Psychological Research Methods

The course provides an introduction to the scientific method and its use in psychological research, as well as the entire research process; generation of research ideas, research design (experiments, qualitative designs etc.), data collection (selection strategies, interviews, observational data, surveys etc.), data analysis (descriptive statistics, bivariate analyses, coding and categorization of textual data etc.) as well as reporting and discussing of results. Hypothesis testing, reliability, validity, sampling and generalization, as well as ethics, regulations, and guidelines are central to the course. The mandatory assignment will give practical experience with data analysis and reporting and discussing of results.

Knowledge

The student

• has developed a basic understanding of and familiarity with the scientific mindset, terminology, and procedure in both qualitative and quantitative psychological research.
• is knowledgeable about current judicial aspects of research (SIKT, REK, Lovdata) and about ethics in a historical perspective.

Skills

The student

• has developed the ability to apply methodological terminology in analyses of different types of psychological knowledge and present these in a written manner.
• is able to carry out basic statistical analyses and report the results.
• can write basic academic texts that follow formal requirements. (IMRAD-structure and APA-referencing)
• has extensive knowledge of the research process and can execute fundamental analyses of research data as well as report and disseminate psychological research results.

General competence

The students

• can express themselves in writing in a way that satisfies basic requirements of scientific standards.
• can convey relevant concepts related to psychological research methodologies and knows what research designs best fit different quantitative and qualitative research questions.

Lectures 2 hours per week, assignments, and colloquiums.