Final project: getting started

PSYC 11: Laboratory in Psychological Science

Jeremy R. Manning
Dartmouth College
Spring 2026

Approximate schedule

  • This week: find a group, design your study, start implementing/building
  • Week 7: human subjects training, collect data
  • Week 8: analyze data
  • Week 9: interpreting results + public poster presentation
  • Week 10: wrap-up (paper and final poster)

How to pick a topic

  • What puzzles you about human behavior or the mind?
  • What do you find yourself arguing about or wondering about in everyday life?
  • Think about topics from this course (or other courses) that stuck with you
  • A good project question is one you genuinely want to know the answer to

Forming groups

  • Ideal group size: 3 students (2--4 is OK)
  • Look for complementary skills (coding, writing, design, stats)
  • Shared curiosity about a topic matters more than shared expertise
  • Create a Slack channel for your group -- invite all members + TA + me

From curiosity to a study

  1. Start broad: what topic area interests your group?
  2. Narrow down: what specific question can you ask?
  3. Get practical: what evidence would help answer it?
  4. Scope it: can you realistically do this in 3--4 weeks?

Discussion: what makes a question "testable"?

  • "Why do people procrastinate?" -- is this testable as stated?
  • How would you turn a vague curiosity into something you could actually measure?
  • What is the difference between a question and a hypothesis?

Breakout group brainstorm

  1. Form your project groups (or temporary groups if still deciding)
  2. Each person shares one question they find interesting (2 min each)
  3. As a group, pick one or two favorites and sketch out:
    • What would you measure?
    • Who would your participants be?
    • What would a result look like?
  4. Be ready to pitch your idea to the class in 1--2 minutes

Pitches!

  • Each group: give a 1--2 minute pitch of your study idea
  • Class: ask questions, suggest improvements, offer connections to other ideas
  • Remember -- ideas will evolve! This is just the starting point.