Understanding Research Methods for Psychology

• Credit value: 15 credits at Level 4
• Convenor: Dr Michael Mallaghan
• Assessment: a 1500-word laboratory report (50%), two one-hour timed assessments (30% and 10%) and a worksheet portfolio (10%)

In this module we provide you with an overview and introduction to research methods in psychology, and to evaluation of theory and research in psychology.

Indicative syllabus

Quantitative methods

• Overview of quantitative methods (e.g. laboratory, field and natural experiments)
• Overview of analysis of quantitative numeric material (e.g. descriptive and inferential statistics)
• Nature of scientific research and the scientific method
• Cause and effect: examining effects of the independent variable(s) on the dependent variable(s) or score(s)
• Hypothesis testing (experimental and null hypotheses)
• Control groups and baseline measures
• Random selection and random allocation
• ABBA designs and counterbalancing
• Levels of measurement (nominal, ordinal, interval, ratio)
• Experimental design (between participants, within participants, matched pairs)
• Comparing tests of difference and tests of association (correlation)
• Overview of non-parametric tests to be covered eg Sign, Wilcoxon, Mann-Whitney, Chi Squared and Spearman correlation
• Selecting statistical tests based on experimental design and level of measurement, and using a decision tree
• Defining basic experimental terms (e.g. variables)

Qualitative methods

• Overview of qualitative methods (e.g. naturalistic observation, interviews and questionnaire studies)
• Compiling interview, questionnaire and survey questions (e.g. open and closed questions)
• Observational methods with and without intervention (e.g. participant and non-participant observation
• Sources of bias (e.g. response bias, reactivity in participants)

Data collection and analysis

• Summarising data using descriptive statistics
• Understanding the difference between descriptive and inferential statistics
• Measures of central tendency (mean, median, mode)
• Measures of dispersion (range, interquartile range, variance and standard deviation)
• Plotting frequency distributions (histograms and polygons)
• Distinguishing between tests of difference and tests of association
• Worked examples of non-parametric tests of difference (Sign, Wilcoxon, Mann-Whitney)
• Worked examples of Chi Squared test for nominal data (goodness of fit, 2 by 2 and larger contingency tables, observed and expected values, small sample sizes)
• Drawing bar charts and line graphs
• Worked example of non-parametric test of association (Spearman correlation)
• Drawing and interpreting scattergrams/scatterplots
• Levels of significance
• Comparing calculated values with table values, interpreting and expressing findings
• Defining basic statistical terms (e.g. standard deviation)

Introduction to ethical practices

• BPS and APA ethical guidelines work working with humans and animals (briefing and debriefing, use of deception, informed consent and right to withdraw, confidentiality, etc)
• Examples from the literature of desirable and non-desirable ethical practices

Introduction to SPSS

• Defining variables and entering data
• Selecting descriptive statistics (measures of central tendency and dispersion)
• Producing tables, graphs and charts
• Cutting and pasting tables, graphs and charts into laboratory reports
• Carrying out non-parametric tests of difference (Mann-Whitney and Wilcoxon
• Producing scatterplots and requesting ‘best fit’ line
• Carrying out Chi Squared tests
• Carrying out non-parametric test of association (Spearman)
• Examining and interpreting output tables

Maths and study skills for research methods

• Feeling confident with numeric data
• Using a basic calculator for simple statistical calculations
• Obtaining information from tables, graphs and charts
• Understanding decimal places and rounding up scores
• Working out fractions, percentages and ratios
• Consulting statistical tables
• Converting proportions to percentages
• Ranking data
• Writing laboratory reports (different sections, word count for each section, etc)
• Practical marking exercise with examples of previous class reports
• Referencing
• Ownership and plagiarism
• Using Turnitin to check for originality and submit assignments

By the end of this module, you should be able to:

• conduct basic calculations using a calculator and a computer
• obtain information from tables, graphs and charts
• carry out psychological experiments in class with the other students
• show awareness of ethical issues concerning experiments
• write laboratory reports following the conventional format
• access Moodle to obtain course material and submit assignments via Turnitin
• review and critically comment on background literature
• select appropriate statistical tests to analyse psychological data
• carry out statistical analysis by hand and in SPSS
• interpret findings from statistical analysis
• discuss and implement a range of strategies to support your learning.