Research Methods in Psychology

elementary

PS_W01

PS_W03

PS_W06

PS_U06

(in Polish) Warunkiem koniecznym uczestnictwa w kursie jest uzyskanie pozytywnych ocen z następujących zajęć z I roku studiów: Metodologia ogólna (wykład i ćwiczenia) oraz Statystyka (wykład i ćwiczenia).

The subject Research methods in psychology is a one-semester course of 30h of the lecture and 30h of classes.

Classes are conducted in the winter semester.

The main goal of the course is to familiarize students with the basic types of research methods used in psychology. Students will learn how to formulate research problems and hypotheses and operationalize variables. They will also get familiarized with the basic research schemes, as well as with the appropriate methods of data analysis (using the SPSS package). Particular emphasis will be placed on improving the methodological skills of the analysis of empirical research reports, which are the primary form of transferring information about new scientific discoveries.

Detailed aims of the course, in terms of knowledge, skills, and competences.

KNOWLEDGE

The content of the lecture aims to enable students to understand the process of research, to design their own research and to interpret the data using the most effective method(s) of statistical inference. Therefore they are expected to master basic as well as advanced knowledge on planning empirical research and on analysing empirical data gathered from both experimental and non-experimental (particularly correlational) research. At the same time, they should be aware of factors that may distort a validity of any observational research.

The basics of planning empirical research include knowledge on classic two-sample experiment with a random assignment and its variations (with experimental and control groups) as well as on a correlational two-factor model (based on statistical model of linear regression). Simple comparisons of only two groups require knowledge of Student's t-tests. The multi-sample experiments require mastering statistical models of one-factor and multi-factor analysis of variance (ANOVA) and tests of contrasts, complementary to them. When correlational research are considered, a psychologist should be able to use correlation analysis as well as simple linear regression model and to know how it is constructed. He or she should be aware of the possibility of a catalysis effect and know how to deal with it.

When discussing the methodology of psychological research, one cannot ignore the thread concerning the research replication crisis. The psychologist should be aware of the existing problem and take it into account when reading the latest research reports. Moreover, the basic assumptions of the meta-analysis procedure will be presented. This method combines the results of multiple scientific studies addressing the same question and can be used for verifying the replicability of obtained results.

The course will also cover topics related to the legal, practical, and ethical aspects of research in psychology, which the psychologist should know.

SKILLS

Students should be able to assess a research plan and credibility of conclusions in the literature (both domestic and international – as all terminology is introduced in Polish and English) which means having the ability of reading scholarly articles in psychology field with comprehension.

They should be able to plan their own research, taking into account the limitations of data analysis (dependent on the measurement scales and their probability distribution, the number of factors analysed, the number of factors controlled, and the research model type itself – experimental or non-experimental).

A graduate in psychology should be able to assess the size of the sample needed to observe an assumed experimental outcome (using the notion of the power of the test and statistical error), to design complex data analyses (using familiar statistical methods or those not such familiar – as not all of them can be talked about in detail for the time or complexity reasons), to formulate new research hypotheses which would broaden the topic, or – if the outcomes are impossible to interpret – to suggest some new areas for further research.

COMPETENCES

A psychologist should be able to write a research report using the language of methodology and statistics. He or she should be always critical towards his or her own research work and should be open to constructive criticism, not withdrawing from a substantive discussion.

Babbie, E. (2021). Badania społeczne w praktyce. Warszawa: PWN (rozdział 7 i 8).

Bedyńska, S., Cypryańska, M. (2012). Statystyczny drogowskaz. Tomy 1-3. Warszawa: Wydawnictwo Akademickie Sedno.

Brzeziński, J. (2019). Metodologia badań psychologicznych, Warszawa: PWN (wybrane fragmenty).

Field, A. (2018). Discovering Statistics Using IBM SPSS Statistics. London: Sage.

Francuz, P., Mackiewicz, R. (2005). Liczby nie wiedzą skąd pochodzą. Przewodnik po metodologii i statystyce nie tylko dla psychologów. Lublin: KUL.

Frankfurt-Nachmias, Ch., Nachmias, D. (2001). Metody badawcze w naukach społecznych. Poznań: ZYSK i S-ka (wybrane fragmenty).

Harasimczuk, J., Cieciuch, J. (2012). Podstawowe standardy edytorskie naukowych tekstów psychologicznych w języku polskim na podstawie reguł APA. Warszawa: Liberi Libri.

Kleka, P. (2011). Statystyczne kryteria przydatności raportu z badań do metaanalizy. W: J. Brzeziński, Metodologia badań społecznych. Wybór tekstów (s. 99-114), Poznań: Zysk i S-ka.

Mokrzycki, E. (1963). Procedura doboru wskaźników a postulat empiryczności terminów przyrodniczych. Studia socjologiczne, 2(9), 161-182.

Nowak, S. (1970). Rodzaje wskaźników w badaniach społecznych, W: Nowak, S. (red.), Metodologia badań socjologicznych (s. 102-107), Warszawa: PWN.

Pawłowski, T. (1977). Pojęcie wskaźnika w naukach społecznych. W: T. Pawłowski, Pojęcia i metody współczesnej humanistyki (s. 194-218), Wrocław: Zakład Narodowy im. Ossolińskich.

Stanley, T. D., Carter, E. C., & Doucouliagos, H. (2018). What meta-analyses reveal about the replicability of psychological research. Psychological Bulletin, 144(12), 1325–1346.

Shaughnessy, J., Zechmeister, E., Zechmeister, J. (2010). Metody badawcze w psychologii. Gdańsk: GWP (wybrane fragmenty).

Sułek, A. (1979). Eksperyment w badaniach społecznych. Warszawa: PWN.

Zdybek, P., Walczak, R. i Zdybek, M. (2012). Historia zwykłego oszustwa. Nieuczciwość akademicka widziana oczami studentów psychologii. Psychologia Społeczna Tom 7, 3(22), 234-244.

The course aims to broaden the student's knowledge, skills, and competences, which corresponds with the following general learning outcomes, specified in the learning outcomes for the training program for the faculty of Psychology for master's studies.

According to them, the graduate:

- knows what psychology is, how it differs from other sciences, what are its disciplines, what they do in detail (PS_W01)

- understands modern research methodology based on advanced statistics and current psychometry (PS_W06)

- knows how to apply appropriate statistical analysis methods to interpret empirical data and to assess the value of research techniques used (PS_U06)

For the Research Methods in a Psychology course, this corresponds with the following specific learning outcomes:

KNOWLEDGE

1. The student knows the classification of variables, methods of their selection, and operationalization.

2. He or she knows the different research methods in psychology (observational, in particular experimental).

3. He or she knows how to maximize the validity of the study by controlling confounding factors.

4. He or she knows the procedure of planning research in psychology. Is aware of the requirement to set the research in a specific psychological theory.

5. He or she knows the rules of selecting samples according to sampling patterns.

6. Student distinguishes and characterizes basic statistical analyzes

7.He or she knows what the replication crisis in psychology is.

8. He or she knows the basics of meta-analysis as a method of data synthesis.

9. He or she knows the legal and ethical aspects of psychological research.

SKILLS

1. The student can define a research scheme for the verification of the cause and effect hypothesis.

2. He or she can plan his/her research in a methodologically correct way, following applicable legal and ethical principles.

3. He or she can distinguish between experimental and quasi-experimental studies.

4. He or she performs basic analysis in SPSS and interprets their results.

COMPETENCES

1. The student can participate in a critical discussion on the scientific aspects of empirical work.

2. He or she is critical towards his or her own research work and should be open to constructive criticism, not withdrawing from a substantive discussion.

3. He or she maintains criticism of the results of statistical analysis as a tool used to verify theoretical theses

Lecture - 30 hours

Practical classes - 30 hours

Students’ preparations for lecture / reading texts - 15 hours

Students’ preparations for the practical classes / reading texts / homeworks - 15 hours

Students’ preparation for the exam - 45 hours.

(150 hours / 25 = 6 ECTS)

A final grade is based on a written exam, which students can take at the end of the semester, only if they have successfully completed the practical classes: A positive grade (at least “sufficient”) in the practical classes is a prerequisite to take the final, written exam.

The written exam covers material presented during lectures and in the recommended literature.

Example questions, to be expected in the exam, are given to the students throughout the lecture and at the end of semester.

Criteria of the exams assessment:

Insufficient (2): A student has mastered less than 60% of knowledge and skills, covered in the teaching program. He or she gives definitions which are incomplete or incorrect. He or she is not able to apply knowledge in practical tasks/ questions.

Sufficient (3): A student has mastered at least 60% of knowledge and skills, covered in the teaching program. He or she is able to demonstrate the knowledge with understanding and is able to apply it in practical tasks / questions.

Good (4): A student has mastered at least 80% of knowledge and skills, covered in the teaching program. He or she is able to demonstrate the knowledge with understanding and is able to apply it in practical tasks / questions.

Very good (5): A student has mastered a virtually whole scope of material, covered in the teaching program. He or she can fully and competently present methodological expertise, and is able to apply it in practical tasks / questions. A student is also able to approach methodological issues critically.