PSY-255 Research Methods in Psychology
This course is the culmination of the AS degree in psychology. It will facilitate the hands-on exploration of scientific methods employed in the field of psychology and guide the conceptualization, design, and creation of a semester-long research proposal. This course will require students to examine, evaluate, and synthesize the knowledge and skills learned to this point, and to construct a meaningful reflective narrative of themselves as learners. It will also provide the opportunity to apply various topics with the field (e.g. , consciousness, motivation, learning, memory, cognition, etc.) to explain an aspect of behavior or propose a solution to a problem or challenge in the community.
Prerequisite
Successful completion of
PSY-100 with a C- or better.
For more detailed course information view the
Course Outline
Course Description
This course is the culmination of the AS degree in psychology. It will facilitate the hands-on exploration of scientific methods employed in the field of psychology and guide the conceptualization, design, and creation of a semester-long research proposal. This course will require students to examine, evaluate, and synthesize the knowledge and skills learned to this point, and to construct a meaningful reflective narrative of themselves as learners. It will also provide the opportunity to apply various topics with the field (e.g. , consciousness, motivation, learning, memory, cognition, etc.) to explain an aspect of behavior or propose a solution to a problem or challenge in the community.
Credit Hours
3Semester(s) Course Will Be Offered
Fall, Spring, Summer, Winter
Prerequisites
Successful completion of PSY-100 with a C- or better.
First Year Experience Course
No
Course Learning Outcomes
- Explore the cultural, social, and ethical impact of different psychological theories and methodological approaches on both the individual and inclusivity in the community.
- Design and propose an empirical research study based on critical evaluation of published psychological research on a specific topic.
- Apply principles of psychological research methodologies to critically consume information and overcome cultural, social, and ethical challenges encountered in the student’s community and daily life.
Topic Outline
- 1. Sources of information
- a. Reliable vs. unreliable
- b. Research as the best route to reliable information
- c. Theory-data cycle
- d. Scientific process
- 2. Evaluating research-based claims
- a. Frequency claims
- b. Association (correlation) claims
- c. Causal claims
- 3. Ethics in psychology
- a. Ethical principles
- b. Ethical guidelines
- c. Ethical decision making
- 4. Measurement
- a. Conceptual and operational definitions
- b. Dependent variables
- c. Scales of measurement
- d. Measurement validities
- 5. Surveys
- a. Developing well-worded questions
- b. Design for good participant responses
- 6. Sampling
- a. Populations vs. samples
- b. Generalizability
- c. Cross-cultural concerns
- d. Sampling techniques
- e. External validity
- 7. Correlational research
- a. Correlation is not causation
- b. Bivariate correlation
- c. Multivariate correlation
- d. Statistical validity
- 8. Experimental research
- a. Independent variables
- b. Types of experimental design
- c. Internal validity
- d. Quasi-experimental designs
- e. Replication
- 9. Research methods
- a. Developing a good research question
- b. Formulating hypotheses
- c. Designing a sound experiment
- d. Reading empirical research
- e. Writing a literature review
- f. APA format