Unit information: Continuing Psychological Research Methods in 2020/21

Unit name	Continuing Psychological Research Methods
Unit code	PSYC20006
Credit points	40
Level of study	I/5
Teaching block(s)	Teaching Block 4 (weeks 1-24)
Unit director	Dr. Allen
Open unit status	Not open
Pre-requisites	None
Co-requisites	None
School/department	School of Psychological Science
Faculty	Faculty of Life Sciences

Description including Unit Aims

In this unit, students will build on research skills developed in Psychological Research Methods. These skills will be applied in advanced experimental, correlational, and mixed methods contexts. Students will develop and conduct psychological research studies, and present their findings in varied formats.

The aims of this unit are to:

1. Introduce students to advanced experimental, correlational, and mixed methods approaches to conducting research in psychology, and data collection and analysis techniques associated with each.
2. Provide students with opportunities to develop and conduct advanced experimental, correlational, and mixed methods psychological research, and interpret and report findings according to disciplinary conventions.
3. Facilitate students’ continued development of a range of transferable research skills.
4. Give students further opportunities to engage with the diversity of research being conducted in the School via their participation in the school’s experimental hours scheme.

Intended Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:

1. Outline the defining characteristics of advanced experimental, correlational, and mixed methods approaches to conducting research in psychology.
2. Formulate specific and feasible psychological research questions which can be addressed using advanced experimental, correlational, and mixed methods research approaches.
3. Develop and conduct advanced experimental, correlational, and mixed methods studies to answer research questions.
4. Apply data collection and analysis techniques associated with advanced experimental, correlational and mixed methods research approaches, and justify the selection and use of these techniques.
5. Interpret and report advanced experimental findings according to disciplinary conventions.
6. Interpret and integrate correlational and qualitative findings in a mixed methods study, and report the findings according to disciplinary conventions.

Teaching Information

There are two interlinked strands to this unit: The lecture strand and the laboratory strand.

In the lecture strand students will engage with a set of asynchronous online learning materials each teaching week. These materials will include video lectures, readings and practical activities. After engaging with these materials, students will join a synchronous online class with two purposes. The first of these is to address any questions that students have about the online learning materials. The second is to assess their progress through the online learning materials with a short quiz. Students’ scores on a proportion of these quizzes will be aggregated, and worth 30% of their final grades for this unit.

In the laboratory strand, students will work in small groups under the supervision of a staff member (who they will meet with weekly) to complete the tasks necessary for successful execution of two psychological research studies. Students will individually write-up both studies for assessment.

Full engagement with both strands of the unit is expected, and essential for success.

Assessment Information

Formative Assessment:

Students will receive regular formative feedback via their participation in learning activities dispersed throughout lectures and laboratory classes. Participation in these formative activities will assist students' progression toward the unit's ILOs.

Summative Assessment:

1. Weekly In-Class Active Learning Exercises (30%, ILOs 1, 4, 5, and 6)
2. 1600-Word Research Report (30%, ILOs 2, 3, 4 and 5)
3. 2000-Word Research Report (40%, ILOs 2, 3, 4 and 6)

Other Pass Requirements:

In addition to earning the requisite number of marks, to pass this unit students must (a) develop and deliver a presentation; and (b) participate in a number of studies as a member of the school's experimental hours scheme (or complete an equivalent written activity).

Reading and References

Students will be directed to weekly readings via Blackboard.