PS114-4-FY-CO:
Research Methods in Psychology

The details
2021/22
Psychology
Colchester Campus
Full Year
Undergraduate: Level 4
Current
Thursday 07 October 2021
Friday 01 July 2022
30
13 April 2021

 

Requisites for this module
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)

 

PS118, PS212, PS414, PS416

Key module for

BA 63C2 Psychological Studies,
BA C801 Psychology (Including Year Abroad),
BA C802 Psychology,
BA C807 Psychology (Including Foundation Year),
BA C810 Psychology (Including Placement Year),
BSC C800 Psychology,
BSC C803 Psychology (Including Year Abroad),
BSC C811 Psychology (Including Placement Year),
BSC C812 Psychology (Including Foundation Year),
BSC C806 Psychology with Cognitive Neuroscience (Including Year Abroad),
BSC C808 Psychology with Cognitive Neuroscience,
BSC C809 Psychology with Cognitive Neuroscience (Including Placement Year),
BSC C813 Psychology with Cognitive Neuroscience (Including Foundation Year),
MSCIC999 Psychology with Cognitive Neuroscience,
MSCICA98 Psychology with Cognitive Neuroscience (Including Placement Year),
MSCICA99 Psychology with Cognitive Neuroscience (Including Year Abroad),
BSC C814 Psychology with Economics,
BSC C815 Psychology with Economics (Including Year Abroad),
BSC C816 Psychology with Economics (Including Placement Year),
BSC C817 Psychology with Economics (Including Foundation Year),
MSCIC998 Psychology with Advanced Research Methods,
MSCICB98 Psychology with Advanced Research Methods (Including Placement Year),
MSCICB99 Psychology with Advanced Research Methods (Including Year Abroad)

Module description

This module provides an introduction to research methods in psychology. Students will learn about the basic principles of research design, and to a variety of techniques for studying behaviour. Students will learn how to find, read and evaluate scientific research reports and to write their own.

Module aims

The module covers all basic and essential research methods knowledge. The module will provide an overview of the research process from past research to new findings, a critical evaluation of a range of methods used in psychology, a review of the research practices that impede the promotion of robust scientific findings and the research ethics expected to underpin psychological practices.

The module promotes the development of research skills by providing students the opportunity to put their knowledge in practice in workshop style sessions. Students will develop their research method skills by reading and writing about their own research.

Module learning outcomes

The lectures will introduce students to the broad approaches and methods used in the psychology.

The specific learning outcomes are as follows:
1) Find, analyse and interpret psychological research articles
2) Distinguish between the major types of research designs, identify when to use them and recognise their strengths and weaknesses
3) Understand the research process and factors that can bias its output
4) Employ evidence-based reasoning to produce coherent research plans and hypotheses to answer a research question
5) Write an empirical research project.

Learning outcomes 1, 2 and 3 will be assessed in the examination and learning outcomes 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 will be assessed in the coursework element of the module.

Module information

During laboratory classes students will learn and practice key research skills such as identifying the relevant literature, designing studies, analysing data and writing up research reports. In addition, classes will involve discussion and interpretation of the results obtained.

Learning and teaching methods

The module consists of ten 2-hour lectures where students will gain critical knowledge about research methods. Students will then will develop their research method skills by putting this knowledge into practice in 10 2-hour long workshop style sessions where they will conduct and report their own research.

Bibliography

This module does not appear to have a published bibliography for this year.

Assessment items, weightings and deadlines

Coursework / exam Description Deadline Coursework weighting
Coursework   Research Report    40% 
Coursework   Research Proposal     50% 
Coursework   Sona Research Training    10% 
Exam  Main exam: 120 minutes during Summer (Main Period) 

Exam format definitions

  • Remote, open book: Your exam will take place remotely via an online learning platform. You may refer to any physical or electronic materials during the exam.
  • In-person, open book: Your exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer to any physical materials such as paper study notes or a textbook during the exam. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
  • In-person, open book (restricted): The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer only to specific physical materials such as a named textbook during the exam. Permitted materials will be specified by your department. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
  • In-person, closed book: The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may not refer to any physical materials or electronic devices during the exam. There may be times when a paper dictionary, for example, may be permitted in an otherwise closed book exam. Any exceptions will be specified by your department.

Your department will provide further guidance before your exams.

Overall assessment

Coursework Exam
50% 50%

Reassessment

Coursework Exam
50% 50%
Module supervisor and teaching staff
Prof Marie Juanchich, email: m.juanchich@essex.ac.uk.
Dr Marie Juanchich
email: m.juanchich@essex.ac.uk

 

Availability
No
No
No

External examiner

No external examiner information available for this module.
Resources
Available via Moodle
Of 120 hours, 114 (95%) hours available to students:
6 hours not recorded due to service coverage or fault;
0 hours not recorded due to opt-out by lecturer(s), module, or event type.

 

Further information
Psychology

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