This is an archived handbook for a previous year. The current undergraduate and postgraduate handbooks can be viewed using the links above.

Undergraduate Handbook 2006-2007 (archived)

Module PSYS1051: METHODS IN PSYCHOLOGY

Department: Psychology (Applied Psychology) [Queen's Campus, Stockton]

PSYS1051: METHODS IN PSYCHOLOGY

Type	Level	Credits	Availability	Module Cap	Location
Open	1	20	Available in 2006/2007	None.	Queen's Campus Stockton

Pre-requisites

Mathematics GCSE Grade C (or equivalent).

Corequisites

Introduction to Statistics and all other level 1 psychology core modules.

Excluded Combinations

None.

Aims

To introduce students to a range of empirical procedures and techniques used in psychology.
To illustrate some of the well known empirical findings referred to in lectures.

Content

Students will undertake simple experiments in core areas of experimental psychology.

Learning Outcomes

Subject-specific Knowledge

Basic knowledge of some key research methods in psychology.

Subject-specific Skills

Basic competence in the design and conduct of experiments
Basic competence at data collection, analysis, interpretation and in writing research reports

Key Skills

The ability to organise and utilise knowledge
Written communication skills
Basic IT skills in word processing and data presentation

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

The practicals in this module guide students??? acquisition of knowledge of some research methods and the application of some statistical methods in psychology. Assessment of these skills is provided by the formative and summative practical reports.
Competence in the design and conduct of psychological research is facilitated by the range of teaching methods used. Students, working in groups, develop their expertise by carrying out experiments with increasing independence. Assessment of this group work is by the formative practicals, summative practicals.
The practicals develop students??? ability to organise and utilise knowledge and an understanding of the link between data and theory. Preparation of and feedback from practical reports allow students to hone their organisational, statistical and written abilities, and develop their understanding of theoretical issues.
Training in written communication skills, including word-processing, is provided primarily in the practical classes and by feedback from the formative reports. Written communication skills are also assessed in the summative reports.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Activity	Number	Frequency	Duration	Total Hours
Lectures	1	At start of module	2 hours	2
Practicals, including 2 hour preparation sessions, 3 hour experimental sessions and 1 hour feedback sessions	16	Approximately Fortnightly	1,2 & 3 hours	28
Preparation and Reading				170
Total				200

Summative Assessment

Component	Component Weighting	Element	Element Weighting
Practical reports	100%	report 1	30%
		report 2	30%
		report 3	40%

Formative Assessment

Three practical reports

Students who do not attend monitored activities shown under Teaching Methods and Learning Hours, or who fail to complete the summative or formative assessment(s) specified above, may be subject to the Academic Progress procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University.