Introduction to research methods in psychology/IRMP101/Aims

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This course is the starting point for an exploration into studying psychology. There are two units:

Unit 1: Introduction to Research in Psychology

Unit 2: Theories and Measurement

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Aims

Foundations of Research is a free micro course designed for anyone who wants to learn more about research methods in psychology. At the end of this course you will be able to:

  1. Describe the scientific approach to the study of behaviour
  2. Apply the ethical principles that govern research in psychology
  3. Conduct a literature search using peer-reviewed sources
  4. Design a research proposal



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Learning objectives

This course will help you to:

  • Describe four approaches to obtaining knowledge
  • Identify why the scientific method is the preferred approach in science
  • Describe the key characteristics of the scientific approach
  • Conduct a literature search using peer-reviewed sources
  • Read a psychology research article
  • Define the concept of a variable
  • Distinguish quantitative from categorical variables
  • Explain the difference between a population and a sample
  • Describe two basic forms of statistical relationship
  • Interpret basic statistics and graphs used to describe statistical relationships
  • Explain why correlation does not imply causation
  • Describe the ethical guidelines that apply to psychological research
  • Describe several strategies for identifying and minimizing risks and deception in psychological research
  • Design a research proposal
  • Define a theory
  • Explain why theories can be falsified but not proven
  • Describe three dimensions along which theories in psychology vary
  • Evaluate theories according to parsimony, precision, and falsifiability
  • Explain how researchers in psychology test their theories, and give a concrete example
  • Define measurement
  • Explain what a psychological construct is
  • Distinguish conceptual from operational definitions and create simple operational definitions
  • Define and distinguish among nominal, ordinal, interval, and ratio scales
  • Identify a scale type
  • Define reliability, including the different types and how they are assessed
  • Define validity, including the different types and how they are assessed