PS421-5-AU-CO:
Statistics for Psychology

The details
2024/25
Psychology
Colchester Campus
Autumn
Undergraduate: Level 5
Current
Thursday 03 October 2024
Friday 13 December 2024
15
16 November 2023

 

Requisites for this module
PS104 and PS105 and PS106
(none)
(none)
(none)

 

PS422, PS509

Key module for

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 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.

Module aims

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.

Module learning outcomes

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.

Module information

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.

Learning and teaching methods

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.

Bibliography

The above list is indicative of the essential reading for the course.
The library makes provision for all reading list items, with digital provision where possible, and these resources are shared between students.
Further reading can be obtained from this module's reading list.

Assessment items, weightings and deadlines

Coursework / exam Description Deadline Coursework weighting
Coursework   SONA Research Training    25% 
Coursework   Mini MCQ Tests    75% 
Exam  Main exam: In-Person, Open Book (Restricted), 120 minutes during January 
Exam  Reassessment Main exam: In-Person, Open Book (Restricted), 120 minutes during September (Reassessment 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
20% 80%

Reassessment

Coursework Exam
20% 80%
Module supervisor and teaching staff
Dr Wijnand Van Tilburg, email: wijnand.vantilburg@essex.ac.uk.
Dr Wijnand van Tilburg
wijnand.vantilburg@essex.ac.uk

 

Availability
No
No
No

External examiner

Dr John Patrick Rae
Roehampton University
Reader in Psychology
Resources
Available via Moodle
Of 30 hours, 26 (86.7%) hours available to students:
4 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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