PSYC 52A: Research MethodsInstructor: Sonja Krstic Prerequisites: PSYC 10a and 51a. Course Description: Course Description:</br> </br> Psychology is the scientific study of the mind and behavior. In this course, you will learn what makes psychology a science, including the reasons why we cannot simply use logic and intuition to analyze and predict human behavior. The scientific method follows a specific set of rules for all the steps of the process involved in conducting an empirical study: forming a hypothesis, creating a study method, gathering data, analyzing data, and writing the results. Importantly, we will also learn about the need to abide by the ethical code of research. </br></br> Learning Outcomes: </br> The purpose of this course is to introduce the scientific basis of psychology and to give you firsthand experience in the application of the scientific method to the study of cognition, affect, and behavior. There are several learning objectives:</br> (1) Demonstrate a general understanding of the scientific method and how it applies to the discipline of psychology</br> (2) Learn design and non-design components required to answer various research questions in a valid manner </br> (3) Understanding the components of various non-experimental and experimental designs and appropriate applications of each design</br> (4) Achieving familiarity with scientific literature in psychology through professional journals, and other library resources</br> (5) Acquiring a working knowledge of JASP to analyze data collected during the semester</br> (6) Becoming proficient in APA style for writing research reports</br> </br> Course Objectives:</br> The major objective of this course is to teach you how to conduct psychological research and understand the theoretical and practical aspects of the process that represent the core of psychology as a science.</br> By the end of this course, you should be able to:</br> - Understand what science is and what it is not.</br> - Critically evaluate published research and research reports in the media</br> - Learn how to use scientific principles to conduct research (and have fun/no fear while doing it!)</br> - Know how to formulate and test a scientific hypothesis.</br> - Understand the importance of the measurement and its psychometric properties (reliability and validity)</br> - Identify various research techniques and know how to choose the appropriate ones.</br> - Know the basics of using and interpreting descriptive and inferential statistics in research.</br> - Write a full APA-style research report. </br> - Recognize ethical issues and their implications. </br> </br> Teaching/Learning Strategies</br> This course will involve lectures, experiential exercises, class discussions, quizzes, critical evaluation of empirical literature, data analysis and reporting, scientific writing.</br> Session: Session II Day: M, T, W, Th Time: 9:00am - 11:00am Credit Hours: 4 Credits Course Format: Remote Learning Course for Summer 2025 Brandeis Graduation Requirement Fulfilled: QR, SS, WI Enrollment Limit: Course Classification: Undergraduate Level Course Course Tuition: $3,700 Course Fees: None Open to High School Students: No |
