Research Methods in Psychology

 Psychology 221 prepares students to complete research projects on their own from start to finish. We begin the semester by exploring different research methodologies and applying sample data analyses to projects that might utilize these methodologies. Students then have an opportunity to develop research questions that interest them and narrow their focus into qualitative or quantitative research they can conduct within our class span. After creating a research question they want to explore, students will collect and analyze data, write up their report in an APA 7.0 style research report that includes a literature review, methods, results, and discussion, record a presentation of their project, and create a poster for their work. This class is heavily project based with the goal of students developing a suite of applicable skills for research.

Learning Objectives/Outcomes

After successful completion of this course, you will be able to:

• Summarize the characteristics and goals of the scientific method in understanding behavior.
•   Compare and contrast quantitative and qualitative research in terms of process and conclusions drawn from such designs.  
• Compare and contrast experimental and non-experimental research designs in terms of process and conclusions drawn from such designs.
• Summarize ethical issues that arise in the study of behavior.
• Evaluate the quality of behavioral research from the standpoint of measurement, causal inference, and generalizability.
•  Design a research study from start to finish (including developing a hypothesis, searching a database, making meaningful measurements, and analyzing and interpreting data).
•  Use a software program for descriptive and inferential analysis, including correlation, t-tests, and ANOVA.
•    Construct an APA-style research report that includes a literature review.
•    Complete a presentation of your written study.

The learning outcomes are equivalent to those of a face-to-face (F2F) version of the course.