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PSY247 - Research Design and Analysis

2021

Sector

Higher Education

Discipline

Psychology

PSY140, PSY141, PSY115

Unit Description

The ideas and skills developed in this unit will provide an excellent foundation for further training in psychology and other academic disciplines related to a students chosen profession. This unit provides an integrated treatment of research methods and statistical techniques. The unit prepares students for carrying out independent research and the use of computers to perform statistical analysis is emphasised. The unit aims to prepare students to:

Critically evaluate research

Design their own research project

Analyse and interpret empirical data

The content covers interesting concepts and skills that will be useful in the study of psychology, as well as later in the students professional careers. During this unit, students will learn about project design, ways to collect evidence, and particularly how to analyse data. This builds on the skills and knowledge that students may have gained from school and also from their first year units in the Bachelor of Behavioural Science degree. The unit starts with a revision of basic ideas and skills in statistics. The main topics in PSY247 Research Design and Analysis are covered in the set text and associated readings and include:

Research methods (ethical issues, observation, surveys, hypotheses, experiment design)

Descriptive and inferential statistics (such as t-test, one-way analysis of variance, correlation)

Text Book

Bookshop

Unit Learning Outcomes

1.	Describe, apply and evaluate the different research methods used to assess human behaviour.
2.	Demonstrate a capacity for independent learning.
3.	Design and conduct a basic study to address psychological questions: frame research questions; undertake literature searches; critically analyse theoretical and empirical studies; formulate testable hypotheses.
4.	Analyse, interpret and report the results of statistical tests.
5.	Write a standard research report using American Psychological Association (APA) structure and formatting conventions.
6.	Identify and perform the appropriate statistical tests to evaluate hypotheses.
7.	Understand the theoretical underpinnings of research design and statistical analyses.

Assessment Overview

	Assessment Task	Value (of total mark)	Related Learning Outcome/s
1.	Formative assessment - 5 quizzes	10%	1,2,3,4,6,7
2.	Mid-semester quiz	20%	1,2,4,6,7
3.	Written assignment (2000 words)	30%	1,2,3,4,5,6,7
4.	Centrally invigilated examination	40%	1,2,4,6,7

Unit Availability

Year	Semester	Att Mode	Location	Learning Method	Timetable*
2021	Semester 1	Internal	Casuarina Campus	OLR	View
2021	Semester 1	External	External Studies	OLR	View

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OLR: Internet access is required for this unit as students are required to access study materials provided on-line through Learnline. Please log into Learnline on the first day of each teaching period. For more information about Learnline, please click here.

Critical Dates

Important Dates for Students

Fee Information:
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2021 Domestic Unit Fees (PDF)