St. Thomas More College, University of Saskatchewan Department ...

St. Thomas More College, University of Saskatchewan
Department of Psychology
Psychology 316.3 (64), Winter 2011-2012 (T2); CRN: 20961 Course Outline
Advanced Developmental Psychology II: Social and Emotional Research
Instructor: Dr. G. R. Farthing. Office Hours: by appointment Office: 136 STM
E-mail: gfarthing@stmcollege.ca or gerald.farthing@usask.ca. Telephone: 966-8925
Time: Tuesday 1:00p.m.-3:50p.m. From 4 January to 8 April, 2012
Location: Arts 31
STM Psychology Department Head: Dr. Tammy Marche (phone 966-8076; room 331 at STM and email
tmarche@stmcollege.ca ).
Pre-requisites: To be properly enrolled in this class, you must have permission of the Department of Psychology
and PSY 233, 234, 235 and 315. It is your responsibility to ensure that you have the proper background courses. If
you are uncertain about your pre-requisites, you must consult your academic advisor in psychology.
Library website for this course:
For research support for this course, consult the Library’s Psychology Subject Guide located at
http://libguides.usask.ca/psychology This page has been created by the Psychology Librarian, Angie
Gerrard (email: angie.gerrard@usask.ca or phone 966-6004) who is available to meet with students who
require research assistance.
Students can also get to this web site via the Library homepage (library.usask.ca) > Find Resources >
Subject Pages > Psychology
PAWS
• The IT department at the University of Saskatchewan has recently made changes to the course tools in
PAWS. For help navigating it, go to videos and documentation
http://www.usask.ca/its/courses/coursetools/help_student.html
• The new tools provide an opportunity to give exams and assignments on line and to have them marked on
line as well. Since the new tools have been running for only 4 months now, there may be changes as we go
along in the semester. Please submit assignments on line.
Calendar Description: “Students will develop independent research projects designed to answer an empirical
question in the domain of social and emotional development. Each student will be responsible (either individually
or as a member of a small group) for designing a study, testing participants, analyzing data, and writing up a
research report.”
Course Objective:
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As an extension of PSY 315.3 (Advanced Developmental I Social and Emotional) and in consultation with the
instructor and student peers, students (either individually or as a member of a pair or small group) will develop an
independent research project in social and emotional development. Each student will design a study, collect and
analyze data, write up a final research report following APA Report Writing Style, and present the results in class
and in a poster presentation.
Required Textbooks :
None required. However, the following textbook, used in the immediately past fall sections of 315 will be used for
reference, should that become necessary.
Miller, S. A. (2007). Developmental research methods (3 rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.
Depending on the particular research projects chosen, the following textbooks may be suitable references:
Creasy, Gary L. (2005) Research methods in life-span development. Toronto: Pearson Education.
Crain, William (2000) Theories of Development: Concepts and Applications. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey:
Prentice Hall, Inc.
Computer Resources:
The Arts Computer Lab will provide students with resources including word processing software, PAWS, SPSS, and
E-mail programs.
Note: Computer, printer, e-mail, and network problems will not be accepted as reasons for late submission of
assignments. Thus you will need to allow time for such possible problems.
Paws and E-mail may be used for announcements and class discussion information. Please note that students are
responsible to check their University of Saskatchewan e-mail accounts (e.g. xyz123@usask.ca or
xyz123@mail.usask.ca). Thus, to communicate with you, only e-mail addresses in the usask domain will be used . If
students choose to have their e-mails forwarded to an outside address, it is the student’s responsibility to ensure that
the forwarding process works.
315/ 316 psy: Contact for instruments pertaining to 315/316 projects.
http://www.depts.ttu.edu/hs/research/reifman/qic.htm
University Policies:
The University of Saskatchewan calendar (http://www.usask.ca/calendar/) provides important information and dates
(e.g. drop/add dates, exam and holiday dates).
Note the university policies on emails, student conduct and regulations for classes. For more information see:
1. http://www.usask.ca/university_council/reports/archives/guide_conduct.shtml
2. Students may find the following web site helpful if they have questions about plagiarism or academic honesty:
www.usask.ca/honesty/
4. For Student Academic Dishonesty Rules, see www.usask.ca/university_council/reports/09-27-99.shtml
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or http://www.usask.ca/university_secretary/pdf/dishonesty_info_sheet.pdf
5. For Student Appeals and discipline Information, see www.usask.ca/university_secretary/student appeals.shtml
When sending E-mails:
1) Please make sure you are identifiable by your name when you send a message.
2) In the subject box specify that the message pertains to PSY 316 and provide a short subject topic.
3) When sending an e-mail allow time for a response.
Academic Dishonesty
Please review the references above or the Calendar section (http://www.usask.ca/calendar/policies/studentrights/)
concerning academic dishonesty, particularly the section on plagiarism (the presentation of the work or idea of
another in such a way as to give others the impression that it is the work or idea of the presenter). St. Thomas More
College follows the rules regarding Academic Dishonesty as delineated in the University of Saskatchewan Calendar.
Of these, plagiarism is a particularly serious offence that involves presenting another person’s writing, ideas, or
creative work as your own. When quoting, paraphrasing, describing, presenting, summarizing, or translating the
work of others, you must acknowledge, the source of the information you use, which includes ensuring that the
reader can differentiate between your words and the words of others. Sources may come in print, electronic, digital,
visual, or oral form, and may be provided by a published author, fellow student, artist, or Internet site. Purchasing
papers is not permitted. It is your responsibility to understand what constitutes plagiarism; when in doubt, consult
your professor. The policy can be found on the following web site:
http://www.stmcollege.ca/academic/plagiarism.as .
Class Format:
Seminar: Students are expected to participate in class organization sessions, in mix and match projects, in listening
to presentations of proposals, in giving constructive criticism to other student’s proposals and in problem
solving sessions.
Class attendance and participation:
"Regular and punctual attendance is expected of students in all their classes (including lectures, laboratories,
tutorials, and seminars)." ( http://www.usask.ca/calendar/policies/attendance/ ). Attendance and participation in
discussion will be evaluated. Students who are absent for other students' class presentations will receive a grade of 0
for their own presentation unless a written medical excuse is provided. Attendance will be recorded at the beginning
of each class. Attendance marks will only be assigned if students attend an entire class (partial marks will not be
assigned if a student leaves class early). Participation marks will be based on student engagement and preparedness
in class activities.
Class cancellation:
If for any reason class has to be cancelled you will be notified through PAWS.
Grading scheme:
Basis for marking (see also Class Syllabus)
Submit by 9:10 a.m. on each due date to avoid late penalty
1. Due date: 16 Jan. Weight (toward final grade): 5%. Point-form outline of introduction to your research
topic, with annotated bibliography (required for each student individually – collaboration in pairs can be
organized after this step).
2. Due date: 23 Jan. Weight: 5%. Draft ethics application (earlier submission is encouraged). After feedback
from me the application is to be submitted to Psy REC by Jan. 30.
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3. Due date depending on schedule: Jan. 30 & Feb. 6 &13 Feb. Weight: 10%. Brief in-class presentation
and discussion of the research proposal (including your handout).
4. Date due: Feb. 27. Weight: 20%. Full research proposal presenting the theoretical rationale for the project,
detailed description of the proposed method and measures, limitations and implications, appendices, etc.
5. Due date: 26 Mar. Weight: 10%. Poster presentation of the project results to class(undergraduate poster
presentation date not yet set but likely to be during the first week of April.). .
6. Due date: 2 April. Weight: 40%. Final written report of the project.
7. Evaluation date: 6 April. Weight: 10%. Class attendance and participation.
Guidelines for projects (individuals or pairs):
1. The research project must be on one or more aspects of social or emotional development. In other words,
change over time must be one research issue of interest. Normally, the project must focus on the normal
range of development rather than on children or adolescents selected for some disorder or problem. Proof
of timely ethical access to a population of children or adolescents with some disorder or problem must be
established by the end of January. Note that additional ethical approval steps are likely required for such
access. Due to the extra time and effort involved, these non-normal projects are not recommended.
2. Students must be prepared a) to indicate their preferred general domain of research for their project by the
end of the second class (Jan 16); b) by the third class, to have identified a research question and to have
drafted an ethics application (Jan. 23); and c) by the fourth class to be prepared to present that choice
(beginning on Jan. 30). Some potential areas of study will be discussed at the first class on 10 Jan.
3. Students are encouraged to investigate potential collaboration with faculty or graduate students currently
doing research in developmental psychology in active labs. Students should seek approval of the course
instructor if they wish to participate in ongoing research led by faculty or graduate students. Students will
need to demonstrate that their role in the project is sufficient to warrant credit for their contribution.
4. The project must be theory-driven. (This will be discussed in the first class.) In other words, the testable
hypotheses must be derived from theory with appropriate rationale. The hypotheses in the study must be
psychological in nature. Recall from your 315 class that reasons for conducting projects may include:
testing the implications of a specific developmental theory, extending previous research into a new domain,
expanding upon a previous study by improving upon methods, or asking a different question or pitting one
theory against another.
5. The project must be feasible. That is it must be able to be completed within the time frame of the deadlines
in the course outlines with the resources available to you. It maybe a pilot project for an anticipated
honours thesis or other research which you plan to complete in the future. You can extend your work from
PSY 315 if it meets all of these criteria, or you can change topics. If you choose to pursue the same topic
you covered in PSY 315, it is expected that you will extend and update your work significantly.
Depending on the nature of the project, you may not be able to collect enough data to complete a valid
statistical analysis but nevertheless a statistical analysis is expected. Be sure to consult with your instructor
if you expect trouble collecting enough data. In other words, in consultation with your instructor, data from
a small numbers of participants may suffice. You will still be able to complete statistical analyses on small
numbers.
6. Ethical issues: There are departmental procedures for obtaining ethical approval for projects in the 300 –
level lab courses. An application for ethics approval must be submitted and approved before recruiting
participants or beginning data collection. The required forms and guidelines are available at the psychology
website (see Appendix for access information). Because the matter is time sensitive and in order to obtain
approval in time for data collection, a first draft of the ethical application must be submitted by Jan. 23.
However, earlier applications are strongly encouraged. The instructor will help arrange for appropriate
(depending on the age of the participants, the setting, and the presence of parents and other adults)
supervision and accountability for each project.
SUGGESTED TOPICS FOR STUDENTS WHO WANT TO TAKE PSY316
1. College Women’s Body Image Satisfaction: The relationship to Positive Parental Messages about
Weight and Shape
2. Perceived nonverbal communication from Parents: the Relationship to College Women’s body
Image
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3. Tentative: The lying game: How often and to whom do individuals with psychopathic (callous
unemotional) traits lie?
4. Shaping Adolescents’ Romantic Experiences: Contributions of Same- and Other-Sex Friendships
5. Emerging Adulthood: A mixed method comparative analysis across vocational settings.
6. The relationship between identity and weight-loss dieting
7. The Role of Empathy: An examination of How Empathy relates to Antisocial Behavior and
Callous-Unemotional Traits
8. Family Structural and Process Variables in Emerging Adults’ Romantic Relationship quality.
Detailed Description of assignments:
1. Outline of introduction of research topic with a bibliography. Due date: 16 Jan. Weight (toward final
grade): 5%.
This assignment must either be a planned update of your psy 315 proposal OR be a short point-form outline to
introduce your new research proposal. It should include:
(a) Headings for the main topics to be covered, in a logical order;
(b) Citations of the relevant research articles, book chapters, etc.; and
(c) Comments (a sentence or two in your own words) on each cited source.
These comments will indicate what the cited source contributes to the theory or method of your project. Use the
library early so that you will be able to assemble the relevant literature in time. This assignment can either be done
individually or in pairs/ small group.
2. Draft Ethics application. Due date: 23 Jan. Weight: 5%.
A completed ethics application form (see Appendix for access information) is expected in its first draft Form.
Students must be prepared to use the feedback to make a final copy for submission to the Ethics Committee by the
31 st of January. This assignment can either be done individually or in pairs/ small group.
3. Brief in-class presentation and discussion of the research proposal (including your handout). Due
date depending on schedule: Jan. 30& Feb 6 & 13. Weight: 10%.
Individually or in pairs/small group, students will be required to present their research proposals orally. If more than
one student is involved, the presentation is expected to be shared. The purpose of the presentation is not only to
practice presenting one’s ideas clearly but to encourage brainstorming and to obtain feedback from other students.
Each presentation should be supported by a one-page handout (with a copy for each student and the instructors)
giving a point form outline, the hypotheses to be tested (preferably in graphic form), a couple of key references (not
the complete bibliography), and any appropriate illustrative material such as sample test items.. Each presentation
should be approximately 10 to 15 minutes in length, including time for class discussion and feedback following the
presentation. Evaluation of the presentation will be based on the students’ ability to follow the guidelines for the
assignment, contribution of each member of a pair, if applicable, details presented, the relevance to social/emotional
development, the overall understanding of the information presented, clarity and accuracy of the information
presented, ability to address questions and comments from discussion, presentation style (speed, clarity, dynamics
etc.). See the Appendices for the evaluation sheet.
4. Research Proposal Date due: Feb. 27. Weight: 20%.
The full proposal, in APA style, may be completed either individually or in collaboration with one other student. A
research proposal consists of: Title page, Abstract page, Introduction, Method section, Data analysis plan, Prediscussion,
Limitations and Implications, References, Tables (if any), Figures (if any), and Appendices. Following
Chapter 10 of the Miller (2007) text, the purpose of the Introduction is to introduce the question to be explored by
the researcher and to thoroughly review related literature in a logical manner. The Introduction should conclude with
one or more testable hypotheses. The Method section outlines how the hypotheses will be tested and consists of
subsections describing participants, measures, design, and procedures employed (all supported by appendices as
needed). The data analysis specifies the anticipated method of analyzing the data: e.g., correlations, one-way
analysis of variance, etc. The pre-discussion plan anticipates that the hypotheses will be supported. The section on
Limitations and Implications can address (a) limitations in the study that restrict the conclusions that can be drawn
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from it, and (b) implications for future research or application of the findings, if the hypotheses are supported or not
supported by the data. The typed proposal must be double spaced with one inch margins. The assignment must be
submitted on-line through the Blackboard system. Students must keep a paper copy incase the system fails and the
instructor requests a paper copy. It is recommended that students consult the APA manual or Chapter 10 in the
Miller (2007) text for further guidelines.
5. Final Report Due date: 2 April. Weight: 40%.
The final report must be submitted individually. Therefore different grades are anticipated. The write-up includes,
in this order: Title page, Abstract page, Introduction, Method, Results, Discussion, References, Tables (if any),
Figures (if any), and Appendices. The Introduction and Method will normally be the same as in the proposal, with
minor revisions. The Discussion section should include discussion of implications and limitations of the findings,
and specific suggestions for further research. This report must be formatted in APA style and on-line through
Blackboard. A second, paper copy should also be submitted. Evaluation of the final research report will be based on
the student’s ability to follow the guidelines provided, completeness, accuracy and clarity of information,
understanding of information, ability to incorporate information from class, provision of a novel component to the
research in social/emotional development, the strength and completeness of theoretical framework, rationale, and
methods, and ethics, writing style (spelling, grammar etc.), and use of APA format. See the evaluation sheet in the
Appendices. Please submit a copy of the evaluation sheet in your on-line submission.
6. Poster display Due date: 26 Mar. To be presented to class mates (undergraduate lab class poster
presentations not yet set but likely to be the end of the first week of April.). Weight: 10%.
The purpose of this requirement is to give students the opportunity to experience how research is presented at
scientific conferences, and to discuss findings and to ask questions pertaining to their research with peers. Each
project (group or individual) will be presented via a poster. The plan is for several lab courses to be presenting
posters on the same day. You can use the space on the poster in any way you wish. The poster can be assembled
from separate pages. Use large fonts and point form. Good tips on poster design can be found using a web search
(e.g., http://lorien.ncl.ac.uk/ming/Dept/Tips/present/posters.htm ) and will also be discussed in class.
Students have the option of printing their poster on the poster printer owned by the Department of Psychology, see
http://www.usask.ca/psychology/forms/PosterPrintingGuidelines2004.pdf . By the time of need, this information
may be updated. Please check the website. It is expected that one poster will be made by each research group
(individually or in pairs/ small groups).
Students are encouraged also to submit their poster for display at the annual undergraduate psychology research
conference at the end of April. However, this will not be considered as part of PSY-316.
Collaboration with another student
As indicated above, students with similar interests are to work in pairs (groups of two) to complete the Research
proposal and subsequent steps. For any group project, the full proposal and the final report must be submitted with a
covering letter to the instructor (a) saying who contributed what to the proposal/project and (b) the completion of the
partner evaluation sheet in the Appendix. The instructor should be informed early, preferably by e-mail, of any
difficulties that may arise in group collaboration.
Handing in assignments and review of drafts.
Note that you are encouraged to hand in assignments early and therefore a “hand-in strategy” is needed. The
Blackboard system records your hand-in time. Three ways to hand in the paper copy of the final report are as
follows: (a) Hand in your material at the beginning of class on or before the due date. Mark penalties for late
submission start at 9:10 a.m. (b) Put the material in an envelope under my office door, STM 136. (c) Hand in at the
STM Dean’s office (Room 146) during office hours, in an envelope with my name on the outside – the assignment
will be date-stamped and given to me next business day.
I have a heavy-duty stapler so there is no need for you to staple your material if it is thick. Please
do not use an assignment cover or folder. I am generally willing to review and provide brief comments on drafts
submitted not less than one week ahead of the due date. Under five pages: submit by e-mail. Five pages or more:
submit on paper.
Marking scheme and deadlines
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Please note that your final grade will be assigned using the grading system described in the University Calendar. See
http://www.usask.ca/calendar/exams&grades/gradingsystem/ . The final grade represents a judgment of your overall
performance in this class. The grade represents primarily the literal descriptors listed in the Calendar and only
secondarily a mathematical conversion from the preliminary calculation of marks as outlined above. Your final
grade, using the percentage system, will be determined, in part, by a weighted summation of all variables
contributing to the grade and by the relationship of your overall mark to the class average. Please note that by vote
at the Department level, the class average for second term lab classes should be no higher than 84%.
Therefore adjustments to grades not reflected in mathematical marks can be anticipated. Each task is graded
using the percentage system. No “re-writes” of your assignments or examination will be permitted. No extensions
will be given without medical certification of illness or documentation of a compassionate reason. Should you
disagree with any of your marks, please contact the instructor giving documentation of the reasons for your
concerns. Late assignments not supported by a medical excuse will be subjected to the following mark penalties
starting at 9:10a.m. on the date they are due: 5% of the assignment mark per day or part-day for the first 4 days;
10% of the assignment mark per day or part-day after the first four days. All assignments must be legible and bear
the students’ names in order for a mark to be assigned. Typed assignments should be completed using 12 point
Times New Roman font, and should be double-spaced. Students will receive brief written feedback on labs and
assignments. (see evaluation sheets in the Appendices).
Use of the Psychology 110 Participant Pool:
For those who are considering the use of university students as participants in their research, I have provided the
website to obtain the instructions as follows:
http://www.usask.ca/psychology/undergraduate/participantpool.php. I have also placed these instructions in
Appendix A.
Ethics Application:
A description of the requirements for ethical approval and the directions to obtain copies of the forms are available
in the Appendices.
Students with disabilities:
If you are student who is registered with the office for students with disabilities, you may apply for unique services
or arrangements to complete the requirements for this course. These services will be provided through that office.
If you have not yet registered with that office, please do so as quickly as possible.
Appointments:
Please make appointments to meet with me. Since I am teaching other classes and have administrative duties, I may
not be in my office if you drop by. I invite you to make appointments or to use email to inquire about any aspect of
the course, to identify and solve assignment problems, to review your progress, etc. You may come in groups if you
wish. Please email or call by telephone to make appointments and if I am unable to answer your call, please leave a
message on my answering machine. Note that I will not respond to anonymous e-mails. I respond to
approximately 200 e-mails per term so you may have to wait a few days for a response. The busiest times for
student e-mail inquiries are the week prior to assignment due dates. I answer them on a first come first serve basis
so if you want to ensure that I respond prior to the assignment due date, you will have to send your message to me as
far in advance as possible. It may be better for you to speak to me after class or contact me by telephone.
Teaching Assistant: I will be using the services of a teaching assistant in this course. The assistant will help me
keep track of your work and grade the assignments. The assistant will be chosen based on experience with these
tasks.
Tentative schedule:
Date: Seminar
9 Jan. Organization and review of course outline. Mapping of research topics.
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Literature review. Review of ethics application process and contents of research proposals.
Dr. Jamie Campbell who is the psy-REC coordinator will come to class (approx.. 11am) to
discuss the ethical approval process. Mix-&-match activity followed by individual/pairs consultation on
research topics to be scheduled will take place.
16 Jan. Outline or psy315 proposal update is due.
23 Jan. Practical issues in developmental research:
recruitment, space, numbers of participants, time required.
Draft ethics application due. Earlier submission is strongly encouraged.
30 Jan. Final Ethics application is due. Class presentations begin.
6 Feb In-class presentations and discussion. Review of REB ethics application feedback.
13 Feb. In-class presentations and discussion.
20 Feb. Break week – no class
27 Feb. How to create a poster. Full proposal due – earlier submission is strongly encouraged
5 Mar Target Proposals returned with comments. Class time Consultation.
12 Mar. Class time Consultation. Use time, post ethical approval, (Approximately 2-23Mar., for data
collection.
19 Mar. Consultations: data entry and analysis; conclusions, implications, limitations.
26 Mar. In-class presentations of posters.
2 April. Approximate time of undergraduate Poster session and discussion. Course evaluation. Closing.
6 April Final project report due.
Final Note:
I hope that this class will be a valuable and enjoyable learning experience for all class members. I am circulating
these expectations during the 1st class. I welcome any questions of clarity and comments regarding the expectations.
By the end of the first class, I assume that all concerns have been raised and all expectancies agreed upon.
However, if you experience unexpected difficulties during the academic year, please discuss these with me. I will
assist you within the confines of my ability and university regulation. If you encounter any difficulties, or have any
concerns please contact the instructor either by e-mail or after class.
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Psychology 316
Student Evaluation: Research Proposal
Student's Name: Partner’s Name:______________________
Research Proposal: (20%);
1. Abstract, introduction to the question being explored, statement of purpose (what gap in knowledge or the
literature the study fills), definitions, appropriate theory, summary, and critical review of relevant literature
including limitations and shortcomings of each article reviewed and hypotheses .(8%):
2. Design and research method to test hypotheses including subsections on participants, measures, design, and
procedures employed (all supported by appendices as needed), evidence for internal and external validity,
and proposal for presentation of results (5%):
3. Anticipated Limitations that may restrict the conclusions that can be drawn from the study, Implications
for future research or application of the findings (if the hypotheses are supported or not supported by the
data), References, Tables (if any), and Figures (if any) (5%).
4. Evaluation of your writing (APA style for research reports) 2%:
a) unity and coherence(.5):
b) support (.5):
c) effective sentence skills (.5):
d) logical development of your points (.5):
Total: /20
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Psychology 316
Student Evaluation: Research Report
Student's Name: Partner’s Name:______________________
Research Report: (40%);
1. Strength and completeness of the introduction, theoretical framework, literature review and rationale for
hypotheses (5%):
2. Strength and completeness of the design and research method to test hypotheses including subsections on
participants, measures, design, and procedures employed (all supported by appendices as needed), evidence
for internal and external validity, (7%):
3. Strengths and completeness of the Ethics behind the research (5%):
4. Completeness, accuracy and clarity of information about the results, Tables (if any), and Figures (if any)
(7%):
5. Understanding of information in the Discussion, including limitations that may restrict the conclusions that
can be drawn from the study, and implications for future research or application of the findings (if the
hypotheses are supported or not supported by the data): (7%)
6. Ability to incorporate information from class, provision of a novel component to the research in
social/emotional development (5%):
7. Evaluation of your writing (APA style for research reports) 4%:
a) unity and coherence(1):
b) support and logical development of your points (1):
c) effective sentence skills and APA Format(2):
Total: /40
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Psychology 316.3 Student Presentation Schedule:
March 31: Presentations
Student/pair 1__________________________
Student/pair 2__________________________
Student/pair 3__________________________
Student/pair 4__________________________
Student/pair 5__________________________
February 7: Presentations
a. Student/ pair 1___________________________
b. Student/ pair 2___________________________
c. Student/ pair 3___________________________
d. Student pair 4___________________________
e. Student/pair 5___________________________
February 14: Presentations
Student/ pair 1___________________________
Student/ pair 2___________________________
Student /pair 3___________________________
Student /pair 4___________________________
Student/pair 5____________________________
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Presentation Grade Sheet for 316.3: Your Research Presentation
Presenter:_______________________ ; Partner (if any)______________
Date:_____________
Anchor points: 1=unsatisfactory; 2=satisfactory; 3=good; 4=very good; 5=excellent.
Handout
1. Was it accurate, concise, brief and clear?
1 2 3 4 5
2. Did it specify hypotheses, theories which underpin hypotheses, design, methods and key references?
Presentation:
Notes:
1 2 3 4 5
1. Clarity: Did the presentation express the main points clearly and concisely?
1 2 3 4 5
2. Creativity: How creative were the attempts to communicate the material, make it come alive and capture
the attention of the audience?
1 2 3 4 5
3. Level of class discussion during the presentation: Was discussion encouraged and managed? Were
questions, challenges and comments encouraged?
1 2 3 4 5
Presentation Grade___________________________________________
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Psy. 316.3 Presentation Feedback from fellow students
Name of presenter (to whom this feedback is given)____________________________
My name (so that my feedback will be credited toward my participation and presentation
mark):_____________________________ Student Number___________
1. What one aspect of this presentation was done well?
2. What suggestion can you give to improve the presentation?
3. What improvement to the research proposal would you suggest?
Psy. 316.3 Presentation Feedback
Name of presenter (to whom this feedback is given)____________________________
My name (so that my feedback will be credited toward my participation and presentation
mark):_____________________________ Student Number___________
1. What one aspect of this presentation was done well?
2. What suggestion can you give to improve the presentation?
3. What improvement to the research proposal would you suggest?
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For those who are a member of a pair.
Name:
Self and partner evaluation :
St. Thomas More College, University of Saskatchewan
Department of Psychology
Psychology 316.3 , Winter 2011-2012 (T2)
Advanced Developmental Psychology: Social and Emotional Development
Use the following scale: Strongly disagree (1); moderately disagree (2); neutral (3); moderately agree (4);
strongly agree (5).
1. My partner and I shared tasks equally 1 2 3 4 5
2. I pulled most of the weight of work 1 2 3 4 5
3. My partner did most of the work 1 2 3 4 5
4. My partner would say that I did most
Of the work 1 2 3 4 5
5. My partner would say that he or she did
Most of the work 1 2 3 4 5
6. The cover letter to the Research Report
accurately reflects our work load sharing 1 2 3 4 5
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Appendix A
Instructions for Researchers using the Psychology 110 Participant Pool
**Please read this form in its entirety before beginning your journey through SONA systems. Most questions will be
answered and there is contact information on the bottom if any part of this is unclear.
General Overview
1. Use of the Participant Pool is normally available to regular faculty members of the Department of Psychology,
adjunct and affiliated faculty and those who work directly under their supervision. Consideration may be given
to those from outside the department, subject to availability.
2. Approval to use the Participant Pool may be granted to anyone meeting the above criteria, provided that their
research has passed the ethical review process of the University of Saskatchewan. If total demand exceeds
resources, some restrictions may be imposed.
3. Approval is granted by submitting electronic consent and debriefing forms along with evidence indicating the
research has already passed ethics review to the Participant Pool Administrator.
Overview of Benefits
The participant pool is designed and organized as a mutually beneficial arrangement between students in the
introductory course and researchers in the Department of Psychology. The benefits to the researchers are clear and
simple: they gain easy access to a sizeable set of willing participants for research.
The benefits for the students are also significant, but researchers must take care to ensure that they are realized.
First, students may earn extra points on their course grade (up to a total of 5). It is up to researchers to ensure that
credit is properly given. Secondly, the pool provides opportunities for students to experience first-hand a variety of
research areas and techniques. This is educationally the more important objective, but the extent to which it occurs
depends a great deal on the behaviour of researchers. It is very important for the researcher to tell participants as
much as is reasonable about the research, before they participate to ensure informed consent. Further, once the
experiment is completed, it is essential that students are debriefed carefully and have their questions answered.
Restrictions
Given that the participant pool is used primarily as a means for students to increase course grades, it is only fair that
everyone have equal access to the same number of studies. For this reason, we generally do not allow researchers to
disqualify or restrict people based on demographic characteristics (i.e., “only women may participate in this study”).
Instead, what we would prefer is that you write a clause in the description part of your study to the effect of: “For
this study we are primarily interested in testing female participants. Males can participate for credit but their data
will be discarded before analysis.” This way, everyone technically has equal access. In this particular scenario, you
may still have males participating in your study and while this may seem inconvenient, it is necessary to ensure
everyone has equal access. For example, there was a disproportionate amount of studies in 2010/2011 which were
directed at female participants. Any questions beyond this can be directed to the participant pool administrator.
Procedures for Using the Pool:
1. First, contact the participant pool administrator to receive an account. The administrator will need to know your
first and last name, your NSID, a contact number, your supervisor’s name, how many participants you are
requesting and your class standing (i.e. whether you are an honours student, 3 rd year lab student, graduate
student, RA, etc).
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2. Ethics approval is a prerequisite for using the participant pool and an electronic copy (PDF) of the approval
must be provided to the Participant Pool Administrator before your study will be made visible. Ordinarily,
ethics will be obtained from the Behavioural REB (although some experiments may require approval from the
Biomedical REB or both). If your research is low risk, then ethical approval will be obtained from the
departmental REC. Electronic or paper versions of the approval may be submitted to the Participant Pool
Administrator. You are welcome to create your study on SONA before you have received ethical approval,
however it will not be approved until the aforementioned forms are received.
3. Copies of the consent and debriefing forms must be provided to the Participant Pool Administrator with the
study number written behind the study name before your study will be made visible. The Participant Pool
Administrator will assign a study number when you contact him/her for an account. Students receive 1 credit for
every 1/2 hr that they participate in research. Electronic copies of the consent and debriefing forms may be
submitted. Please don’t submit these until you have ethics approval.
**Credit hours are a little confusing and they work as such: 1 credit for every ½ hour or less that people
participate and 2 credits for anywhere over ½ hour and less than or equal to 60 minutes. What is confusing is
that they are allocated as credit hours which means 1 credit HOUR = 2 credits.** An example is provided for
300 level researchers below. Unless otherwise noted, standard credit allocation is as follows: 1 credit hour = 2
credits.
a) 3 rd year researchers (3xx level students) = 8 credit hours. Note: each student can get up to 8 credit hours (16
participants if the study is 30 minutes or less, 8 participants if it is more than 30 minutes but less than 60). If
two researchers are collaborating in their 300 level class, which is often the case, they are welcome to combine
their credits for a total of 16 credit hours.
b) Honours students = 25 credit hours
c) Graduate Students = 75 credit hours
d) Professors/Instructors = 100 credit hours
4. Accessing SONA systems to post your study. You may request to obtain a research account on SONA systems
prior to ethical approval. This will allow you to obtain an experiment number, which must be included on your
consent and debriefing forms following the experiment title and should be used in all communications with the
Participant Pool Administrator. The Participant Pool Administrator will issue you an ID and password for the
online system (http://usask.sona-systems.com/). At this time you can post your study online but it will not
become visible to participants until the Administrator has approved your consent and debriefing forms and
received confirmation of ethics approval. The Participant Pool Administrator will then approve your study and
make it visible, allowing you to create timeslots for testing. Instruction in how to use the pool can also be
obtained by emailing the research administrator at research.admin@usask.ca
5. Running the study. A certain level of defaults on appointment times is inevitable. Many legitimate emergencies
may arise to cause participants to miss their times; others may be unable to find the location or otherwise
become confused. As discussed above, researchers can help themselves by choosing a memorable name and
ensuring that time and locations are clearly indicated.
If for any reason the researcher cannot appear at the scheduled time, he or she must notify the participants as
well as the Participant Pool Administrator by email as much in advance as possible. Students are also
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esponsible for notifying the experimenters if they need to cancel. Cases where participants violate this rule (i.e.
participants routinely cancel appointments) should be reported to the Participant Pool Administrator. Our
system also allows for automatic reminders to be sent to the participants about scheduled appointments. If
participants are scheduled individually and no-shows are costly, it may be useful for experimenters to send
additional reminders the evening before appointments.
Research procedures vary so much that it is not possible to give any exhaustive or definitive rules for interacting
with participants. However, researchers must at all times follow the general ethical principles for research,
including a verbal statement regarding their right to refuse to participate or terminate their participation
in the study without loss of research credit. If a participant is late, Researchers are also required to wait 15
minutes before leaving the testing area. If you are group testing and are unable to wait please place a sign on
the door and ask participants to write down their participant number or their NSID so they do not get penalized.
Participants are strangers who are giving their time to assist the researcher: participants MUST be treated
with respect, and nothing should be done to them that would demean or insult them or diminish their
dignity. When in doubt, err on the side of the participant. Debriefing and discussion are significant parts of the
educational experience for participants. A clear explanation of the research purposes and methods should be
given and all questions answered.
6. Recording and reporting participation. It is important to record the SONA number assigned to each participant
or collect their NSID to ensure that credit is assigned to the appropriate individual. It is very important you do
not collect their student numbers. For each 1/2 hour, or portion thereof, of participation in a study, students will
receive 1 credit that may count as 1% of their final grades in Psychology 110. Please note we are no longer
conducting in class mass testing. In order to receive credit participant must sign up on SONA systems prior to
the study. If you are interested in testing a large group of participants please contact the Participant Pool
Administrator to book arts 153. You can test up to 50 people in that room.
Each researcher will use the on-line booking system (http://usask.sona-systems.com/) to set appointments for
students to sign into, cancel appointments and assign credits to the student for participation. Researchers are
responsible for ensuring that credits are processed in a timely fashion, preferably within 48 hours of the
student's appointment. This has been a problem in 2010/2011. We have had a few researchers setting end
dates well into the future and not granting credits for online participation for weeks. To minimize unnecessary
stress and confusion please grant credits promptly.
7. Non-participation. Students have the right to decline to participate in any study, or to withdraw at any time. If
they decide not to take part, they still have the right to receive credit. However, to receive credit they must go
observe a demonstration of the experiment and go through the debriefing. Participants who refuse to participate
or withdrawal from the study should be treated with the same dignity and respect as those who participate fully,
and the researcher should answer their questions as thoroughly and readily as any others. Please note,
participants who withdraw from a 30 minute study will receive one credit but students that withdraw from a one
hour study will only receive one credit instead of two, providing they spend less than 30 minutes with the
researcher. If this situation arises please contact the Participant Pool Administrator to assign the credits.
Students can be assessed the following categories of credits/penalties:
1 credit
2 credits
no show, no penalty
no show, -1 mark penalty
A student may cancel their appointment without any penalty, if they do so before the time of the appointment. If
a student does not come at the appointed time, no credit will be given and a penalty may be assessed. Typically,
students who fail to show up for an appointment are assessed a penalty of -1 mark, regardless of the value of the
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experiment. However, upon missing an appointment, students may contact the researcher and reschedule the
appointment. If they turn up for the rescheduled appointment, then they are given the credit for participation and
the penalty is removed. Moreover, if students contact the researcher after the scheduled time for the study, then
the researcher should not assess a penalty. That is, regardless of what the participant says, if they contact the
researcher, they should not be given a penalty – the content of the email (or phone call) has no bearing on
whether or not the penalty will be rescinded. Again, it is impossible to anticipate all possible scenarios, but give
the participant the benefit of the doubt. Students may appeal penalties to the Participant Pool Administrator.
8. Suspension of privileges. Use of the participant pool is a privilege. When researchers are given permission to
take advantage of it, they assume the following responsibilities:
Informing participants clearly in advance of what will be required of them in the study, and where and
when they must go to participate
Keeping all appointments made with participants (or contacting the Participant Pool Administrator so
the Administrator can meet their participants when emergencies force cancellations)
Making accurate records of research participation
Providing clear debriefing and answering participants' questions as best
as possible
Providing credits to students in a timely fashion, preferably within 48 hours of participant
participation;
Treating all participants in a respectful, polite, and professional manner, and in accordance with the
Ethical principles of research endorsed by the Tricouncil, the University of Saskatchewan, and by the
CPA.
9. Obtaining Access to the Participant Pool: Tips and Timeline
Apply for ethics approval as early as possible
Obtain a researcher account from the Participant Pool Administrator. Email email
research.admin@usask.ca with the following information:
o your full name
o NSID
o contact phone number
o your class standing (3rd year, honours, grad, researcher assistant, etc)
o your supervisor’s name
o how many participants you are requesting
The Participant Pool Administrator will assign you a study number. Please make sure the study number
appears behind the study name at the top of both your consent form and debriefing form and behind
your study name on your online posting. Please also use this number when communicating with the
participants and the Administrator.
Once you have your ethics approval send a copy of your consent form, debriefing form and ethics
approval letters to the Participant Pool Administrator. Important points to speed up the approval
process
o Make sure your study number is behind the study name on the consent and debriefing forms
o The words “without loss of research credit” must appear in the withdraw section
o If your study is one hour long you must add in the withdraw section “If you withdraw prior to
half an hour into the study you will receive one credit. If you withdraw after thirty minutes
you will receive two credits. One credit is assigned for every half an hour or portion thereof.”
o The statement “If you decide to withdraw, any data that you have contributed will be
destroyed beyond recovery” must appear on the withdraw section
o Your debriefing form must be close to one page in length and must adequately explain your
study in detail as well as the benefits to research or the population as a whole (e.g. why is
your research important). Keep in mind that you are writing this for introductory students so it
should be in plain and easy to understand language and not use sophisticated and technical
terms.
o Online studies must remove the line “A copy of this consent form has been given to me for
my records” and replace it with “Please hit print screen to obtain a copy for your records.
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Alternatively you may contact the researcher at the contact information provided above and
one will be sent to you.” These lines must also appear on the debriefing form.
Once the Participant Pool Administrator has received the 3 forms and approved them your study will
be made visible and credits will be assigned. You can then sign out a room from the Psychology Office
and post time slots for your study.
o It is very important to make sure you sign out a room prior to posting your timeslots. If you
do not include a room number on your online post participants will not know where to go.
Second, you may not be able to obtain a room during the time you want.
If you are using the arts and science computers in Arts 31:
Please note: researchers are not allowed to sign into more than one computer at a time. This will result in suspension
of your account. If you are planning on using the computers in Arts 31 please inform the Participant Pool
Administrator. The Arts and Science IT personal have agreed to provide us with IT support to insure all our
participants can log on. They will provide this technology support from 8:30 am to 12:00 pm and then from 1:00 pm
to 4:30 pm. Please email the Participant Pool Administrator at least one week before your scheduled testing time so
he/she can set up the IT support for you.
Failure to meet these responsibilities may result in suspension or cancellation of access to the participant
pool.
For 2011-2012 the Participant Pool Administrator is Sean Sacher and he can be reached via email
research.admin@usask.ca or by phone 966-6697
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Appendix B: Note from the Psy-REC coordinator along with guidelines and application form.
Hello,
As you likely all know, it is the policy of the University that all course based research projects that involve the
collection of data, such as those often conducted in the 300 A lab courses, and potentially in some 200-level
courses, receive ethics approval. The departmental ethics committee (Psy-REC) has the authority to approve
minimal risk projects, including those involving vulnerable populations (e.g., children) as long as there are no other
risk factors associated with the research protocol.
The attached files consist of the application form for course-based research program as well as the guidelines for
review of course-based research. Information regarding other policies, timelines, sample forms and general
information regarding ethics can be found on the department web
site http://artsandscience.usask.ca/psychology/department/ethics.php
Projects that are exempt from ethics review are listed below (see Appendix I of guidelines for full details of projects
that are and are not eligible for departmental review)
Projects where students are conducting the research on themselves during class time;
Projects involving the use of records or information that is in the public domain, including the use of
anonymous secondary data and surveys or questionnaires that have already been published;
Projects involving the use of naturalistic observation where the participants are seeking public visibility
and participant confidentiality and anonymity are ensured;
Practicum or job training projects where students are fully integrated into the organization’s operational
practices and are not conducting research;
Projects where the intent is to use the information to provide advice, diagnosis, identification of
appropriate interventions or general advice for a client;
Projects where the intent is to develop skills which are standard practice within a profession (e.g.
observation, assessment, intervention, evaluation, auditing)
New Applications
The information required for the application is straightforward. For the 300 level A classes, we recognize that
development of the actual instruments, consent forms etc., may be part of the course instruction and completion of
the ethics application in its entirety may be delayed until this information has been covered in the course. In such a
case we ask that you complete the application with as much information as possible, and forward the exact
instruments and forms for approval when they are developed.
Prior Psy-REC Approval for Course Research Projects
Some of you may have obtained ethics approval for your 300 A lab course in a previous year and have made no
substantial changes to your course projects and ethics protocols. If so then you do not have to submit another
application as the approval is valid for a three year term. You are required, however, to submit a status report
form (see attached) in order to extend your approval for another year. The approval certificate will be automatically
20

invalidated if a status report form is not received. A new “Application for Review of Course-Based Research
Program” must be submitted every three years.
Note that if your course based project has significantly changed from last year in terms of proposed methods or your
consent and recruitment procedures, then these should be reported to the committee in advance of its
implementation.
Submission and Review Process
Please submit three copies of the application form (with signatures) to the main office. If your students will be
developing required data gathering instruments in the class, please include a memo outlining that certain materials
will be forwarded for approval as soon as they are developed.
We will attempt to review and approve the applications as quickly as possible. Applications received by any
Wednesday at noon will be reviewed and feedback provided by the following Monday at noon. Note that ethics
approval is required before any data is collected.
If you have any questions feel free to contact either myself or the other two Psy-REC members - Michel Desjardins,
Jordan Cummings
Cheers.
Jamie (Psy - REC Chair)
Jamie.Campbell@usask.ca
http://artsandscience.usask.ca/psychology/people/detail.php?bioid=212
Office: (306) 966-6664
Lab: (306) 966-6697
Fax (306) 966-1959
Prof. Jamie Campbell
Dept. of Psychology
9 Campus Dr.
University of Saskatchewan
Saskatoon, SK
Canada S7N 5A5
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The Department of Psychology Research Ethics Committee (Psy-REC) would like to remind you that all 300 B level
lab projects involving data collection require ethical approval by Psy-REC. The committee has the authorization to
approve minimal risk protocols, including those that involve vulnerable populations, such as children or adolescents.
When we encounter a protocol that, in our opinion, exceeds minimal risk, then we will conduct an initial review and
forward the application to the Behavioural REB requesting an expedited review on your behalf.
Please be aware that ethical approval is necessary before you begin data collection
The review procedures (for both mandatory pre-review and committee review) are outlined on the Psy-REC website
http://artsandscience.usask.ca/psychology/department/ethics.php. Please be aware that the review procedures
outlined on the website will be strictly adhered to during the coming semester. It is your responsibility to follow
these procedures in order to facilitate a timely review of your protocol.
Psy-REC Application Guidelines
Below are detailed guidelines for completing the Psy-REC applications for ethical approval of undergraduate
research. Please read these guidelines carefully and refer to them often while completing your application. Failure
to comply with these guidelines most often results in applications requiring modifications and resubmission
before ethical approval is granted.
These guidelines and suggested “standard statements” have been developed after extensive review of the most
common revisions required in past years. They can be used for most class projects and honours theses. Feel free to
use the standard statements verbatim if they apply to your proposed research – you have our permission and this will
not constitute plagiarism! However, be aware that they may require adaptations to be applicable to your specific
research project. You remain responsible for ensuring that the information contained in your application is
complete and accurate for your study. You are also responsible for ensuring that the information provided in
your application is consistent with the information provided in other sections of the application as well as in the
recruitment, consent and debriefing materials.
TEMPLATES: It is necessary that you submit your application using the most recent version of the Psy-REC
application form and consent form templates. Applications that are submitted in an alternative format will be
returned without review.
SIGNATURES: Applications that are submitted to Psy-REC without the necessary signatures (student-researchers
and faculty supervisor) will be returned without review. The faculty supervisor signature denotes that the supervisor
has carefully read the application and approves of all elements of the research as proposed.
SMALL SAMPLE QUALITATIVE RESEARCH: In some studies, the anonymity/confidentiality of the participants
cannot be guaranteed because of either a small number of participants involved or their membership in an
identifiable population. Alternatively, the research report may require the use of a direct quotes or other information
22

that could be used to identify a participant. In such instances researchers usually ask participants to sign a transcript
release which indicates their consent to the use of the specific data. However, this extra step is often not feasible
given the time constraints of a 300-level research lab course. When there is any chance that the data reported in the
research paper could compromise the anonymity of a participant and the proper transcript release is not obtained,
then the data must remain confidential between the participant, the student researcher and the faculty supervisor, and
it must be destroyed when the course has been completed. We have developed specific statements that apply to such
instances, and have indicated them clearly in the guidelines below. Please ensure that you are using the
appropriate statements if your research project falls within this category!
Section Guidelines
Cover Page
• Indicate by checking the appropriate box that your application is being submitted to a Departmental/College
REC
• Include the name and contact information for both the student-researcher(s) and the faculty supervisor
• Anticipated start date – do not list a date that is prior to the earliest possible date to receive ethical approval
• Anticipated end date – should coincide with the end date of the term in which the research is being conducted
Section 1 – Purpose of Proposed Research
• Insert the line below and then add the specific purpose of your study
The primary purpose of the research is to train the student-researcher in the methods of behavioural research.
• When adding the specific purpose of your study, be sure to include a (very) brief background and rationale for
your study.
Section 2 – Abstract
• Provide a short abstract outlining the objectives of your study. Specify research questions/hypotheses and
provide a brief rationale for the objectives of your study.
Section 3 – Participants
• The following standard statement should be sufficient for many class projects. You should also include
additional specific information in supplemental sentences indicating the following: how many participants you
23

are proposing to include in your study; outlining any specific restrictions (e.g., age); specific methods of
compensation for non-pool participants if applicable.
• Please read the notes which appear below for further information regarding study participants that may be
relevant to your study
Participants may be selected by the researcher from several sources. First, students for 300 level laboratory classes
may participate in exchange for reciprocal participation in their research studies. Research participation by student
in laboratory classes is encouraged to permit a broader understanding of the research enterprise. Second, friends,
family and relatives of the researcher may be recruited. Finally participant may be recruited from the psychology
participant pool, and they receive one bonus mark for approximately each half hour of research participation. The
study will be posted on a secure web page (http://usask.sona-systems.com/). Participants sign-up to participate after
reading a description of the study (several studies are posted simultaneously) and then selecting a convenient time to
attend. There is no anticipated relationship between pool participants and the researcher.
INVOVLEMENT OF FAMILY AND FRIENDS: Please note that family and friends should not be involved if
the study topic is in any way sensitive. The appropriate procedure for recruiting friends and family is to develop a
letter of invitation (to be submitted with your application) that outlines the pertinent aspects of your study, and asks
them to contact you if they are interested. This process should also be followed if you are using the snowball method
of recruitment (participants with specific characteristics identify other similar individuals who may be interested in
participating). In this case you should ask the initial individual to provide a letter of invitation to any individuals
who might be interested, who can then contact you for more information. This procedure minimizes any potential
for the perception of coercion.
PARTICIPANT RESTRICTIONS: You must indicate if you are planning to restrict participant eligibility in any
way (e.g., only women; only individuals whose first language is English), and you must provide a rationale as to
why this restriction is necessary.
SAMPLE SIZE: Note that the number of participants available through the participant pool is limited. Please consult
with the current Participant Pool Administrator for the number of participants available for your study. Please
remember that the goal of 300 level lab projects is to gain hands on research experience and further develop your
research skills…it is not to obtain publishable results. The Psychology Department recommends that you restrict
your sample size to 20 participants at most. This number should be more than adequate to allow you to gain
experience with recruitment, data collection and analysis.
USE OF COMMUNITY SAMPLES: Please be aware that the use of community samples (e.g., schools, daycares,
elder care facilities, etc.) is strongly discouraged by the Psychology Department. The main concerns revolve
around the time required to gain access to these samples, and the burden placed on limited community research
24

esources. If you wish to design a project with a specialized target population (e.g., children, seniors), we suggest
that you recruit a small number of participants from within your circle of family and friends. If you are targeting any
specific population not encompassed by the above standard statement you must ensure that application clearly
identifies this population and your recruitment strategy.
RECRUITMENT MATERIALS: You MUST include with your application any recruitment materials that you will
be using. This includes such things as: posters, letters of invitation, media ads, etc. Please note that any materials
used for recruitment must clearly outline the following: a description of the study, what the participants will be
asked to do, and contact information for the student-researcher and faculty supervisor (no personal phone numbers;
only e-mails or work phone numbers). The recruitment material must also clearly state that this research is an
undergraduate course project.
Section 4 – Informed Consent
• The following standard statement should be sufficient for many class projects.
Participants will be first informed about the purpose and procedures of the study. Participants will then be given a
consent form that they will be asked to read and sign. A copy of the consent form may be found in Appendix A. The
student-researcher will answer any questions about the study before proceeding.
CONSENT FORM – GUIDELINES FOR COMPLETION
• Please use the Psy-REC consent form template which can be found at the following website:
http://artsandscience.usask.ca/psychology/department/ethics.php.
• Keep the language easy to understand and avoid the use of jargon. Potential participants must be able to clearly
understand the content in order to provide consent that is informed.
• If you are using more than one target sample and the methodology differs between samples, then you must
construct distinct consent forms.
• The procedures section of the consent form must clearly outline to the potential participants what they will be
asked to do during their participation in the study.
• If you will be audio or video taping participants, this must be stated in the consent form.
• Include information on procedures for compensating your participants, if applicable
• You should not include personal phone numbers as contact information for either student-researchers or faculty
supervisors. Please use e-mail addresses and office phone numbers.
• If your research involves the completion of questionnaires or participation in an interview, your consent form
should include a statement in the Right to Withdraw section that “Participants are free to leave any question
unanswered”.
• The consent form should not outline any potential benefits of participation, to either the participant or the
academic field.
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ON-LINE DATA COLLECTION: The consent form template must be modified to reflect the specific circumstances
of on-line data collection (e.g., you will not be there to answer questions; that there is no consent form to store; an
approval response option to indicate consent rather than a signature; an invitation to contact you with any questions
prior to commencing the study if necessary etc.). If you are using the SONA system survey tool via the Participant
Pool Website, the consent form must be revised to include a statement indicating that participants will not be
automatically debriefed if they choose to withdraw, but that they can contact the student-researcher for a copy of the
debriefing form (the U of S web survey tool has the capacity to direct participants to a debriefing page upon
withdrawal). Be sure of which you are using.
SMALL SAMPLE QUALITATIVE RESEARCH: The consent form template usually must be revised to reflect this
situation. Pay particular attention to ensuring that the Confidentiality section accurately reflects your particular
study. If you are obtaining transcript release, this process should be outlined in the consent form.
ASSENT VERSUS CONSENT: If your research involves children, then you must follow procedures for gaining
assent from the child participants as well as parental consent.
ORGANIZATIONAL CONSENT: If your research involves recruiting through an organization or community group
(e.g., hockey team, church group), it is necessary to obtain consent to recruit from the organization or group. The
form to obtain such consent MUST be included in your application for Psy-REC approval.
DATA LINKAGE: If you plan on linking data (across two time point, or across two individuals for example), this
must be clearly outlined in your consent form, and the necessary revisions must be made to the Confidentiality
section of the consent form.
Section 5 – Procedure for Participants Who Wish to Withdraw
• Ensure that you have checked one of the boxes within Section 5(a). Regardless of whether you checked YES or
NO, you must complete the associated text boxes.
• The statements below, for Section 5(a) and 5(b), should be sufficient for many class projects. Please modify if
necessary to reflect your specific study (e.g., on-line study, assent form for children).
Section 5(a)
The consent form clearly indicates that participants have the right to withdraw from the study at any time and for
whatever reason without penalty. After signing the consent form, participants will be reminded of their right to
withdraw.
26

Section 5(b)
When participants decide to withdraw, data collection will be stopped immediately and they will be thanked for their
participation. A copy of the debriefing form will be provided and each participant will be asked if there are any
questions or concerns about the nature of the study. The participant will receive the same compensation as others
that complete the study. All data collected from the participant will be destroyed beyond recovery. Specify an
appropriate restriction on withdrawal of data (e.g., Participant’s data may be withdrawn prior to submission of the
results for formal review or evaluation).
Section 6 – Methods/Procedures
• Provide a very detailed description of the procedures involved in your research. This should provide enough
detail so that the reader knows exactly what the participant will experience during the course of your study and
approximately how long it will take
• Append copies of the data collection tools to your application. If development of data collection tools is a part
of your research project (e.g., survey or interview protocol development), then include a statement indicating
that these materials will be submitted to Psy-REC for review as soon as they are developed and they will not be
used to collect data until approval has been granted.
• If you are recording participants’ responses to an interview, specify the recording method (audio, video,
handwritten notes, etc.)
• If you are using copy-righted material, you must indicate that you have received the appropriate permissions to
do so.
• If your research requires you to link data (between two time point or between two people), then you must
clearly outline the procedure you plan to follow for linking the data
• You must include a justification for all demographic information that you plan on collecting.
• Please ensure that you are accurately portraying your research (e.g., do not state that you are conducting an
experiment unless you are actually using an experimental design).
Section 7 – Dissemination of Results
• The following statement should be sufficient for most student research projects
The data will be used as the basis for a research paper, presentation and/or conference poster assignment for the
course. The data may also be published in an academic journal and/or presented at a professional conference.
QUALITATIVE RESEARCH ALTERNATIVE (no transcript release obtained)
The data will be used as the basis for a research paper for the course.
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Section 8 – Estimate of the Risks of the Proposed Research
• Please complete questions (a) to (f). If you answer YES to any of these questions, thus indicating that there is
risk involved, then you must complete the text box to indicate the procedures that you will put in place to
minimize risk.
• NOTE that risk in this context refers to situations that are not normally experienced by individuals in every day
life. Undergraduate research should not be including elements of risk in any form. Psy-REC is not authorized to
review protocols that contain elements of risk. If your research protocol falls beyond minimal risk, Psy-REC
must forward it to the Beh-REB for review. We strongly suggest that you design your projects within the
bounds of minimal risk.
Section 9 – Confidentiality of Data
• Please ensure that you do not confuse anonymity with confidentiality while completing this section. Do not
guarantee your participants anonymity if you cannot provide it!
• The statements below for Sections 9(a) and 9(b) should be sufficient for many projects, but do not apply to
small sample qualitative projects where transcript release is not obtained. Please refer to the alternatives
provided for these situations. In all instances ensure that you make any modifications necessary to encompass
the particulars of your proposed study
Section 9(a)
All data will be in the form of SPECIFY THE SPECIFIC FORM OF YOUR DATA HERE – examples include
response latencies, questionnaire responses, number of trials completed correctly, interview transcripts,
audio/video tapes. Data will be coded using arbitrary participant numbers that will not be associated with any
names or personally identifying information. Consent forms will not be linked with the data. All data will be
summarized in aggregate form.
Section 9(b)
The data and consent forms will be stored securely by the supervisor at the University of Saskatchewan. Normally
the data will be destroyed beyond recovery once the course has been completed. In instances where the data is
published in an academic journal and/or presented at an academic conference, the data will be stored for a minimum
of five years after the completion of the study. When the data is no longer required it will be destroyed beyond
recovery.
QUALITATIVE RESEARCH ALTERNATIVE (no transcript release obtained)
Section 9(a)
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All data will be in the form of SPECIFY THE SPECIFIC FORM OF YOUR DATA HERE –most likely
audio/video tapes and/or interview transcripts. The data will be reported using pseudonyms and personally
identifying information will be removed when reporting the data. Only the student-researchers, the supervisor and
potentially the participants will have access to the data and reports.
Section 9(b)
The data and consent forms will be stored securely by the supervisor at the University of Saskatchewan. The data
will be destroyed beyond recovery once the course has been completed.
Section 10 – Data/Transcript Release
• Complete this section when the project involves obtaining participant consent to release the data/interview
transcripts for research purposes. Ensure that you describe the release procedures and append a copy of the
Transcript Release Form to your application
• If this does not apply to your research project, simply indicate “not applicable”
• If you conducting an interview study but are not following transcript release procedures due to the time
constraints of the third year lab courses, please insert the statement below”
Transcript release will not be obtained for the interviews. Only the student-researcher, the supervisor and potentially
the participants will have access to the data and reports. Thus, the confidentiality of the participants will not be
compromised.
Section 11 – Debriefing and Feedback
• The following statement should apply to most instances:
Participants will be debriefed verbally and though a written debriefing form once participation is complete. A copy
of the debriefing form is attached. Participants will be able to access a copy of the final report by contacting the
student-researcher.
• Append a copy of the debriefing materials to your application (see instructions at the end of this document).
29

• Ensure that the debriefing material is written in easy to understand language and provides your participants with
such information as: theoretical background and/or applied rationale for your study; a summary of pertinent past
research findings; your explicit research questions and; your expectations of the research outcomes
QUALITATIVE RESEARCH ALTERNATIVE (no transcript release obtained)
Participants will be debriefed verbally and though a written debriefing form once participation is complete. A copy
of the debriefing form is attached. Participants will be able to access a copy of the final report provided that the
anonymity of other participants is not compromised. In cases where anonymity could be compromised, all
participants will be asked to sign a group confidentiality clause before the report is released. Participation may
request and receive a copy of their interview transcripts.
Section 12 – Student Training
• The following statement should apply to most instances:
Ethical procedures are described in PSY 235, 3XX and 3XX (PLEASE ENSURE THAT YOU INDICATE THE
EXACT COURSE NUMBERS). Completion of this ethical application is an assignment for the course. The
student-researcher has access to university ethics procedures on the course outline and from the university website.
Further, the student-researcher is aware that the faculty supervisor should be consulted in all instances when
questions arise about ethical principles involved in human research.
Section 13 – Contact Name and Information
• Ensure that the application is signed by the student-researcher(s) and the faculty supervisor. Applications that
are submitted to Psy-REC without the necessary signatures (student-researchers and faculty supervisor) will be
returned without review. The faculty supervisor signature denotes that the supervisor has carefully read the
application and approves of all elements of the research as proposed.
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DEBRIEFING FORM
1. Present yourself: Make explicit that you are doing this research in the context of a 3 rd year course,
Department of Psychology, University of Saskatchewan..
2. You must thank the participants for their participation to your research.
3. State to topic under study and your research question. Explain the core concepts of the research.
4. Presents the conclusions of other research done on the same topic, and situate your own research.
5. Include references for the citations that you include.
6. The WORDING of this form should be easily understood by participants who don’t have a sophisticated
knowledge in this area. Scientific terms, when used, should be defined.
7. Repeat what you have written in the Consent form about confidentiality.
8. Repeat that participant must contact the researchers or supervisor if he/she has any questions after the
study.
9. The students’ researchers and supervisor’s name should be included with the contact information. Include
also the supervisor’s phone contact.
10. Include a phrase reminding the participants that they can contact the researchers for a copy of the results (if
both participants have signed the appropriate form) or (otherwise) their own transcripts.
31

Appendix B2 Application Form
Please submit three copies of this form, together with all attachments to the Chair of the appropriate REB
(please check), c/o the Ethics Office, Rm 302 Kirk Hall, 117 Science Place, or to the relevant
Departmental/College Research Ethics Committee (REC).
Behavioural REB
Biomedical REB
Departmental/College REC
PLEASE ANSWER EVERY QUESTION. IF A QUESTION DOES NOT APPLY TO YOUR PROTOCOL,
WRITE “NOT APPLICABLE (N/A)”.
DATE:
UNDERGRADUATE
INVESTIGATOR(S)
ADDRESS PHONE # E-MAIL
FACULTY SUPERVISOR COURSE PHONE # E-MAIL
TITLE OF RESEARCH PROJECT
Please refer to the Application and Consent form Guidelines of the appropriate REB at
http://www.usask.ca/research/ethics_review/ and
http://artsandscience.usask.ca/psychology/department/ethics.php prior to completion of form.
Is this an amendment to a previously approved protocol? YES NO
If yes, approval number Previous Title:
32
Research Ethics Boards

Anticipated Start Date of the Study: _ _________________
Anticipated End Date of the Study: _________________
Has this research project been approved by the University of Saskatchewan REB, or another Ethics
Committee where the research will occur? YES NO
If Yes, please attach a copy of the original approval letter and answer the following:
Project Title:
Faculty Investigator: Ethics Board:
Date of Approval: Approval Number (if any):
Address: Phone:
Contact Person: Email:
1. PURPOSE OF PROPOSED RESEARCH:
Briefly state the purpose of the research.
2. ABSTRACT
Provide a brief statement of the hypotheses (or a brief statement of the research questions) to be
examined.
33

3. PARTICIPANTS:
a) Describe the procedures for recruiting, selecting and assigning participants.
b) Describe who will contact participants, and how potential participants will be identified.
c) Describe the relationship between the investigator(s) and the participants(s) (e.g. fellow
students, my club group, my relatives, no relationship).
d) Will participants be compensated (financial or otherwise) for their participation? If so,
how?
4. PLAN FOR OBTAINING INFORMED CONSENT:
a) Describe the process by which participants consent to participate in the research project.
Please attach a copy of the consent form (or consent script if verbal consent is sought)
and assent protocol. Please consult the appropriate REB consent form guidelines at
http://www.usask.ca/research/ethical.shtml and
http://artsandscience.usask.ca/psychology/department/ethics.php
5. PROCEDURE FOR PARTICIPANTS WHO WISH TO WITHDRAW
a) Do participants have the right to withdraw at any time during the
research project? If no, explain below.
34
(YES / NO)

How and when are participants to be informed of this right?
b) What procedures will be followed for participants who wish to withdraw at any point
during the study?
e.g. the procedure will be stopped immediately; participants will be thanked and
debriefed; any questions or concerns will be addressed; participants will/will not receive
the same compensation as if they had completed the procedure; data collected up to that
point will/will not be destroyed.
6. METHODS/PROCEDURES:
Describe the procedures to obtain research data and attach copies of measures, instruments,
questionnaires or interview protocols to be used.
7. DISSEMINATION OF RESULTS:
Indicate how the data collected is intended to be used (thesis, journal articles, conference
35

presentations, etc.).
8. ESTIMATE OF THE RISKS OF THE PROPOSED RESEARCH: (YES / NO)
a) Is there any physical risk?
b) Is there any psychological risk? (Might a participant feel demeaned,
embarrassed, worried or upset? Could participants be fatigued or stressed?)
c) Is there any social risk? (Possible loss of status, privacy, and/or reputation?)
d) Do you see any chance that participants might be harmed in any way?
e) Is any deception involved?
f) Are the risks different from those encountered by the participants in everyday life?
Explain your answers under Section 4. Be sure to explain why alternative approaches involving less
risk cannot be used. Procedures for reversing reversible harm should be stated.
9. CONFIDENTIALITY OF DATA: (YES / NO)
a) Will the data be treated as confidential?
If yes, explain the steps that will be taken to ensure confidentiality
of the data (e.g. participants’ names will not be recorded; participants will
be referred to by initials or other code). If no, explain how this will
be communicated to the participants.
36

) If the data are not anonymous, where will the data be stored, for how long, and who will
supervise access to the data?
37

10. DATA/TRANSCRIPT RELEASE:
When the anonymity of participants is compromised, or when culturally sensitive or personally
identifying information is gathered, participants should be given the opportunity to review the final
transcript and be requested to sign a transcript release form wherein they acknowledge by their
signature that the transcript accurately reflects what they said or intended to say. Please attach a
sample of this form if applicable. A template is available at
www.usask.ca/research/ethics_review/guidelines.php.
11. DEBRIEFING AND FEEDBACK
Indicate how the participants will be debriefed following their participation and describe how
the results of the study will be made available to the participants upon study completion.
12. STUDENT TRAINING
In addition to the completion of this application, indicate what training or experience, if any, enables the
student to be knowledgeable about the regulations and policies governing research with human
participants in order to conduct this study in accordance with the approved protocol.
38

13. CONTACT NAME AND INFORMATION
Please include name, telephone, fax, email and mailing address.
In submitting this form, I certify that the information provided accurately describes how the research will
be conducted.
SIGNATURE:
Faculty Supervisor Student Investigator
39

Appendix B3 Pre-screen
Psy-REC Screening Checklist
Student Researcher: ___________________ Faculty Supervisor: _____________________
Application Form
40
Acceptable or Not or N/A
Anticipated start date/end date
Section 1 - Purpose of proposed research - described
Section 2 – Abstract - described
Section 3 – Participants – procedure for recruitment described
Relationship between researcher and participants specified
Compensation for participation is described
Potential for loss of privacy or anonymity
Does the protocol involve vulnerable population (inmates, children, elderly)
Section 4 – Informed Consent
Standard statement of process for obtaining consent
Copy of consent form attached
Copy of letter to relevant organizations (if applicable) attached
Where children are under age of 18, have parental consent provisions been made
Copy of parental consent/child assent form attached
Section 5 – Procedure for Withdrawal – standard statement
Section 6 – Methods/Procedures
Description of the research methods/procedures and copies of instruments attached
Section 7 – Dissemination of Results - standard statement
Section 8 – Estimate of Risks
Any potential risks (physical, psychological, deception, coercion)
Section 9 – Confidentiality of Data
Standard statement regarding confidentiality and storage of data
Section 10 – Transcript Release
Procedures for transcript release described and copy of release form attached
Section 11 – Debriefing and Feedback
Standard statement regarding debriefing; debriefing form attached
Section 12 - Student Training
Standard statement regarding student training
Section 13 – Contact names, information and signatures

CONSENT FORM
Title of study
Name and contact information for student research and faculty supervisor
Purpose and objectives of study
Detail of procedures outlined
Estimate of time commitment
Potential risk/discomforts outlined
Standard withdrawal statement
Standard confidentiality statement
Standard storage of data statement
Standard dissemination statement
Standard statement regarding approval by Psy-REC with date
Standard statement regarding ORS with phone number
Acknowledgement of understanding
Acknowledgement of receiving copy of consent form
Conforms to standard consent form
Notes on necessary revisions:
41

Appendix C: Creating an online survey using Sona Systems
It is important that you read through all of these instructions BEFORE starting to create your online study.
1. Log-in to Sona Systems using your NSID and password.
2. Click ‘Add new study.’ Fill in the blanks. Be sure to include your experiment number in brackets after your
title.
3. Before clicking “Add this study” scroll down to view the other options.
- Click “Yes -- online survey administered by the system”
- You can click no beside “Should the Researcher receive an email notification when a participant signs
up or cancels?” (this will prevent you from getting a full inbox)
- Then click “add this study”
- If you need to restrict your study (e.g., if you want your study to only be visible to males), click “View/Modify
Restrictions” once you have added your study. Then select the questions that apply to your restrictions, and click
‘set restrictions.” You can then select which type of participant you want (e.g., males), and ‘save changes.’
** Given that the participant pool is used primarily as a means for students to increase course grades, it is
only fair that everyone have equal access to the same number of studies. For this reason, we generally do not
allow researchers to disqualify or restrict people based on demographic characteristics (i.e., “only women
may participate in this study”). Instead, what we would prefer is that you write a clause in the description
part of your study to the effect of: “For this study we are primarily interested in testing female participants.
Males can participate for a credit but their data will be discarded before analysis.” This way, everyone
technically has equal access. In this particular scenario, you may still have males participating in your study
and while this may seem inconvenient, it is necessary to ensure everyone has equal access. For example, there
was a disproportionate amount of studies in 2010/2011 which were directed at female participants. Any
questions beyond this can be directed to the participant pool administrator.
4. You are now ready to input your study questions. To do this, view your study by clicking “My studies”, then
“Study info”, and then “Update Online Survey.”
5. Use the ‘Introductory text” box for your consent form. (You will then make it so that your first question will ask
if they have read/understood and agree.) Include a line that asks participants to print a copy for their own
records, or for them to contact you if they want a copy. It is also a good idea to post your consent form below
the instructions provided by SONA systems.
6. Use the “Closing text” box for the debriefing form information. Again, it would be good to tell participants to
print it or to contact you for a copy.
* Here is when you specify if you want your questions in a random order. If you want them to always be in the
same order for every person (think about counterbalancing), then select “no.” If you want your questions
randomized, click “Some sections in random order, some in specified order.” This way, you can make sure
your consent and debriefing forms are always at the beginning and end, respectively.
7. Click “Save and continue.” Now you can start adding in your questions. If you need to put two surveys online,
you can copy sections from an existing survey by selecting that option (written in blue). Otherwise, just scroll
down to the “add a new section” part.
8. The “Introductory Section Text” box is for instructions. If you have instructions that you need to come before a
specific question, put them here. Do not put your actual question here. If you do not have instructions for that
section, leave it blank, and select “Add section.”
42

9. This is the screen where you enter in your first question (remember: your first question should be your consent
question).
* “Abbreviated Question Name” is very important. This is where you input the variable name you want for
that question (e.g., quest1, gender). This makes exporting the data much easier, as you will be importing your
data with variable names, instead of having to use a question key to find out which answer belongs to which
question (especially if your survey is randomized). Assign your questions variable names, and keep track of
them for easy reference later.
10. You then select whether the question is a free-entry, multiple choice with one answer, or with multiple answers.
Read the other options as well (e.g., horizontal vs vertical, numeric, etc.). These options are up to you.
* It is extremely important that you select ‘yes’ for “Can students decline to provide an answer for this
question?” Ethically, students must be able to skip questions. The only exception is for your first question, the
consent form question. Participants must answer this question. If they happen to click ‘no’, you cannot use
their data.
* It is also important to contemplate how you want your data to be exported from the system. If you want
your responses to be downloaded as numbers (instead of as string characters), you should select ‘yes’ for
“Are all choices numeric?”. If you do not want the numbers to show to participants, you should click ‘no’ for
“Display numeric value?”. If you do not do this, you may have to do a ‘find/replace’ in SPSS for analysis.
11. Click “Save changes.”
12. If you want another question in this section, scroll down and click “add a question” at the bottom of the page.
(If you only have one set of instructions for the entire survey, you can continue adding questions, and only have
one section. Sections are included in case you have different instructions for different parts. If this is the case,
click ‘section list’ (in blue ink) to add a new section.
* See below for codes used when inputting your questions to format the text (e.g., to bold sections, etc.)
13. Continue adding questions and sections until you have entered your entire survey.
* If, at any time, you need to edit your sections or your questions, you can view your study, then click “Update
online survey”, and “Edit questions and sections.” You can also use this option to set the order of your
questions, unless you selected the option to make them random.
14. Once you are finished entering in all of your questions, be sure to go to the Final Review page to finalize the
survey and any changes you made to it. Read it carefully to make sure there are no mistakes.
15. If you are satisfied with your survey, click “Apply changes, make active.”
16. Contact the administrator to add your participant hours, and to make your study visible.
17. Once your hours have been added, you can add your timeslot. To do this, click “view/modify timeslots”. Then
click “add a timeslot.” Because this is an online study, your timeslot is the last day you want participants to sign
up. In other words, it is the last participation date you want. Be sure to type in the amount of participants you
were approved for. You can view your timeslot anytime to see how many people have completed your survey.
Participants are normally granted credit automatically by the system upon completion of the study. However if a
participant withdraws you will receive an email informing you that action will need to be taken. Normally, if the
participant withdraws after completing the demographic information and they have advanced to the study
questions they are awarded a credit. If you have any questions about the most ethical way to deal with
withdraws you should forward the email to the participant pool administrator. **Please check this often to
make sure people are getting their credits promptly.**
Important notes:
43

- To see what your survey will look like to participants, click “Edit questions and sections”, and then click
“Preview section”. You will be shown a screen exactly the same as what the participants will see.
- Participants can withdraw from your study at any time. If they do, their data will be deleted.
- Be sure to click the option to allow participants to skip questions.
Question codes (html coding):
- To bold a section, insert before the text, and after the text you want bolded (do the same using an “i”
for italics and “u” for underline)
-
- To end a paragraph, for instance in your consent form, insert at the end of the paragraph
- You could also enter at the start of the new paragraph
Another suggestion:
* This suggestion comes from a researcher who used the online survey tool last year: Consider how you want
your data downloaded into SPSS. If you only want your responses as numbers, instead of the full text of the
response, be sure to click “yes” to “Are all choices numeric?” and “no” to “Display numeric value?”
- If you don’t set it up this way, you will have to recode each question before you analyze your data as every
response will end up a string variable and will need to be recoded before it can be changed into a numeric one.
For example, if the question was "Do you smoke?", and the response options are yes and no, then enter the choices
as:
1 Yes
2 No
Note: there should be just a number (no period or anything else), then one blank space, then the text. Only the
choices' text (not numeric value) will be displayed to participants.
- When you go to download data, there is an option only to download the numeric responses (e.g. "1" instead of
"1 Yes") for the data.
Exporting your data
Once your study is complete, you will have to export your data from the system. To do this, use the following steps:
- View your study, and click “Download Survey Responses”.
- Then follow the instructions provided on the website.
- Select to save the responses to a file. Be sure to select “all files” under the ‘save as type’. Also, when
you enter in the file name, be sure to write .csv at the end. This will allow you to import the file into
SPSS very easily.
* If you have any questions at any time, feel free to contact me at 966-6697, or in Arts 46, or by email at
research.admin@usask.ca.
If a student withdraws
44

When students have completed your survey, they will be granted credit automatically by the system. To comply with
regulations, the participants are given the opportunity to withdraw from the survey at any time. If they withdraw,
they are taken to a form where they can submit any comments (this is optional), and their withdrawal is then noted
and all their responses are deleted. The researcher receives an email when this occurs, with some other information,
including how much time was spent on the survey, and how many questions were answered. You should then grant
credit to the participant as appropriate. A general rule is to grant participants credit if they completed all the
demographic questions and withdrew upon seeing at least one of the experimental questions.
If you have any questions about whether a participant should receive credit or any other questions, please contact
Sean Sacher at pgp091@mail.usask.ca or 966-6697.
45

Appendix D: Consent Form (Actual Form is available on the psychology Website and in a separate file in PAWS for
this class.)
You are invited to participate in a research study entitled [Title of Study]. Please read this form carefully,
and feel free to ask any questions you might have about the study.
Student-Researcher: [Name], Department of Psychology,[e-mail].
Supervisor: [Name], Department of Psychology, [contact number; e-mail].
Purpose and Procedure: The primary purpose of the research is to train the student researcher in the
methods of behavioural research. [State the specific purpose of study…..What exactly is the
participant required to do?] The study should take approximately [specify time] minutes of your time.
Risks: There are no known risks associated with participation in this study. Furthermore, you may
receive no personal benefits from participation in the study. At the end of the study you will be given a
sheet that better explains the nature of the study and you will be given a chance to ask any further
questions that you might have.
Confidentiality: Your data will be kept completely confidential and no personally identifying information
will be linked to your data. All data will be reported in aggregated form. The data and consent forms will
be stored securely at the University of Saskatchewan by the supervisor. Normally, the data will be
destroyed once the course has been completed. In instances where the data is published in an academic
journal and/or presented at a professional conference, the data will be stored for a minimum of five years
after completion of the study. When the data is no longer required, it will be destroyed beyond recovery.
Right to withdraw: You may withdraw from the study for any reason, at any time, without penalty of any
sort [if using the Psy 110 Participant Pool also add…and without loss of research credit for the
session]. If you withdraw from the study, any data that you have contributed will be destroyed beyond
recovery if the request to withdraw is received… [specify a date or other terminating condition for
withdrawal of data; e.g. before the results are submitted for formal review or evaluation.]
Questions: If you have any questions concerning the study, please feel free to ask at any point. You are
also free to contact the researchers at the numbers provided above if you have questions at a later time.
The proposed research was reviewed and approved on ethical grounds by the Department of Psychology
Research Ethics Committee on [date of approval]. Any questions regarding your rights as a participant
may be addressed to the Behavioural Research Ethics Board through the Office of Research Services
(966-2084). Out of town participants may call collect. You may obtain a copy of the results of the study by
contacting the student-researcher or the supervisor.
Consent to Participate: I have read and understand the description of the research study provided
above. I have been provided with an opportunity to ask questions and my questions have been answered
satisfactorily. I agree to participate in the study described above, understanding that I may withdraw my
consent to participate at any time. A copy of this consent form has been given to me for my records.
_________________________________ _________________________
(Signature of Participant) (Date)
_________________________________
(Signature of Researcher)
46
[Title of Study]

Class projects:
Frequently, undergraduate courses incorporate class projects and other activities into their curriculum for the
purposes of developing research skills. These projects may be carried out by individual students, small groups or as
a single class project. The Tri-Council Policy Statement (TCPS, August 1998) and the University of Saskatchewan
Policies and Procedures for Ethics in Human Research (October 2002) require instructors conducting such projects
involving human subjects to submit a research application to the appropriate Research Ethics Board (REB) or the
relevant Research Ethics Committee (REC) and receive ethics approval prior to undertaking the project.
The University of Saskatchewan wishes to encourage learning of research methodologies and techniques by
graduate and undergraduate students. Class exercises may not fit the standard definition of research in the sense that
the results are not intended for publication or for generalization to other situations; however, the potential for risk to
subjects who participate in research class exercises requires the protocol and consent information be reviewed by a
REB.
Course-based research activities vary in scope, but may include:
having students conduct interviews, administer standard tests, or distribute questionnaires to develop
interview or questionnaire design skills;
conduct “mini” research projects where students pose research questions, gather data from human
participants, and analyse the data for presentation; or
other activities that would be considered research within the disciplinary traditions in which the course is
being taught.
Prior to preparing an application the instructor should determine whether the course activities require ethics approval
from an REB. These guidelines are provided to help the instructor determine whether ethical approval is required for
their class exercise.
Distinguishing Research from Case/Professional Skill Development
In some class situations the information gathering procedures and practices students are expected to use are
exclusively required for pedagogic purposes. They are not conducted within the context of, or embedded within, a
research framework. For example, professional faculties have students conduct interviews as part of skill
development or individual knowledge acquisition. Information gathering projects within these situations are not
subject to REB review requirements, however they must align with the appropriate professional standards or codes
of conduct and review processes required by the relevant Faculty.
47

Research Ethics Board Guidelines for Ethics Review of Course-based Research Projects.
48

The following criteria can be used to assess whether information-gathering activities within a university course are
part of a research project or are for the teaching of professional skills or pedagogic purposes.
Information gathering activities are classified as RESEARCH where
the intent is to educate students on research processes used to explore and expand existing theories and
conceptual knowledge;
students compare new techniques, practices, programs with standard approaches to determine which is
more effective;
the results or findings are written in a format that would be acceptable for a research journal or academic
conference presentation; or
primary data is collected and organized for analysis and distribution or dissemination.
Information gathering activities are classified as SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND NOT RESEARCH when:
the intent is to use the information to provide advice, diagnosis, identification of appropriate interventions,
or general advice for a client;
the intent is to develop skills which are considered standard practice within a profession (e.g., observation,
assessment, intervention, evaluation, auditing);
the information gathering processes are part of the normal relationship between the student and the
participants (e.g., classroom teacher and students, nurse and patient, lawyer and client),
Instructors who are uncertain as to whether a learning activity or project falls outside the scope of the
criteria outlined in this document should contact the Ethics Office at 966-2975 or the relevant
Departmental/College Research Ethics Committee (REC).
For further clarification, please see Appendix I for examples of projects and activities that would require
review.
Criteria for Student Research
If a class project falls under the definition of research as described above, the following guidelines and procedures
may be applied.
The instructor may oversee the conduct of his or her individual student’s research by completing an “Application for
Review of a Course-Based Research Program” and submitting it for approval to the Departmental/College Research
Ethics Committee (REC), or the appropriate REB, if there is no REC. If a student is conducting a different research
project than that outlined as part of the course-based research program, then an “Application for Review of an
Individual Student Class Project” must be completed and submitted for approval. An “Application for Review of an
Individual Student Class Project” is also required for Honours projects or Graduate student projects if the following
criteria are met.
Guidelines for Review of Course-based Research Projects, updated May 16, 2005 Page 2 of 8
49

Requests for approval of course-based research projects must comply with the following criteria
The research projects must be no more than minimal risk.
The standard of minimal risk is defined as follows: if potential participants can reasonably
be expected to regard the probability and magnitude of possible harms implied by
participation in the research to be no greater than those encountered by the subject in those
aspects of his or her everyday life that relate to the research then the research can be
regarded as within the range of minimal risk.
The research participants must be drawn from the general population, capable of giving free and
informed consent, and may not include vulnerable subjects such as persons who are not legally competent to
consent, mentally incompetent persons, legal wards or the therapeutically dependent.
The student projects must not involve any personal, sensitive or incriminating topics or questions
that could place participants at risk.
The student projects must not manipulate behaviour of participants beyond the range of “normal”
classroom activity or daily life.
The student projects must not involve physically invasive contact with the research participants.
The student projects do not involve deception.
Formation of Departmental/College Research Ethics Committees (RECs)
In order to accommodate the large number of expected course-based research applications to the REBs, and as
indicated in the University Policy and Procedures for Ethics in Human Research document
(http://www.usask.ca/research/ethics_review/), departments or colleges with a substantial number of class
projects are encouraged to form their own Departmental/College Research Ethics Committee (REC). These
committees must adhere to the Guidelines for Course-Based Research. Before the REC can be implemented, the
process undertaken by each REC must be consistent with the process outlined by the REB.
Departments/colleges are encouraged to set up RECs. To facilitate the creation of RECs, the following
guidelines and application forms are provided. Each REC must submit to the appropriate REB for approval: a
membership listing, structure, standard operating procedures, terms of reference and any templates for
applications or review. These will be reviewed by the relevant REB.
Guidelines for Review of Course-based Research Projects, updated May 16, 2005 Page 3 of 8
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If you have any questions, please contact the Ethics Office Manager, Susan Blum (966-8585,
susan.blum@usask.ca).
The Application Process
Course-based Research Program – all students in the course conduct research class projects that are similar in
content and generally follow the same procedure.
1. The Instructor for the course takes the role of principal investigator and submits an “Application for Review of a
Course-Based Research Program” for the class that is being taught. The form is signed by the Course
Instructor and included with the application is a sample consent form or letter of information, and a sample
questionnaire, survey or other research instrument that is being used.
2. The “Application for Review of a Course-Based Research Program” form is submitted to the
Departmental/College REC, or to the appropriate REB if there is no REC.
3. Ethical approval for course-based research programs is maintained for three years, provided that there are no
changes to the course assignments. If changes are made a memo indicating the changes must be submitted
to the REC or REB.
4. An annual Status Report Form must be completed and submitted to the REC or REB to maintain approval for the
3-year period.
5. An “Application for Review of a Course-Based Research Program” must be re-submitted every three years.
6. All sections of the course, whether on campus or not, must follow the guidelines and it is the responsibility of the
Instructor to ensure compliance with the procedures.
Individual Student Class Project – student(s) in the course conduct diverse research class projects that are different
in content or procedure.
1. The Instructor should have their students complete an “Application for Review of an Individual Student Class
Project” which includes a sample consent form or letter of information, and a sample questionnaire, survey
or other research instrument that is being used.
2. The Instructor reviews each of these applications and ensures that they are complete and in compliance with the
ethics review requirements of the University. A reviewers’ evaluation checklist has been developed to aid
instructors in evaluating the student projects (see Appendix II).
3. The form is signed by the Course Instructor.
Guidelines for Review of Course-based Research Projects, updated May 16, 2005 Page 4 of 8
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4. The “Application for Review of an Individual Student Class Project” form is submitted to the
Departmental/College REC, or to the appropriate REB if there is no REC.
5. If the student’s project(s) are to be carried out at other institutions or agencies, (such as schools, hospitals,
government agencies etc.), written evidence of approval granting permission to carry out individual studies
must be obtained and retained in the Instructor’s files.
6. All forms related to approving the ethical acceptability of each student’s project must be retained by the Instructor
for a period of two years.
All questions and clarifications concerning the interpretation of these guidelines should be directed to the Ethics
Office Manager, Susan Blum (966-8585, susan.blum@usask.ca).
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Appendix F
Fact sheet:
St. Thomas More College, University of Saskatchewan
Department of Psychology
Psychology 316.3 (62), Winter 2011
Advanced Developmental Psychology: Social and Emotional Development
Name:
Major:
Area of Study:
Faculty:
Year of Study:
Psychology Honours student? Yes/no /not yet/waiting to see (circle one)
Areas of research interest related to Social and Emotional Development.
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
______________.
Do you plan to expand your work in Psy316? How?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
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