Requirement.  Students enrolled in Introductory Psychology are expected to earn 2 Psychology Experience Credits (PECs).   This requirement will a) help students gain first-hand, experiential knowledge about what psychologists do; and b) contribute to the development of new knowledge in psychology.

Students may earn the necessary PECs by participating in one of two activities:

1. Psychology Research Project: participation in an IRB-approved research project(s) under the supervision of Psychology Department faculty
2. Psychology Journal Article: identify, read, and write a two page summary of, an article published within the past year in a psychology journal available in the library

Students can choose to participate in a Psychology Research Project(s) for which they fulfill the inclusion criteria on a first come, first-served signup basis.  In any given semester, if there are not a sufficient number of research projects to accommodate all students taking Introductory Psychology, the remainder of the students will be required to complete one of the Psychology Journal Article options. 
Toward the end of the semester there may be circumstances in which a student has completed fewer than the required 2 PEC hours but there are no additional research projects available that would meet the student’s needs.  These students will have the following options: 1) Those students who have completed less than 1 PEC hour will need to complete the full Psychology Journal option; 2) Those students who have completed at least 1 but less than 2 PEC hours can receive 1 additional PEC hour by completing the  partial Psychology Journal Article option.
Be aware that students who have not completed the PEC Program requirement BEFORE the Monday of the last FULL week of classes in any given semester will be given a grade of “incomplete” for the course.  It is important to plan accordingly.  All Departmental rules and regulations concerning “incomplete” grades will apply.  Incompletes can be made up by participating in the PEC Program, as outlined in this document. After successful completion of the PEC Program, a student will hand in the appropriate forms to the PEC Coordinator who will facilitate the process of changing the student’s grade from “INC” to the standard course grade the student would have earned had the PEC Program been completed on time.

Psychology Research Project

One way students can earn PECs is by participating in IRB-approved research conducted under the supervision of Department of Psychology faculty.  

Credit.  Participation in an IRB-approved psychology research project will require doing 2 credit hours (PECs).  Credit for participating is given in 0.5 hour increments, according to the length of the session (e.g. participating in a session lasting 1 hour is worth 1 PEC; a session lasting 1.5 hours is worth 1.5 PECs, etc.).
Sign-Up Procedure and Obtaining Credit.  Students can get information about approved PEC studies by going to the PEC Bulletin Board on the eighth floor (H-Building) located near the elevators (go left as you exit the elevators).  Students are to sign up for a study (any one for which they meet eligibility criteria) using their LIU ID number as well as typical contact information (be sure the information is accurate, since researchers may need to contact you).  Follow the directions on the sign up sheet (e.g., contact the experimenter, go to a certain room at a certain time, etc.).
**When completing a session, a student will receive a PEC Student Form from the researcher verifying participation.  The original form should be handed in to the Introductory Psychology instructor (or designate) for PEC approval and credit.  Students MUST hand in the completed, signed ORIGINAL form in order to get credit.  Credits may be used only once, and only during the semester in which the course is taken.
            Cancellation of Intention to Participate.  If a student wishes to cancel his or her intention to participate in a study PRIOR to the day on which the session for that study is scheduled, he/she may do so by contacting the researcher (by phone, or by leaving a written note in the researcher’s mailbox in the Psychology Department).  Students will earn no PECs for cancelled sessions.  Students who are still signed-up on the day of the scheduled session are expected to show-up on time for that session.
Student “no-show” for a Session.  If a student fails to show up for a scheduled session the experimenter will inform the PEC Program Coordinator.  If a student is found to have missed two or more scheduled appointments, he/she will automatically be required to complete the full library research option regardless of how many credits have already been earned.
            Withdrawal from a Session in Progress.  Students are free to leave a research session at any time without penalty.  Whether or not a student is awarded PECs for that session depends on when she/he leaves. 
Students are not considered enrolled in a study until after they are informed about the study procedures, have indicated their understanding of those procedures, and have signed an informed consent document.  If a student shows up for a session but decides not to participate based on information provided during the informed consent process that takes place at the start of the session (i.e., the student does NOT sign the informed consent document, and so does NOT become enrolled in the study, and does NOT begin the actual research), the student will be excused from the session and will not be penalized in any way.  In such cases the student will not be awarded any PECs.
If a student shows up for a session, is appropriately informed about the study, and decides to participate (i.e., the student DOES sign the informed consent document, and so DOES become enrolled in the study, and DOES begin the actual research), but then later decides to withdraw from the research for any reason, the student is free to do so.  In these cases, the student is to be awarded the same PECs she/he would have earned had she/he completed the session.  Students who withdraw from a session after signing the informed consent document are strongly encouraged to contact the PEC Faculty Coordinator as soon as possible.

Psychology Journal Article

Another way students may earn PECs is by choosing a Psychology Journal Article option.

FULL (2) CREDIT OPTION:
Students will be asked to identify, read, and write a two page (400-500 word) summary of, a research article published within the past calendar year in a PEC Program-approved psychology journal available in the library.  This will involve going to the library, retrieving a research article, reading it, and writing a summary of it.  Acceptable summaries will include:

1. a complete reference to the summarized article
2. a brief description, in the student’s own words, of
1. the purpose of the research (what theory or hypothesis was tested)
2. the basic procedure used to test the theory or hypothesis
3. what was found
4. what the findings mean for the theory or hypothesis
5. other related issues, i.e., how society might use these findings, or what additional research seems appropriate
3. a photocopy of the abstract and first page from the published research article

The time credited for this option is 2 hours (or 2 PECs).  Completing this option will fulfill the entire PEC requirement.
The summary should be handed in to the Introductory Psychology instructor for review, and for approval of credit on a pass/fail basis.  Summaries MUST be turned in any time BEFORE Monday of the last FULL week of class.

PARTIAL (1) CREDIT OPTION:
Students will be asked to identify, read, and write a one page (200-250 word) summary of, a research article published within the past calendar year in a PEC Program-approved psychology journal available in the library.  This will involve going to the library, retrieving a research article, reading it, and writing a summary of it.  Acceptable summaries will include:

1. a complete reference to the summarized article
2. a brief description, in the student’s own words, of
1. the purpose of the research (what theory or hypothesis was tested)
2. the basic procedure used to test the theory or hypothesis
3. what was found
4. what the findings mean for the theory or hypothesis
5. other related issues, i.e., how society might use these findings, or what additional research seems appropriate
3. a photocopy of the abstract from the published research article

The time credited for this option is 1 hour (or 1 PEC).  Completing this option will partially fulfill the PEC requirement.
The summary should be handed in to the Introductory Psychology instructor for review, and for approval of credit on a pass/fail basis.  Summaries MUST be turned in any time BEFORE Monday of the last FULL week of class.
Listed below you will find a roster of approved Psychology Journals that can be found in the Periodical Section of the Library on the fourth floor. 

Brooklyn Campus