PSYC206-22S1 (C) Semester One 2022

Introductory Research Methods and Statistics

15 points

Details:
Start Date: Monday, 21 February 2022
End Date: Sunday, 26 June 2022
Withdrawal Dates
Last Day to withdraw from this course:
  • Without financial penalty (full fee refund): Sunday, 6 March 2022
  • Without academic penalty (including no fee refund): Sunday, 15 May 2022

Description

This course is an introduction to the theory and application of research design and statistics in psychology. For psychological science, understanding good research design and how to interpret statistical results are key for making rational decisions on the basis of research and data. The course will emphasise the concepts of valid and reliable research, research ethics, and the interpretation of statistical results using real-life examples from the psychological literature. An important theme is that anyone can learn statistics - no math beyond basic algebra is required and you are not required to hand-calculate the statistical outputs. Instead, the focus of the statistical content of the course will be on interpreting outputs from software such as MS Excel and jamovi. This course is a prerequisite to advancing in psychology beyond PSYC 200-level.

PSYC206 is an introduction to the theory and practice of statistics and research methods in psychology. For psychological science, statistics is a framework for making rational decisions on the basis of data. The course will emphasise the concepts and logic underlying statistics and research design, and provide worked-through examples that illustrate those concepts. An important theme is that anyone can learn statistics - no math beyond basic algebra is required! The focus in this course will be on interpreting statistical output rather than calculating statistics by hand. This is also the prerequisite course for advancing in psychology beyond the 200-level.

Learning Outcomes

On successfully passing this course, students should be able to:
1. Discuss the importance of statistics in knowledge acquisition and understanding.
2. Identify key types and applications of different research designs for the social sciences, encompassing both qualitative and quantitative methodologies.
3. Discuss the varied perspectives and key decision-points that underlie robust research designs, including co-design with iwi and hapū.
4. Explain the importance of professional standards for research integrity in Aotearoa New Zealand, including ethical treatment of participants, consideration of Mātauranga Māori in research, honest scholarship, and transparent communications.
5. Describe the logic of null hypothesis significance testing and statistical power.
6. Conduct and interpret basic statistical analyses, including descriptive statistics and introductory-level inferential statistics (including Z scores, correlations, bivariate and multiple regression, t-tests, and one-way ANOVA).
7. Clearly and accurately report the results of statistical analyses, adhering to APA standards.
8. Use knowledge of statistics and research design to confidently engage with scientific literature, and to independently acquire or maintain research or statistics-related skills

Prerequisites

At least 15 points in 100-level Psychology and at least 45 points overall

Course Coordinator

Jacinta Cording

Assessment

Assessment Due Date Percentage 
Test prep exercises 10%
Written assignment 20%
Lab activities 10%
Weekly online quizzes 10%
Test No. 1 25%
Test No. 2 25%

Textbooks / Resources

Required Texts

Burton, L. J., Goodwin, C. J., Goodwin, K., Jose, P., Reece, J., Gullifer, J., Lambros, A., Mussa, M., & Lamony-Mills, A; Psychology Research Methods ; 1st Ed; Wiley, 2017.

Navarro DJ and Foxcroft DR; learning statistics with jamovi: a tutorial for psychology students and other beginners ; Version 0.70; 2019 (Open source textbook available from: https://www.learnstatswithjamovi.com).

Recommended Reading

Aron, A., Aron, E. N., & Coups, E. J; Statistics for psychology ; 6th Ed; Boston, MA: Pearson Education, 2013.

Indicative Fees

Domestic fee $892.00

International fee $4,563.00

* All fees are inclusive of NZ GST or any equivalent overseas tax, and do not include any programme level discount or additional course-related expenses.

For further information see School of Psychology, Speech and Hearing .

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