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On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:
Demonstrate a range of basic skills and methods for the investigation of human behaviour and experience;
Generate hypotheses and research questions and identify and implement the most effective and appropriate method for their exploration;
Design and conduct basic research studies in psychology using a range of quantitative and qualitative methods, either individually or in collaboration with others;
Understand the ethical issues that might arise during research and address these;
Analyse data using a range of basic statistical and qualitative methods.
Present and evaluate research findings using a range of methods.
This module provides students with the requisite skills for investigative work throughout their degree. There is an emphasis upon both quantitative and qualitative methodologies, which are introduced alongside tools for analysis (including SPSS) and report writing skills.
Content will include the nature of research in psychology, statistical methods and principles, correlational studies and analysis, observational studies, experimental design and related statistical methods. Qualitative approaches and methods will also be introduced.
This module will be taught using both weekly lecture sessions and practical sessions of two hours. Lecture content will introduce the key concepts and will include lectures presented via the VLE. Practical sessions will focus upon students to designing, conducting, and participating in studies, and analysing data. The emphasis will be on active, collaborative and student-led learning. Students will undertake weekly directed activities, completing tasks and engaging with learning materials on the VLE.
Lectures
Hours: 20
Intended Group size: Cohort
Practicals
Hours: 40
Intended Group size: 40-50
Guided independent study
Hours: 140
Further details relating to assessment
Directed activities: these consist of weekly tasks that must be completed and submitted for inspection at timetabled sessions each week. The assessment will be assessed on a pass/fail basis with a pass requiring at least 75% of all weekly tasks to be completed successfully. A pass will lead to the full award of 10% towards the final module mark. A fail in directed activities will contribute 0% to the final mark.
In order to ensure that all students meet Learning Outcome 4 (Understand the ethical issues that might arise during research and address these); it is a requirement that students actively participate in the practical sessions of the module, particularly with regard to the design of studies and the collection and reporting of data.
Each element of practical work undertaken must be accompanied by students securing ethical approval for their study. By competing and signing the ethics form, students undertake to conduct research ethically and professionally, and this includes safeguarding data.
Consequently, students who have not participated in practical work and who have not, as a result, been a signatory to an ethics form that has received ethical approval will not be eligible to submit an assignment that is related to that piece of practical work.
Students in this situation will be required to devise an equivalent piece of practical work, including gaining ethical approval, before being permitted to submit the related written report. This will be during the resit period.
Visiting students taking the module in a single semester
The assessment for that semester will be taken by the student.
001 Report 1500 words mid semester 1 45%
002 Report 1500 words end of semester 1 45%
003 Directed activities throughout semester 1 10%
Module Coordinator - SARAH BARNES
Level - 4
Credit Value - 20
Pre-Requisites - NONE
Semester(s) Offered - 4YL
