Courses & Units

Research Skills in Psychology PSY211

Introduction

The field of psychology has an aim that, on the surface, appears straightforward: to understand human behaviour. However, human behaviour is varied and complex, and achieving this goal presents a considerable challenge. Researchers must be familiar with and adhere to regulatory requirements to ensure that research is consistent with ethical principles. The breadth of questions that psychology attempts to answer demands researchers are able to employ a wide array of research methods and design principles. The variety of data collected in psychological research, and the purposes for which data is collected, requires that researchers make informed choices from a range of data analysis tools. Researchers must also make decisions about the format and style of presentation for summarising and reporting conceptual and numerical information for a variety of audiences. In this unit you will examine research methods that will help you design studies to investigate questions about relationships and differences among psychologically relevant variables. You will learn when and how to use data analysis methods to summarise data, test statistical hypotheses and interpret the results for relationships and differences among variables. You will learn about the principles that underlie ethical research, in relation to both research participants and the conduct of researchers themselves. The skills and knowledge developed in this unit will provide you with the necessary tools to critically evaluate research from the major sub-disciplines of psychology, as well as a wide-range of other science-based disciplines.

Summary

Unit name Research Skills in Psychology
Unit code PSY211
Credit points 12.5
College/School College of Health and Medicine
School of Psychological Sciences
Discipline Psychology
Coordinator Associate Professor Matt Palmer
Available as an elective? Yes
Delivered By University of Tasmania

Availability

Location Study period Attendance options Available to
Hobart Semester 1 On-Campus International Domestic
Launceston Semester 1 On-Campus International Domestic
Cradle Coast Semester 1 On-Campus International Domestic
Online Semester 1 Off-Campus International Domestic

Key

On-campus
Off-Campus
International students
Domestic students
Note

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Key Dates

Study Period Start date Census date WW date End date
Semester 1 26/2/2024 22/3/2024 15/4/2024 2/6/2024

* The Final WW Date is the final date from which you can withdraw from the unit without academic penalty, however you will still incur a financial liability (refer to How do I withdraw from a unit? for more information).

Unit census dates currently displaying for 2024 are indicative and subject to change. Finalised census dates for 2024 will be available from the 1st October 2023. Note census date cutoff is 11.59pm AEST (AEDT during October to March).

About Census Dates

Learning Outcomes

  • Explain the strengths and limitations of fundamental research methods within specified research contexts.
  • Select and conduct fundamental statistical analyses to test hypotheses about relationships and differences in specified research scenarios.
  • Interpret and communicate the methods and results of example research studies with attention to the informational needs of an academic audience.
  • Compare the quality of ethical practices adopted in research examples with national standards for ethical research involving diverse populations.

Fee Information

The 2024 Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP) rates are still being finalised by the Government and we will update the domestic fee information as soon as we have more details.

Requisites

Prerequisites

PSY111

Mutual Exclusions

You cannot enrol in this unit as well as the following:

KHA201 or KHB100

Teaching

Teaching Pattern

2 hour online lecture modules weekly (12 weeks)
10 practical classes, each comprised of 2-hours face-to-face class time per week (practical classes begin in Week 2).
4 hours weekly of Independent study activities to complement online lecture modules and practical exercises (e.g., readings, practice exercises, discussion board posts) (12 weeks)

AssessmentPractical exercises portfolio part 1 (30%)|Practical exercises portfolio part 2 (30%)|Written Assignment (40%)
TimetableView the lecture timetable | View the full unit timetable

Textbooks

Required

You will need the following text:

Burton, L. J., et al. (2018). Psychology Research Methods. (1st Ed.) Wiley.
Available in print and e-rental versions.
Recommended


Dannielle Navarro has an excellent (and free!) introductory book about statistical analyses using jamovi. You don’t need to read this text in order to do well in the unit, but if you’re interested in learning more about statistical analyses or research design, this is a terrific resource.

Navarro D.J. & Foxcroft D.R. (2022). Learning statistics with jamovi: A tutorial for psychology students and other beginners. (Version 0.75). DOI: 10.24384/hgc3-7p15
Free download available at https://www.learnstatswithjamovi.com/

American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th edition). American Psychological Association.

Note: There are some excellent resources available online that cover APA style, formatting, etc.

A great example is the Online Writing Lab (Purdue University):
https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_style_introduction.html

LinksBooktopia textbook finder

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