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MD699 Research Issues in Psychology
Credit Rating: 20
Tutor/s: Neil
Humphrey and other members of ESI RTG
Aims:
this unit has been designed as a core unit for the M
Ed in educational psychology and as such it aims to
- Inform students about theory and practice of psychological
measurement
- Give students experience in the collection and analysis
of qualitative data
- Inform students about the ethics
of research with human subjects
- Give students experience of conducting small scale surveys
and other non-experimental methods of data collection
Learning Outcomes:
On completion of this unit successful students will
be able to:
- Generate and explore hypotheses and research questions
- Carry out empirical studies involving a variety of
methods of data collection demonstrating awareness of ethical issues
and current codes of conduct
- Analyze data using qualitative methods
- Critically evaluate their own and others’ research.
Transferable skills:
The following transferable skills will be addressed:
- Critical evaluation
- The use of IT in psychology in database searches, data
analysis, and presentation
- Group work
- Independent study
- Time management
Content:
- Problem definition and hypothesis formulation.
- Independent and dependent variables: their identification
and selection.
- The role of random sampling in psychological research:
external validity.
- Quasi-experimental studies of pre-existing groups:
the question of causality
- The particular strengths and weaknesses of ‘single-subject’
designs and case studies.
- Observational approaches.
- Survey research: sampling and the problem of non-response;
descriptive vs explanatory surveys; questionnaire designs including
closed and open-ended questions; attitude scale construction; different
question methods e.g. postal, telephone, face-to-face.
- Methods of controlling for participant expectations
and experimenter effects.
- Inter-rater reliability
- Critical evaluation of the methods employed to collect
data in psychological research
- The theory of psychological measurement: standardisation;
reliability and the standard error of measurement; validity.
- The collection of qualitative data: observation, participant
observation, techniques for the collection of verbal protocols
- The analysis of qualitative data: content analysis,
discourse analysis, grounded theory and protocol analysis.
- The ethics of research with humans.
Teaching and learning methods:
The course will be an eclectic mix of lectures, seminars,
and experiential work. Students will spend some time in the University
library exploring electronic sources of information and databases. They
will also work in groups and independently to collect and analyze qualitative
data.
Learning hours:
| Activity |
Hours allocated |
| Eg Staff/student contact |
30 |
| Private study |
100 |
| Directed reading |
60 |
| Tutorials |
10 |
| Total hours |
200 |
Assessment
| Assessment activity |
Length required |
Weighting within unit |
| Critical evaluation of qualitative research methods |
2000 |
50% |
| An outline proposal for the masters dissertation |
2000 |
50% |
Core texts
Cohen L, Manion L and Morrison, K (2000) Research Methods
in Education 5th edition. Routledge-Falmer: London ISBN 0 415 19541 1
Miles J (2001) Research Methods : Success in your psychology
degree Crucial: Exeter ISBN 1 90337 151
Shaunessy J, Zechmeister, E, Zechmeister, J (2000)
Research Methods in Psychology McGraw-Hill: London ISBN 0 07 122530 7
Silverman, D (2000) Doing qualitative research: a practical
handbook. Sage: London ISBN 0 7619 5823 1
Willig, C. (2001) Introducing Qualitative Research in
Psychology, Buckingham, OU Press, 0 335 20535 6.
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