Module PSYS3012: APPLIED PSYCHOLOGY DISSERTATION

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

PSYS3012: APPLIED PSYCHOLOGY DISSERTATION

Prerequisites

• 100 credits from C817 Psychology (Applied) Level 2 modules

Corequisites

• None

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None

Aims

• To provide the opportunity for students to explore an area of psychology in depth, both by reviewing the literature of the area and by carrying out an empirical investigation
• To develop the skills required to carry out these tasks
• To guide students in writing up their findings in a clear and concise manner

Content

• The dissertation forms the main practical component of the final year course
• Students are expected to build on the skills acquired during the earlier part of the course to carry out an investigation in psychology
• Students will normally work in pairs supervised by a member of staff
• The project should satisfy two requirements - analysis of data and relevance to applied psychology
• Students normally collect data working in their pairs, but must write up the dissertation individually
• The dissertation is written up as a scientific report approximating the form and standard found in psychology journals

Learning Outcomes

• Detailed knowledge of specialist areas in psychology including current theory, evidence, and research methods
• In-depth knowledge of some specialist areas of applied psychology

• Identify a psychological issue amenable to empirical investigation, and formulate a clear research question
• Competence in the selection and application of appropriate statistical procedures, and understanding of their limitations
• Ability to reflect critically on the strengths and weaknesses of the chosen design and the validity of the conclusions reached
• Ability to apply academic and professional codes of conduct in the design and conduct of original psychological research
• Ability to review critically and consolidate understanding of a coherent body of psychological knowledge and apply it appropriately

• Good written communication skills
• Good IT skills in word processing, data manipulation, and data presentation
• Ability to work independently in scholarship and research within broad guidelines

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

• Students complete their dissertation work under the supervision of an experienced researcher, and typically work in a group of two. The supervision enables students to achieve good skills in all aspects of experimental design, conduct, analysis and report. Supervisory meetings also stimulate the development of critical and theoretically based thinking. Independent study is required at all stages of the dissertation.
• The written dissertation report allows students to demonstrate their evaluative, analytical and research skills in a single comprehensive piece of work. Formative feedback is provided on a first draft of the dissertation. Assessment of the report is based on criteria relating to the range of learning outcomes listed above.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

A short report (Max 2000 words) which includes a brief review of the literature and the key research questions, describes the specific hypotheses being tested, outlines the methodology and provides a timetable for the study.

■ Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University