Introduction to Research Methods In Psychology/Blueprint
PSYC 2111: Introduction to Research Methods in Psychology
Scope
This project is different from our usual TRU-OL projects since we will be developing in the open using WikiEducator as our LMS, not Blackboard Learn (TRU-OL will import course into our own LMS for our own use after it's completed). The aim is to share our work and invite feedback from larger OERu community as early as possible. The task is to create an online version of the TRU F2F course with same course description and course name (we will delete for "experimental" psychology from our current course name and make a more general research methods course). Our course will be called PSYC 2111: Introduction to Research Methods in Psychology." We will use as much of the current OL course as is useful and applicable and update it with an open text and OER, new assignments, exam etc.
Note: TRU F2F has a 3rd year research course, PSYC 3190…so we have to make sure our 2nd year course does not overlap with that one e.g. no high level statistics needed in 2nd year:
Note: The course is being developed for delivery both at TRU and through the OERu in the WikiEducator wiki with a Creative Commons CC-BY or CC-BY-SA license, i.e. a free cultural works approved license.
Course Description for this course (from TRU Curricunet)
Students are introduced to the procedures and designs used in psychological research and the critical evaluation of research. Topics include the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches to research, including non-experimental, experimental, and quasi-experimental designs; research ethics; measurement; validity of methods; control of extraneous influences; and the drawing of valid conclusions from empirical evidence. This is a required course for students majoring in psychology.
Prerequisite
For TRU-OL: Successful completion of 6 credits of introductory psychology.
For others: You are encouraged to complete one or more introductory psychology course(s) before taking this course.
Target Audience
Multiple users, including students from all over the world who may take course for credit or for learning/interest only but not credit. Some will be students majoring in psychology, others may be studying another social science. Some may take it en route to completing a Bachelor of General Studies.
Modality
Independent, web-based study, but may be adapted and modified to different modalities.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to:
L01 Describe the scientific approach to the study of behaviour.
L02 Apply the ethical principles that govern research in psychology.
L03 Conduct a literature search using peer-reviewed sources.
L04 Design a research proposal.
L05 Discuss the key concepts in research design including operational definitions, variables, reliability, validity and sampling procedures.
L06 Explain the strengths and limitations of research designs used in psychology, including experimental and non-experimental designs..
L07 Identify potential flaws in research design.
L08 Collect and analyze data based on an instructor-approved research proposal.
L09 Construct and analyze graphical representations of data.
L10 Describe basic descriptive statistics including measures of central tendency and variability.
L11 Explain the purpose and appropriateness of inferential statistics such as t-tests and anova.
L12 Draw valid conclusions from empirical evidence with an awareness of the limits of various research methods.
Topics
Unit 1: Introduction to Research in Psychology (3 weeks)
- An Introduction to Psychological Science
- Literature Searches
- Reading Research Reports
- Variables
- Sampling and Measurement
- Statistical Relationships Between Variables
- Conducting Ethical Research
Unit 2: Theories and Measurement (2 weeks)
- Theories and Hypothesis Testing
- Conceptual and Operational Definitions of Psychological Constructs
- Levels of Measurement
- Reliability
- Validity
Unit 3: Nonexperimental Research Methods (2 weeks)
- Correlational Research
- Naturalistic Observation
- Archival Research
- Case Studies
- Quasi-Experimental Research
- Cross Sectional Research
- Longitudinal Research
- Survey Research
- Common Threats to Internal Validity
Unit 4: Experimental Research Methods (2 weeks)
- Basics of Experimental Research
- Internal and External Validity
- Between-Subjects Experiments
- Within-Subjects Experiments
- Practical Considerations
- Complex Research Designs
- Single-Subject Research
Unit 5: Data Analysis & Communication of Results (2 weeks)
- Introduction to American Psychological Association (APA) Style
- Writing a Research Report in APA Style
- Describing Single Variables
- Expressing your Results
Note: 2 weeks during the course will be spent on developing the full research proposal (Week 8) and writing the research report (Week 13).
Note from TRU ID, Gail Morong, and feedback from Wayne Macintosh: If anyone wishes to create three 1-credit chunks (3 mini mOOCs)....a tentative division might look something like this:
- Micro 1: Introduction to Research Psychology, Theories and Measurement (Units 1 and 2)
- Micro 2: Non-experimental and Experimental Research Methods (Units 3 and 4)
- Micro 3: Data analysis & Reporting (Inclusive of research report) (Unit 5)
Resources
Open Text: Research Methods in Psychology: Core Concepts and Skills (1st Cnd ed)
Description: This is a Canadian adaptation of Research Methods in Psychology originally created by Paul C. Price (California State University, Fresno). This Canadian revision was authored by Rajiv Jhangiani (Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Surrey, BC) and includes the addition of a table of contents, changes to Chapter 3 (Research Ethics) to include a contemporary example of an ethical breach and to reflect Canadian ethical guidelines and privacy laws, additional information regarding online data collection in Chapter 9 (Survey Research), corrections of errors in the text and formulae, spelling changes from US to Canadian conventions, the addition of a cover page, and other necessary formatting adjustments. The original book can be found at: http://open.bccampus.ca/find-open-textbooks/?uuid=497a78e4-1384-4334-bcc2-e9040a436322&contributor=&keyword=&subject=Psychology
Author: Paul Price, California State University, Fresno, Dr. Rajiv Jhangiani, Kwantlen Polytechnic University
Original source: http://jhangiani.wordpress.com/teaching/open-textbook-for-research-methods-in-psychology/, http://open.bccampus.ca/find-open-textbooks/?uuid=497a78e4-1384-4334-bcc2-e9040a436322&contributor=&keyword=&subject=Psychology
Other resources: Open materials from the NOBA Project and a variety of other online resources including the Social Research Methods Knowledge Base website, TCPS 2 tutorial, Research Randomizer, and the Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research.
Assessments
| Assessments | Weight (%) | Learning Outcomes being assessed |
| Assignment 1: Initial research proposal | 15% | L02 Apply the ethical principles that govern research in psychology
L03 Conduct a literature search using peer-reviewed sources L04 Design a research proposal |
| Assignment 2: Evaluation of non-experimental research designs | 10% | L06 Explain the strengths and limitations of research designs used in psychology, including experimental and non-experimental designs
L07 Identify potential flaws in research design |
| Assignment 3: Full research proposal | 10% | L02 Apply the ethical principles that govern research in psychology
L03 Conduct a literature search using peer-reviewed sources L04 Design a research proposal L05 Discuss the key concepts in research design including operational definitions, variables, reliability, validity and sampling procedures |
| Assignment 4: Research report
Note: The research project that is developed through assignments 1, 3, & 4 has two options (naturalistic observation study or archival research study). |
25% | L08 Collect and analyze data based on an instructor-approved research proposal
L09 Construct and analyze graphical representations of data L10 Describe basic descriptive statistics including measures of central tendency and variability L12 Draw valid conclusions from empirical evidence with an awareness of the limits of various research methods |
| Final Exam (mandatory) | 40% | L01 Describe the scientific approach to learning about behaviour
L02 Apply the ethical principles that govern research in psychology L05 Discuss the key concepts in research design including operational definitions, variables, reliability, validity and sampling procedures L06 Explain the strengths and limitations of research designs used in psychology, including experimental and non-experimental designs L07 Identify potential flaws in research design L09 Construct and analyze graphical representations of data L10 Describe basic descriptive statistics including measures of central tendency and variability L11 Explain the purpose and appropriateness of inferential statistics such as t-tests and ANOVA |
Course Schedule, Learning Activities and Assessments
(Table set at 1000 pix to spread across page)
| Unit | Week | Topic | Course Learning Outcomes | Assessments that can be graded eg. quizzes, assignments, major projects, discussions, e-portfolio, wiki, blog, exams ) | Ungraded Activities i.e. any activity to help students be successful at the graded assessments e.g. complete readings, do peer review, conduct surveys, watch videos, complete research, complete tutorial or self quiz or practice exam | Other non-textbook resources including media (please include links or URLs) |
| 1 | 1 | Introduction to research in psychology | L01 Describe the scientific approach to learning about behaviour | Read Chapter 1 of the textbook (The Science of Psychology); Watch the video "Not all scientific studies are created equal" by David H. Schwartz | "Not all scientific studies are created equal" by David H. Schwartz | |
| 1 | 2 | Introduction to research in psychology | L03 Conduct a literature search using peer-reviewed sources
L04 Design a research proposal |
Watch the video "Sample PsycINFO Search on EBSCOhost" and read the "PsycINFO topic guide for Child Development," both produced by the American Psychological Association.; Watch the video "Using Google Scholar (CLIP)" by Michael Baird, Cooperative Library Instruction Project (CLIP); Conduct a trial literature review; Watch the video "How to Read an Academic Paper" by the iSchool at UBC; Read Chapter 2 of your textbook (Getting Started in Research) | "Sample PsycINFO Search on EBSCOhost" by the American Psychological Association; "PsycINFO topic guide for Child Development," by the American Psychological Association; "Using Google Scholar (CLIP)" by Michael Baird, Cooperative Library Instruction Project (CLIP); "How to Read an Academic Paper" by the iSchool at UBC | |
| 1 | 3 | Introduction to research in psychology | L02 Apply the ethical principles that govern research in psychology
L04 Design a research proposal |
Assignment 1: Initial research proposal (80 marks, 15%) | Read Chapter 3 of your textbook (Research Ethics); Submit potential research question(s) for approval | TCPS 2 ethics tutorial website |
| 2 | 4 | Theories and measurement | L01 Describe the scientific approach to learning about behaviour
L05 Discuss the key concepts in research design including operational definitions, variables, reliability, validity and sampling procedures |
Read Chapter 4 of your textbook (Theory in Psychology) | ||
| 2 | 5 | Theories and measurement | L01 Describe the scientific approach to learning about behaviour
L05 Discuss the key concepts in research design including operational definitions, variables, reliability, validity and sampling procedures |
Read Chapter 5 of your textbook (Psychological Measurement); Read the sections on Measurement Validity Types, Types of Reliability, and Reliability and Validity from the Research Methods Knowledge Base | Measurement Validity Types, Types of Reliability, and Reliability and Validity from the Research Methods Knowledge Base | |
| 3 | 6 | Non-experimental research methods | L06 Explain the strengths and limitations of research designs used in psychology, including experimental and non-experimental designs
L07 Identify potential flaws in research design |
Assignment 2: Evaluation of non-experimental research designs (10%) | Read Chapter 7 of your textbook (Nonexperimental Research); Visit the "Interpreting Correlations" website and use the interactive tool to depict correlations ranging from -1 to +1; Visit the "Everyday Research Methods" blog and browse through a few examples of reports of correlational studies; Read the NOBA Project's module "Conducting Psychology Research in the Real World," written by Matthias R. Mehl | "Interpreting Correlations" website; http://www.tylervigen.com/; Reports of correlational studies in the "Everyday Research Methods" blog; The NOBA Project's module "Conducting Psychology Research in the Real World," written by Matthias R. Mehl |
| 3 | 7 | Non-experimental research methods | L05 Discuss the key concepts in research design including operational definitions, variables, reliability, validity and sampling procedures
L06 Explain the strengths and limitations of research designs used in psychology, including experimental and non-experimental designs |
Read Chapter 9 in your textbook (Survey Research); Visit the "Research Randomizer" website and complete Lesson 1 and Lesson 4 | Research randomizer website | |
| 3 | 8 | Full proposal development | L02 Apply the ethical principles that govern research in psychology
L03 Conduct a literature search using peer-reviewed sources L04 Design a research proposal L05 Discuss the key concepts in research design including operational definitions, variables, reliability, validity and sampling procedures L06 Explain the strengths and limitations of research designs used in psychology, including experimental and non-experimental designs L07 Identify potential flaws in research design |
Assignment 3: Full research proposal (10%) | ||
| 4 | 9 | Experimental research methods | L05 Discuss the key concepts in research design including operational definitions, variables, reliability, validity and sampling procedures
L06 Explain the strengths and limitations of research designs used in psychology, including experimental and non-experimental designs |
Visit the "Research Randomizer" website and complete Lesson 2; Read Chapter 6 in your textbook (Experimental Research); Visit the "Everyday Research Methods" blog and browse through a few examples of reports of experimental studies | Research randomizer website; Reports of experimental studies in the "Everyday Research Methods" blog | |
| 4 | 10 | Experimental research methods | L06 Explain the strengths and limitations of research designs used in psychology, including experimental and non-experimental designs
L07 Identify potential flaws in research design |
Read Chapter 8 in your textbook (Complex Research Designs); Read Chapter 10 of your textbook (Single-Subject Research) | ||
| 5 | 11 | Data analysis & communication of results | L08 Collect and analyze data based on an instructor-approved research proposal
L09 Construct and analyze graphical representations of data L10 Describe basic descriptive statistics including measures of central tendency and variability |
Read Chapter 11 of your textbook (Presenting your research)
Read Chapter 12 of your textbook (Descriptive Statistics) Collect the data for the approved research project |
Against all odds website; Rossman/Chance Applet Collection website | |
| 5 | 12 | Data analysis & communication of results | L08 Collect and analyze data based on an instructor-approved research proposal
L11 Explain the purpose and appropriateness of inferential statistics such as t-tests and ANOVA L12 Draw valid conclusions from empirical evidence with an awareness of the limits of various research methods |
Analyze the collected data |
Against all odds website | |
| 13 | Research report submission | L08 Collect and analyze data based on an instructor-approved research proposal
L09 Construct and analyze graphical representations of data L12 Draw valid conclusions from empirical evidence with an awareness of the limits of various research methods |
Assignment 4: Research report (25%) | |||
| L01 Describe the scientific approach to learning about behaviour
L02 Apply the ethical principles that govern research in psychology L05 Discuss the key concepts in research design including operational definitions, variables, reliability, validity and sampling procedures L06 Explain the strengths and limitations of research designs used in psychology, including experimental and non-experimental designs L07 Identify potential flaws in research design L09 Construct and analyze graphical representations of data L10 Describe basic descriptive statistics including measures of central tendency and variability L11 Explain the purpose and appropriateness of inferential statistics such as t-tests and ANOVA |
Final Exam (40%) |
