduction to I/O Psychology (1)
Professional Preparation
Topic 2: Working in Organizations
Roles of I/O Psychologists (1)
Application: Behavioral Improvement Programs Thursday, Sept. 8th 9:30-12:30 TPH 214
Topic 3: Methodology (2-3)
Field Research
Quasi-Experimental Design
Significance Testing
Topic 4: Professional Presentation Tuesday, Sept. 27th
Preparing a Resume 9:30-12:30
Interviewing Cravens 204
Topic 3: Organization Development (3-4)
Process Consultation (1)
Application: Group Process/- Thursday, Oct 13th
Group Decision-Making 9:30-12:30 TPH 214
Organizational Assessment (2)
Self-Assessment (1)
Topic 4: Ethical Issues (2-3)
Guidelines for Services
APA Standards and Principles
Topic 6: Other Issues (as time allows)
ADA STATMENT: Students with disabilities who require accommodation (academic adjustments and/or auxiliary aids or services) for this course must contact the Office for Student Disability Services, Room 445, Potter Hall. The OFSDS telephone number is 270-745-5004 V/TDD.
REQUIRED TEXTBOOKS:
American Psychological Association (2001). Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 5th Edition. Washington, DC: APA.
Nadler, D. A. (1977) Feedback and Organization Development: Using Data-Based Methods. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley Publishing Company.
Schien, E. H. (1988) Process Consultation. Volume 1: Its Role in Organization Development (2nd Edition). Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley Publishing Company.
OPTIONAL TEXTBOOKS:
Bray, D. W. & Associates (1991) Working with Organizations and Their People: A Guide to Human Resources Practices. NY: The Guilford Press. (Volume in SIOP's Professional Practice Series)
Cook, T. D. and Campbell, D. T. (1979) Quasi-Experimentation Design and Analysis for Field Settings. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.
Kraut, A. I. (Editor) (1996) Organizational Surveys: Tools for Assessment and Change. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. (Volume 6 in SIOP's Professional Practice Series)
Locke, E. A. (Editor) (1986) Generalizing from Laboratory to Field Settings. Lexington, MA: Lexington Books.
Lowman, R. L. (Editor) (1998) The Ethical Practice of Psychology in Organizations. Bowling Green, OH: Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology.
Suskie, L. A. (1996) Questionnaire Survey Research: What Works (2nd Edition). Tallahassee, FL: Association for Institutional Research.
The Research Institutes of America, Inc. (1985) Mastering Business Etiquette and Protocol. NY: Author.
OTHER READINGS: Other readings (e.g., journal articles, handbook chapters) will be assigned each week.
COURSE OBJECTIVES: Psychology 541 is designed to accomplish several objectives. The first is to provide the student with an understanding of the roles and responsibilities of professional Industrial/Organizational psychologists emphasizing the ethical, legal, and methodological issues for the master's-level I/O practitioner (MIOP). There is an emphasis on gaining skills in organizational assessment, an important methodology that cuts across many I/O functions.
Another important objective is for you to become familiar with the position of our professional organizations (e.g., SIOP, APA, APS) on the above stated issues. An additional objective is for you to become acquainted with some of the organizational contingencies you are likely to confront as a MIOP as well as effective means of dealing with these situations.
It is also an objective of this course to assist you in developing a professional resume and knowledge of how to best present yourself as an applicant in the interview situation. Accordingly, you will be required to develop a draft resume that will be refined in the class period devoted to Professional Presentation.
A final objective is for you to become familiar with the journals most frequently used by I/O psychologists and to develop presentation skills. You will be required to read journal articles and make presentations of these articles in class. This will provide you with the opportunity to read, analyze, organize, and present technical material in a manner that can be easily understood by others.
At the conclusion of the course, you should have a firm understanding of many of the professional issues of concern to the MIOP. In addition, you should be familiar with the position of the profession on these issues and how to perform in a professional manner.
GRADING POLICY
Your grade in this course will be derived from three sources:
1. CLASS PARTICIPATION. Students will be responsible for in-class presentations on a
number of topics. These presentations should be prepared in advance, well organized, and presented in a professional manner. You should prepare a handout to accompany your presentation as well as any other aids that would enhance your presentation such as transparencies or power-point slides. Prior to the start of class, you should email your Power Point file to Dr. Shoenfelt. Every student is expected to have completed readings and other assignments prior to each class period and is expected to be able to discuss the assigned material. Each student is expected to actively participate in class discussions. There will be in-class activities, out-of-class projects, and other assignments (e.g., pop quizzes, quizzes) that will also contribute to the participation portion of your grade. (25%)
2. RESEARCH PAPER. Each student will complete a research paper. The student should
select a relevant topic and have it approved by Dr. Shoenfelt. The student should review the literature on the topic and discuss the implications for professional practice. The requirements for the paper are described below and will be discussed in class. (15%)
GUIDELINES FOR PAPERS: Your papers should be typed and should generally follow APA guidelines regarding format, reference citations, etc. You should note there are some differences in the APA guidelines for manuscripts submitted for publication and papers prepared as unpublished reports. (Your papers fall into the latter category.) Papers should be single-spaced with a double-space between paragraphs. Tables and figures should be integrated into the paper. The paper should be at least eight and no more than 10 pages in length. The final paper should be velo bound (strip; not spiral) with the title and author on the cover. (This can be done at Staples for about $2.) An outline of your paper and preliminary reference list are due no later than class time September 6. The final paper should be well organized, free of typos, and turned in no later than October 11th.
3. EXAMS: There will be an “in-class” exam on Methods and Ethics. The exams may be
given at the end of the class period in which we finish the topic. The format for the exams typically will be multiple choice and short answer. The time required to complete the exams will vary. The Methods Exam will likely take 50 to 75 minutes to complete; the Ethics exam will likely require 2+ hours to complete. (30%)
You will have an independent take-home exam on Organizational Assessment. This exam is an elaborate case study and will require 15-25+ hours of intensive effort to produce a good response. You will be provided with all of the materials and information needed to complete the assignment. Once assigned, you will have a two-week window of time in which to complete the assignment. Because of the effort required in this assignment, you should allocate your time during the semester accordingly to allow for this effort at the appropriate time, which will likely be mid-November. (30%)
Assignment:
1.
Identify your paper topic, do preliminary lit search, and turn in outline and reference list no later than September 6th.
2.
Begin work on developing a resume. Locate and copy a job ad for a position that is of interest to you (may be job or internship).
3.
Sign-up for and prepare presentations for next class period.
