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