2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog

PSYC 202 Research Methods

This course will provide an introduction to the methodologies used in psychological research. Topics will include naturalistic observation, correlational and regression methods, reliability and validity of measurements. Special attention will be given to techniques that control or reduce error variance. Students will also be introduced to and become proficient with the technical writing style of the American Psychological Association (APA). This course will provide a basic foundation for the understanding of the research process and is intended as a prerequisite for other 300-level psychology courses in which such knowledge is essential.

Credits

3

Prerequisite

PSYC 101; PSYC 201

Offered

Fall, As needed

Outcomes

  1. Psychology is often defined as the science of behavior and mental processes. This course is designed to introduce you to the methodologies used by psychologists to examine behavior and mental processes (e.g., experimental vs. correlational designs). In addition to learning the methodologies involved with psychological science, we will also examine other factors that play a role in conducting research (e.g., ethics, data analyses, validity…etc.). The principle component in this course will be working towards the final project which will be completed in Psychology 318. This project consists of proposing research, conducting the study, collect data, analyzing the data, write an empirical research paper, and presenting your results to your peers.