Module Directory

This module builds upon your statistics provision in the first year and will provide you with a thorough understanding of how and when to use different basic statistical tests.

Theoretical and practical implications will be provided through statistics lectures while computer workshops will introduce you to using statistical software.

The aims of this module are:

• To introduce students to the different types of samples and the characteristics of data sets.


• To develop an understanding of statistical tests and deciding which test should be used in order to determine if your study “worked”.


• To develop an understanding of how to use the results of statistical tests to draw conclusions.

By the end of this module, students will be expected to be able to:

1. Understand and know when to use the different basic statistical tests common in psychological science.


2. Be more confident and capable of comfortably organising and graphing data with relevant software packages.


3. Be able to use statistics to communicate their own research findings.

This module will provide an overview of different statistical methods used in Psychology, and the implementation of these using specialist computer software.

Lectures will normally have a short break at the halfway point. Students are welcome to ask questions during lectures if any point is unclear. Promptness at a lecture, which starts on the hour, is essential so that students can collect handouts and take a seat without disrupting the class. We will use interactive software to do quizzes during the lectures.

In the computer workshops, students will be working through statistics examples, assisted by lecturers and graduate demonstrators. These classes provide an opportunity not just to learn how to perform statistical tests using specialist computer software, but also to ask questions about the statistics topics covered in the lectures. The class is subdivided into a number of smaller groups to allow smaller-group teaching.

The following measures are in place to assure inclusivity (in addition to what the university offers by default):

• Lectures are recorded and these recordings can be accessed online.


• Teaching materials (e.g., slides, handouts, assessment briefs) are designed in keeping with recommendations for those with e.g. dyslexia and colour blindness (e.g., high contrast, tempered colour schemes; accessible colour palates in graphs; appropriate font selection).


• Materials used for computer practical’s and lectures are made available online prior to the teaching sessions.


• Where appropriate, answers to practice tasks are made available online for review.


• Examples and illustrations will reflect diverse populations.Weekly office hours by all teaching staff to further support students.

This module will be delivered via:

• One 2-hour lecture per week.
• Computer workshops.

Lectures will cover data analysis skills, along with their underlying principles, which will equip you for most of the laboratory class and project work that you will encounter in the rest of your psychology degree.

Computer workshops will give you a supervised opportunity to solve exercises using statistical software, and the chance to ask questions about any aspects of the topics covered in the lectures.