| Unit name | Quantitative Research Methods in Psychology |
|---|---|
| Unit code | EDUCM0104 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 4 (weeks 1-24) |
| Unit director | Professor. Leckie |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
| School/department | School of Education |
| Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
Why is this unit important?
Quantitative methods training is a core component of Psychology as a discipline, with a significant portion of psychological research relying on these approaches. This means that it is essential that all Psychology students receive a thorough grounding in both the principles of quantitative research design, and in statistical analysis methods for the data produced. Quantitative and statistical training is a compulsory element of all British Psychological Society (BPS) accredited Psychology courses. It is also essential to being able to understand and engage with past and current psychology research, and to comprehend the ways in which the findings of that research have been applied in real-world contexts such as education. This unit provides students with a thorough grounding in both the skills to interpret quantitative studies that they read, and to design and conduct robust quantitative research of their own.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
This unit supports students learning across their whole programme, as all other units will reference quantitative research studies and require students to evaluate their approaches and validity of their findings. It therefore provides the basis from which to critically engage with a broad range of material, as well as thinking about the practical and ethical implications of different methodological and statistical choices in research. These skills are crucial to the dissertation stage of the programme of study where many students will design and conduct a quantitative study of their own.
An overview of content:
We will start by learning descriptive methods for summarizing data (summary statistics and plots). We will then shift on to principles of measurement (validity and reliability), sampling methods, and research design (experimental and survey design).
Next, we will learn testable hypotheses, inferential methods for comparing groups (independent and paired samples t-tests, ANOVA, non-parametric tests of difference), followed by inferential methods for measuring association (correlation, linear regression, chi-square tests).
We will learn the application of all these methods in statistical software and academic conventions for writing up results.
Throughout the unit, we will give guidance on choosing between methods, the subjective nature and ethical implications of such choices, and the reproducibility crisis. We will also critique and reflect on the application of these methods in current and historic psychology research and implications for professional practice.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit
· Students will become confident and critical readers of quantitative psychology research
· Students will be able to design, conduct, and write-up quantitative research to address their own research questions
Learning Outcomes:
Upon successful completion of the unit students will be able to:
1. Explain published statistics including non-academic reports
2. Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of their own quantitative research including by adapting to challenges raised by their data and results
3. Interpret quantitative research methods in psychology to address important research questions via statistical software that is also widely used outside academia
4.Critically evaluate published quantitative research and effectively communicate their own research via written reports of the type also published outside academia
This unit will be taught by a mix of approaches such as lectures, seminars, computer practicals using statistical software, and critical reading and discussion of published quantitative articles. The unit will engage students with collaborative learning via statistical software work in pairs, small group and whole class discussions, and will allow time for recaps and questions.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
Regular statistical software output interpretation exercises where students practice interpreting output and discussing their findings, recommendations, and limitations in relation to answering a research question. Annotated answers will then be provided, allowing students to check their progress.
Regular statistical software worksheets with step-by-step instructions will be provided in which students practice creating descriptive statistics and plots and carrying out statistical tests using the software. Annotated answers will then be provided, allowing students to check their progress.
Critical reading and discussion of published quantitative articles.
Students can also post questions and receive feedback on the unit material, statistical software, and general questions about the assignments via discussion boards and in the synchronous sessions.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
This unit is assessed by two assignments, one due at the end of TB1 and one due at the end of TB2.
ILOs 1-3: 30% 900 words: Students will write an analysis summary. Students will be provided with a dataset where they need to use statistical software to conduct descriptive statistics and statistical tests taught in TB1, interpret and write up their results.
ILOs 1-3: 70% 2500 words: Quantitative research report with introduction, method, results, and discussion sections (TB2). Students will be provided with a dataset and asked to address a research question using methods taught across the unit as a whole using statistical software.
When assessment does not go to plan
When a student fails the unit and is eligible to resubmit, failed components will be reassessed on a like-for-like basis. Students will resubmit a revised version of the original work.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. EDUCM0104).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The assessment methods listed in this unit specification are designed to enable students to demonstrate the named learning outcomes (LOs). Where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, schools will make reasonable adjustments to support a student to demonstrate the LO by an alternative method or with additional resources.
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
