Qualitative and Quantitative Research Methods in Psychology

2024/2025

Academic Year

ENG

Instruction in English

6

ECTS credits

Delivered at:

Institute for Cognitive Neuroscience

Course type:

Compulsory course

When:

1 year, 2, 3 module

Instructors

Martinez-Saito, Mario

Rybina, Elena

Course Syllabus

Abstract

This course aims at the students that are planning to conduct research projects in Cognitive science. This course reviews practices and basic methods with theories behind them for conducting the research projects. The course covers literature review, finding a research question, experimental design, data analysis, and probability and statistics used in Cognitive science.

Learning Objectives

• learn ethics in cognitive science;
• learn skills for literature search and for reviewing them
• learn critical thinking skills and how to do scientific discussion
• learn how to formulate research questions and develop them into testable hypotheses
• learn how to plan and design experiments for testing the hypotheses
• learn possibilities and limitations of experiments
• learn how to prepare data for analysis and how to analyze the data
• learn possibilities and limitations of analysis and statistical methods

Expected Learning Outcomes

• know ethics in cognitive science;
• have critical thinking skills
• know how to develop their skills and knowledge by themselves
• know how to do scientific discussion
• know statistical analysis in Cognitive science
• know theories behind the statistical analysis
• understand the ongoing discussion about replication crisis and publication bias in science

Course Contents

• Cognitive science as a field of science
• Starting a research project
• Basic probability
• Sampling and data collection
• Experiments and quasi-experimental and non-experimental plans
• Data organization and visualization
• Statistical methods 1: t-test, regression, repeated-measure ANOVA, Chi-square-test
• Meta-analysis on behavioral studies
• Statistical methods 2: Multivariate-analysis

Assessment Elements

• Attendance of the seminars
• Home assignments
  10 home assignments; Its weight in grading is 0.25.
• Writing test (final)
• Writing test (the 2nd module)

Interim Assessment

• 2024/2025 3rd module
  0.25 * Attendance of the seminars + 0.25 * Home assignments + 0.25 * Writing test (final) + 0.25 * Writing test (the 2nd module)

Bibliography

Recommended Core Bibliography

• Dekking F. M. et al. A Modern Introduction to Probability and Statistics: Understanding why and how. – Springer Science & Business Media, 2005. – 488 pp.
• Eric Goh Ming Hui. (2019). Learn R for Applied Statistics : With Data Visualizations, Regressions, and Statistics. Apress.
• Giles, D. (2002). Advanced Research Methods in Psychology. Hove, East Sussex: Routledge. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=548434
• Herzog, M. H., Francis, G., & Clarke, A. (2019). Understanding Statistics and Experimental Design ; How to Not Lie with Statistics. Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-03499-3
• Kruschke, J. K. . V. (DE-588)143634666, (DE-627)662785142, (DE-576)346169313, aut. (2015). Doing Bayesian data analysis a tutorial with R, JAGS, and Stan John K. Kruschke, Dept. of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edswao&AN=edswao.415512638
• Lars-Göran Johansson. (2015). Philosophy of Science for Scientists (Vol. 1st ed. 2016). Springer.
• Weiner, I. B., Velicer, W. F., & Schinka, J. A. (2013). Handbook of Psychology, Research Methods in Psychology (Vol. 2nd ed). Chichester: Wiley. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=497780

Recommended Additional Bibliography

• Schwarzer, G., Carpenter, J. R., & Rücker, G. (2015). Meta-Analysis with R. Cham: Springer. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1079134

Authors

• ZINCHENKO OKSANA OLEGOVNA
• Savada TADAMASA