Research Skills in Psychology unit (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	Health School of Psychological Sciences
Discipline	Psychology
Coordinator	Associate Professor Matt Palmer
Available as an elective?	Yes
Delivered By	University of Tasmania
Level	Intermediate

Availability

Specific information on 2027 unit availability will be available in August

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

2027 fee information will be available in August.

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  Weekly practical classes, each comprised of 2-hours face-to-face time or online exercises per week (practical classes begin in Week 1) . 4 hours weekly of Independent study activities to complement online lecture modules and practical exercises (e.g., readings, practice exercises, discussion board posts)
Assessment	Practical exercises portfolio (20%)|Final Exam (40%)|Written Assignment (40%)
Timetable	View 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

The University reserves the right to amend or remove courses and unit availabilities, as appropriate.