Department of Psychology Aligarh Muslim University Aligarh

STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE (SOP) OF DAY TO DAY FUNCTIONING

Commencement of Office (Pre Lunch 08:00 AM to 01:30 PM)

• Display the notices on the Notice Board related to exam, scholarship and other important information.

• Write on the notice board regarding Faculty / Staff on leave.

• Maintain receipt and dispatch register entries.

• Finalize and dispatch letters signed by the Chairperson a day before in the second half.

• Sort the letters received in the second half of the previous day.

• Preparing the replies of incoming letters and DFAs to be shown to Chairperson in the second half of the day.

• Show only very important or urgent office papers to the Chairperson in the first half of the day.

LUNCH 01:30 PM TO 02:30 PM

Post Lunch (02:30 PM to 04:00 PM)

• Show all incoming office papers which may includes Confidential letters, Forms of students, General notices, etc. to the Chairperson.

• Response to important papers immediately, preparing DFA getting signed and sent to the concerned section/person.

Closing the Day

• Switch OFF all the lights, fans / AC and also close windows of all the room and after 04:05 pm and 12:40 pm on Friday.

• Start locking up the chambers of staff and finally the Office.

• Handover the keys by the designated staff to the Chairperson at his/her residence.

Department of Psychology Aligarh Muslim University Aligarh

Maintenance time line and Safety procedure

Maintenance Time Line

The apparatus/ instruments used in a laboratory are essential for experiments, projects and activities being performed there. In general apparatus required to conduct psychological experiments must be properly handled and maintained.

The rules to be followed for proper care and functioning of apparatus are as under:

• Keep the apparatus/ instruments safely in a proper/ assigned place.

• Apparatus/instruments need to be used properly to prevent them from damage or breaking.

• Cover the apparatus when not in use to prevent it from getting dusty or damaged.

• Each and every apparatus needs to be checked regularly by the lab in-charge/ instruct or for their optimum functioning.

• Replace any damaged/defective part of the apparatus from an approved supplier.

Safety procedure

• Use apparatus/instruments for the purpose for which it is intended.

• Use the apparatus/instruments with utmost care.

• Do not set or place apparatus close to the edge of the table.

• Please exercise caution while working with the electrical instrument.

• Do not activate any apparatus before the inspection of the instructor.

• Do not touch a live circuit/ wire of the apparatus.

• Do not move or disturb apparatus in use without the consent of the user.

• Make sure that the electrical apparatus is checked by the lab instructor/teacher in-charge before the apparatus is turned on.

• Turn off the electrical instruments after its use.

• Do not perform any unethical/unauthorized experiment.

• In case of any emergency, follow the instructions of the lab instructor/teacher in-charge.

Standard Operating Procedures

Psychology Lab

The Department of Psychology has one well established P.G laboratory for conducting psychological experiments.

1. Postgraduateandundergraduatestudentshaveaccesstolabequipment/tests for use as outlined in designated course curriculum and getting first hand training.

2. A request for issuance of equipment/test will be made by the student on a prescribed proforma.

3. Lab. Assistant issues the equipment after verifying the workability of the equipment.

4. After completion of the experiment, the equipment will be returned with the confirmation that it is in working condition.

5. Lab.AssistantwillverifyitsworkabilityandplaceatthedesignatedAlmirah/showcase.

6. If there is any issue related to functioning of the equipment it will be reported to the Lab-Incharge through Lab. Assistant.

7. Not working /obsolete equipments will not be issued and process for their repair/condemnation will be initiated by the Lab. Assistant as per rule.

Standard Operating Procedures

Psychology Laboratory Instruments

Mirror Drawing Instrument

The mirror-tracing apparatus is used for visual and motor tests that involve learning a new motor skill. The Mirror-drawing or Mirror-tracing test is a psychological test used to measure the rate of learning, hand-eye coordination, and neuropsychological damage.

• Before starting the experiment the mirror has to be cleaned properly and adjusted in proper position.

• Star pattern is to be properly placed.

• Participants are required to trace a shape (commonly a polygon, e.g., a star, diamond, square or a triangle) and stay within the boundaries of a double line, while only seeing an inverted reflection of their hand through a mirror.

• After completion of the experiment the instrument is returned to laboratory In-charge.

Standard Operating Procedures

Psychology Laboratory Instruments

Tachistoscope

Tachistoscope is an apparatus designed to expose objects for a very brief span of time. A subject is given a momentary glance from 1/5^th to 1/10^th of a second on regular or irregular groups of dots or letter and is required to tell how many he had observed. 

• Tachistoscope is used to check span of attention.

• Properset of Cardshas to be available.

• Cards are inserted in a proper place one by one.

• Cards should be properly exposed.

• The same procedure is repeated as per requisition.

• The instrument along with the card set is returned to the laboratory In-charge.

Standard Operating Procedures

                             Psychology Laboratory Instruments

Chronoscope

A chronoscope is an electrically operated timing instrument which measures very short time interval up to a millisecond. The batteries or the electrical main, the chronoscope and the reaction time apparatus are connected such that they form a circuit.

There are switches for selecting right or left response key for any stimulus that is provided by the experimenter. Chronoscope is a 4 digit chronoscope with least count of 1/1000 sec., works on 230 volts A.C.

• The apparatus is properly connected to an external power supply.

• There are two response keys.

• The ready signal is given before the presentation of the stimulus.

• After completion of the experiment the power cord is unplugged and the apparatus is returned to the laboratory in-charge.

Standard Operating Procedures

Psychology Laboratory Instruments

Aesthesiometer

Aesthesiometer is an instrument for quantifying skin sensitivity to touch by measuring the smallest distance between two points of contact on the skin where the person can perceive each of them separately rather than as a single stimulus.

This instrument was designed to determine the threshold necessary to produce the feeling of touch or pain when the stimulus is applied to the skin with more or less pressure.

• The subject is properly blindfolded.

• The initial range is set properly to take readings.

• Readings are taken to determine the two point threshold.

• After completion of the experiment the apparatus is returned to the laboratory in-charge.

Standard Operating Procedures

Psychology Laboratory Instruments

Jastraw’s Memory Apparatus

Jastraw’s Memory Apparatus is used to assess memorization capacity

Standard Operating Procedures

Psychology Laboratory Instruments

Depth Perception Apparatus

Howard Dolman Apparatus is used to measure the precision of depth perception and the relative importance of certain kinds of cues used in judging depth.

1. Connect the apparatus with proper external power supply.

1. Expose the subjects with three vertical Rods against white background in different condition 

1. Under binocular vision, keeping the head fixed in position.

2. Under monocular vision, keeping the head fixed in position.

3. Under monocular vision, with liberal head movements in order to produce monocular parallax.

3. Adjust the third rod continuously.

4. Measure the distance between the movable rod and the stationery rods.

5. Return the instrument to the lab-in-charge.