Unit information: Apprenticeship in Psychological Research in 2013/14

Unit name	Apprenticeship in Psychological Research
Unit code	PSYCM0032
Credit points	10
Level of study	M/7
Teaching block(s)	Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12)
Unit director	Professor. Jeff Brunstrom
Open unit status	Not open
Pre-requisites	None
Co-requisites	None
School/department	School of Psychological Science
Faculty	Faculty of Life Sciences

Description including Unit Aims

This unit provide students with an apprenticeship in psychological research. Students will contribute to the design, implementation, and dissemination of ongoing research carried out in the School of Experimental Psychology. Students will be given an opportunity to contribute at strategy meetings, and to analyse and report on findings. This will provide critical insight into the process of conducting psychological research.

Intended Learning Outcomes

By the end of this unit students will be able to:

• Demonstrate an understanding of the types of practical challenges that researchers experience when executing a piece of psychological research.
• Recruit participants
• Reflecting on ways in which a research project might by improved in future.
• Provide an overview of findings from a research project in an oral presentation

Teaching Information

The unit will comprise an introductory lecture (1 hour) followed by bi-weekly meetings with a nominated member of academic staff in the School of Psychology.

Assessment Information

Students will be required to produce a 2000-word ‘research portfolio.’ In the first of two sections the students will produce a structured research diary. This will contain reflective comments relating to advances that have been made in their research project, practical and theoretical hurdles, and how these have or might be overcome. In a second section the student will provide an overview of their project, together with an account of its aims, objectives, and outcomes.

In addition, the student will give a short oral presentation. This will provide an overview of their research project with an emphasis on suggested directions for future research. Written feedback will be provided on individual presentations.

Respectively, the research portfolio and oral presentation will contribute 80% and 20% of the total mark.

Reading and References

Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. (2009). American Psychological Association; 6th Revised edition edition. ISBN-10: 9781433805615

Doing quantitative psychological research: from design to report. (1997). Psychology Press Ltd. ISBN-10: 0863777899