PSYCHOL 1004 - Research Methods in Psychology

North Terrace Campus - Semester 1 - 2018

This course introduces students to the basic principles of research methods in Psychology. The focus of the course is on students learning how to do research in Psychology, with an emphasis on student-centred activities and problem solving. Students will learn about such key concepts as the scientific method; operationalizing constructs; independent and dependent variables; data types and ways of measurement; confounding variables; experimental and non-experimental design; questionnaire construction; developing and testing hypotheses; descriptive statistics and describing data graphically; and the ethics of research.

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Course Details

Course Code	PSYCHOL 1004
Course	Research Methods in Psychology
Coordinating Unit	Psychology
Term	Semester 1
Level	Undergraduate
Location/s	North Terrace Campus
Units	3
Contact	Up to 3 hours per week
Available for Study Abroad and Exchange	Y
Incompatible	Incompatible with PSYCHOL 1005
Restrictions	Students studying the BPsychSc Program from 2018 need to enrol in PSYCHOL 1005 (restricted to BPsychSc Students)
Assessment	Online quiz; written assessment; group paper; and MCQ exam

Course Staff

Course Coordinator: Professor Peter Strelan

School of Psychology Office: Ph +61 8313 5693; Email psychologyoffice@adelaide.edu.au

Course Timetable

The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from .

Course Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the course students will be able to:

1. Understand and apply the fundamental principles of the research process as they relate to answering research questions in psychology
2.   Analyse critically information particularly in relation to identifying causal and spurious relations in research claims
3.   make decisions about the appropriate use of basic research techniques and research design as they apply to answering different psychological questions
4.   Utilize specific research skills as they relate to the development and implementation of research designs in psychology, including experimental manipulation, operationalizing variables, measurement, and making decisions about validity and reliability
5.   Effectively interpret and communicate research findings
6.   Identify appropriate techniques underlying different research approaches

University Graduate Attributes

This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:

University Graduate Attribute	Course Learning Outcome(s)
Deep discipline knowledge informed and infused by cutting edge research, scaffolded throughout their program of studies acquired from personal interaction with research active educators, from year 1 accredited or validated against national or international standards (for relevant programs)	1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Critical thinking and problem solving steeped in research methods and rigor based on empirical evidence and the scientific approach to knowledge development demonstrated through appropriate and relevant assessment	1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Teamwork and communication skills developed from, with, and via the SGDE honed through assessment and practice throughout the program of studies encouraged and valued in all aspects of learning	1
Career and leadership readiness technology savvy professional and, where relevant, fully accredited forward thinking and well informed tested and validated by work based experiences	1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Intercultural and ethical competency adept at operating in other cultures comfortable with different nationalities and social contexts able to determine and contribute to desirable social outcomes demonstrated by study abroad or with an understanding of indigenous knowledges	1, 6
Self-awareness and emotional intelligence a capacity for self-reflection and a willingness to engage in self-appraisal open to objective and constructive feedback from supervisors and peers able to negotiate difficult social situations, defuse conflict and engage positively in purposeful debate	1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Learning Resources

Recommended Resources

Recommended Text
Pelham & Blanton, Conducting research in psychology: Measuring the weight of smoke, Wadsorth. Any edition.
Note that we do not slavishly follow this text. But, it presents ideas in a way that is similar to how we do it and therefore we think it will be most useful for filling in any conceptual gaps. As such, we certainly recommend you purchase it.
A hard copy is available from the Co-op bookshop at uni, and as an e-version through the publishers. Please see a posting on the MyUni site for this course for a link.
For readings associated with the lecture content, please see the MyUni website.

Barr Smith Library – Psychology on the Web
The Library is a major resource centre for students. See http://libguides.adelaide.edu.au/psychology. The website contains a list of databases, links to tutorials and help with searching methods.

Online Learning

In this course you will participate in online learning environments via MyUni (https://auth.adelaide.edu.au/login). In your online learning you will read, listen to a number of presentations, be expected to participate in online discussions via discussion boards, and complete and submit assessments online.

This course may also use MyUni for one or more of the following:
•    Communication with students via Announcements and Discussion Board
•    Submission of summative assessment- Access to lecture recordings
•    Access to tutorial materials
•    Additional readings
•    Self-directed learning activities
•    Exam preparation materials

Link to MyUni:

Learning & Teaching Modes

This course is about doing psychology. The focus is less on lecturing, and emphatically on students engaging with research principles and techniques in psychology. Thus, the bulk of the course is concerned with students doing - that is, engaging in activities during contact times to solve problems and undertake tasks that are closely related to lecture content. To facilitate this, contact will be structured such that there will be an initial pre-recorded lecture made available at the start of the week, during which time basic principles will be introduced and tasks/activities/problems will be set. Students may listen to and engage with these lectures at a time of their choosing.
During the session together in the lecture theatre, key points from the associated lecture materials will be reiterated and expanded upon. The weekly sessions in the lecture theatre will be highly interactive. A member of the teaching staff will lead and guide students through key conceptual points, illustrating them with reference to actual research, and engaging students with research-related problems that need to be solved.

Workload

The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

There are four assessment products

[1] Conceptual knowledge MCQ quiz = 10%
Preparing for and completing this assignment = approximately 5 hours

[2] SGDE group paper = 5%
Preparing for and completing this assignment = approximately 2 hours

[3] Major assignment covering concepts and principles addressed in the first eight weeks of the course = 40%. Preparing for and completing this assignment = approximately 56 hours

[4] End of semester exam = 45%. This exam is multiple-choice and open book and will be submitted online in week 12. The exam items will be provided to students approximately 5 weeks ahead of the submission date.
Preparing for the exam = 54 hours

[d] In lecture interactive sessions = 10 hours

[e] SGDEs = 2 hours

[f] Pre-recorded online lecture material = 24 hours

[g] Case-based learning tutorials = 5 hours

TOTAL = 158 HOURS

Disclaimer: Assessment details are provisional and subject to change.

Learning Activities Summary


Week 1	Housekeeping; the scientific method and the research process
Week 2	Operationalizing constructs; IVs and DVs; Ways of measuring; Types of data; Questionnaire design
Week 3	Validity and Reliability
Week 4	Experimental design; Repeated measured design; Random selection vs random assignment;
Week 5	Non-experimental design; 3rd variable problems; threats to validity
Week 6	Turning research questions into hypotheses; statistical decision-making; interpreting data 1
Week 7	no lecture content - ANZAC DAY HOLIDAY
Week 8	Turning research questions into hypotheses; statistical decision-making; interpreting data 1
Week 9	Longitudinal design; pre-post design
Week 10	Ethics
Week 11	Quasi-experimental design; internal and external validity; tidying up other muddy moments
Week 12	Exam submission

Disclaimer: This program is provisional and subject to change

Small Group Discovery Experience

Each student will have the opportunity to engage in two SGDEs during the course.

The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
Assessment must maintain academic standards.

Assessment Summary

Assessment Task	Task Type	Weighting	Learning Outcome
Doing and evaluating research paper	Summative	40%	1-6
Open book MCQ online exam administered internally in week 13	Summative	45%	1-6
SGDE	Summative	5%	1-6
Conceptual knowledge MCQ quiz	Summative	10%	1-6

Assessment Detail

• Doing and evaluating research assignment: This assignment will require students to demonstrate understanding of key concepts as covered in the first 8 weeks of the course, and demonstrate how to apply these concepts and principles.

* End of semester open book multiple choice exam: The items in this exam test ability to apply learning. Thus, the vast majority of items in the exam are problem-based [as opposed to testing knowledge of facts].

Disclaimer: These assessment details are provisional and subject to change

Submission

Please refer to the General Handbook for Undergraduate Psychology students (available on Myuni course) for details on submission process/requirements, penalties for late submission, the process of applying for extensions, and the staff “turn-around” timeline on assessments and the provision of feedback and policy relating to re-submission/redemptive work.

Course Grading

Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme)
Grade	Mark	Description
FNS		Fail No Submission
F	1-49	Fail
P	50-64	Pass
C	65-74	Credit
D	75-84	Distinction
HD	85-100	High Distinction
CN		Continuing
NFE		No Formal Examination
RP		Result Pending

Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

Final results for this course will be made available through .

Student Feedback

The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.

SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.
Student Support
Policies & Guidelines
This section contains links to relevant assessment-related policies and guidelines - all university policies.
Fraud Awareness

Students are reminded that in order to maintain the academic integrity of all programs and courses, the university has a zero-tolerance approach to students offering money or significant value goods or services to any staff member who is involved in their teaching or assessment. Students offering lecturers or tutors or professional staff anything more than a small token of appreciation is totally unacceptable, in any circumstances. Staff members are obliged to report all such incidents to their supervisor/manager, who will refer them for action under the university's student鈥檚 disciplinary procedures.

The 成人大片 is committed to regular reviews of the courses and programs it offers to students. The 成人大片 therefore reserves the right to discontinue or vary programs and courses without notice. Please read the important information contained in the disclaimer.

Authorised by:	Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Academic)
Maintained by:	Course Outlines Administrator

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