PSYC 230 - Research Methods

3 Credits: (3 lecture)

Course Description
This project-based course introduces students to research methods and design used in psychology. The course prepares students to evaluate published reports of research and to design and conduct research studies. Specific topics include the nature of psychology as a science, fundamental research issues, the preparation of research proposals and papers, and ethics in behavioral research.

Prerequisite ENGL 101, PSYC 201, MATH 107

Text
Cozby, P., & Bates, S. (2024). Methods in behavioral research (15th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

Objectives
A. Identify the major approaches to conducting psychological research and the advantages and disadvantages of these methods.

B. Develop a comprehensive strategy for locating and using relevant scholarly materials to address psychological questions.

C. Evaluate the reliability, validity, and generalizability of psychological studies.

D. Design a research study to confirm or disconfirm a testable hypothesis.

E. Use statistics to evaluate quantitative research findings.

F. Interpret statistical findings using common language.

Content
A. The goals of psychological research

B. The scientific method

C. Ethical issues in the conduct of psychological research

D. Basic and applied research

E. Conducting observations

F. Conducting surveys

G. Qualitative versus quantitative research

H. Experimental versus non-experimental research methods

I. Single-case and quasi-experimental designs

J. Data analysis and interpretation

K. Research reporting

Student Evaluation
A. Objective tests and essays

B. Annotated bibliography

C. Objective tests and essays

D. Research proposal and final research paper

E. Final research paper

F. Presentation of research results

Bibliography
Cooper, H., Camic, P. M., Long, D. L, Panter, A. T., Rindskopf, D., & Sher, K. J. (Eds.). (2023). APA handbook of research methods in psychology. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Landrum, R. E. (2020). Undergraduate writing in psychology: Learning to tell the scientific story (3rd ed.). American Psychological Association.

McBride, D. M. (2023). The process of research in psychology (5th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc.

Mitchell, M. L., Jolley, J. M., & O’Shea, R. P. (2012). Writing for Psychology (4th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.

Nicol, A. A. M., & Pexman, P. M. (2010). Presenting your findings: A practical guide for creating tables (6th ed.). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Perrin, R. (2020). Pocket guide to APA style (7th ed.). Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin.

Sternberg, R. J. (2016) The psychologist’s companion: A guide to scientific writing for students and researchers (6th ed.). New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.