PS115-4-FY-CO:
Statistics for Psychologists
2015/16
Psychology
Colchester Campus
Full Year
Undergraduate: Level 4
Current
30
13 January 2003
Requisites for this module
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
PS212, PS300, PS411, PS414, PS415, PS416
BA 63C2 Psychological Studies,
BA C801 Psychology (Including Year Abroad),
BA C802 Psychology,
BA C810 Psychology (Including Placement Year),
BSC C800 Psychology,
BSC C803 Psychology (Including Year Abroad),
BSC C811 Psychology (Including Placement 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)
The module is coordinated by Dr Miroslav Sirota in Term 1 and by Dr Tom Foulsham in Term 2 to whom queries should be addressed. A full outline of the module will be available online and distributed during the first lecture.
PS115 provides step-by-step training in the analysis of psychological data, including the use of computer packages for data analysis. The module covers descriptive statistics (emphasising the best way to summarize findings), and inferential statistics (deciding what conclusions can be made from data). The main purpose of the module is to make you a better psychologist by giving you the skills to analyse and present psychological data, and to improve your ability to understand and assess the psychological research that others have carried out. The techniques covered in the module will be used in the Year 1 research methods module (PS114) and throughout all three years of your degree course.
No information available.
No information available.
Correct as at 29/09/2015 LC
PS115 Lectures take place in a two-hour slot each week. These lectures introduce the concepts necessary for understanding descriptive and inferential statistics. We provide lots of time for going over tricky concepts and examining examples of how statistics are used in psychological research. There are exercises to be completed both during and after the lectures, giving students the chance to reinforce what they have learned.
PS115 Practical classes are for one hour each week (you will be assigned to one of three classes starting at different times). These sessions provide hands-on training in analysing data, usually involving the use of a computer package. You will be given a series of booklets to work through in these classes: these include explanation and guidance on how to analyse data, and plenty of practice on the techniques covered in the module. Please bring a calculator, notebook for recording your answers and your most recent set of lecture notes to these classes. There are also several additional Workshops with the module coordinators that will use practical exercises to introduce or consolidate some of the module's more difficult material. We will teach you to use a specialised computer package for data analysis (IBM SPSS Statistics). As well as the time in the practical classes, students are encouraged to use this package outside of class and it is installed on computers in the Psychology Department and elsewhere on campus. SPSS can also be installed on your own computer, free of charge, via the department technical team.
Assessment items, weightings and deadlines
| Coursework / exam |
Description |
Deadline |
Coursework weighting |
| Written Exam |
Test 1 |
|
50% |
| Written Exam |
Test 2 |
|
50% |
| Exam |
Main exam: 120 minutes during Summer (Main Period)
|
Additional coursework information
The assessment for PS115 consists of two Coursework Tests and an End-of-year Examination. Statistics Test 1 is an 80-minute written test and takes place in the first week of Term 2. The test assesses the Term 1 material, and contributes to 25% of the final mark for the module. Statistics Test 2 is a 100-minute computer-based test and takes place in the first week of Term 3. This test primarily assesses the data analysis skills that are taught in the practical classes in Terms 1 and 2. It contributes to 25% of the final mark for the module. The End-of-year Examination is a 2-hour written examination, which tests all of the material covered in PS115. It contributes to 50% of the final mark for the module. You must pass PS115 in order to proceed to the second year of the Psychology Degree Course. To pass PS115, you need to achieve a final aggregate mark of 40 or more for the module.
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
Reassessment
Module supervisor and teaching staff
Dr Miroslav Sirota, Dr Tom Foulsham, Dr Becky Wright, Dr Elia Valentini
e-mail: msirota (Non essex users should add @essex.ac.uk to create the full email address) or foulsham (Non essex users should add @essex.ac.uk to create the full email address)
No
No
No
No external examiner information available for this module.
Available via Moodle
No lecture recording information available for this module.
Psychology
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