Module PSYC42415: Statistics for Psychology and the Behavioural Sciences

Department: Psychology

PSYC42415: Statistics for Psychology and the Behavioural Sciences

Prerequisites

• None

Corequisites

• None

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None

Aims

• To teach students a core set of statistical methods commonly used across psychology and the behavioural sciences
• To develop students' capacity to confidently identify appropriate statistical techniques and analyse data using suitable statistical software across a range of research contexts

Content

• The module covers core concepts and applied techniques in statistical analysis for psychology and the behavioural sciences. The specific sequence, emphasis, examples, datasets, readings and software used may vary from year to year to reflect developments in the field, staff expertise, student learning needs, and timetabling constraints. The following list is indicative and not exhaustive:
• Data collection and validation
• Data management and organisation
• Exploring and presenting data
• Interpretation and reporting of descriptive statistics
• Statistical inference/ null hypothesis testing/ multiple testing correction/ power analysis
• Basic parametric (e.g., t-tests) and non-parametric techniques (e.g., chi-square, correlation)
• Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) (One way / Two-way, Repeated Measures, Mixed Models)
• Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA)
• Simple linear regression
• Multiple linear regression

Learning Outcomes

• On completion of this module, students will acquire knowledge and understanding of:
• A range of commonly used statistical techniques in psychology and the behavioural sciences
• The role of statistics in conducting, interpreting and evaluating data analysis
• Assumptions, limitations and appropriate use of the techniques covered 
• The advantages and limitations of using different statistical software (e.g., SPSS, R, JASP)

• By the end of the module students should be able to:
• Select and apply appropriate statistical techniques to address research questions
• Use statistical software analyses using one or more packages as specified for the module
• Analyse data accurately and transparently
• Interpret and report results appropriately for a psychological/behavioural science audience
• Produce reproducible analysis outputs and reports (where relevant to the software and assessment format used)

• Students will also develop transferable skills, including the ability to:
• Apply general IT and research skills relevant to data analysis
• Organise and manage data effectively
• Manage their own time and resources 
• Work to deadlines and within defined parameters

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

• The weekly teaching will normally include a 1-2 hour lecture which will outline the key statistical methods and concepts, how they can be used in psychology and the behavioural sciences, and their appropriate interpretation followed by 1-2 hours of practical activity
• The summative assessment will consist of one end-of-term assignment. The end-of-term assignment will require students to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of statistics by independently conducting and reporting several statistical analyses and answering a series of theoretical questions.
• The formative assessment will consist of regular self-guided weekly practical exercises and pre-lecture questions, designed to support continuous practice and engagement with the module content.
• In addition, students will complete three larger formative submissions at key points across the module. These submissions will consolidate learning from multiple weeks and provide structured opportunities for feedback on statistical understanding, analytics decisions, and reporting.
• Support and guidance for formative work will be provided through the weekly practical workshops, where common issues can be addressed and students can ask questions about their progress.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

Formative student assessments (both written and oral) will be undertaken throughout the duration of the module. These will be assessed by the tutor to enable students to gauge their own individual rate of progress.

■ 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.