Module Code - Title:
PS6041
-
ADVANCED RESEARCH DESIGNS IN PSYCHOLOGY
Year Last Offered:
2025/6
Hours Per Week:
Grading Type:
Prerequisite Modules:
Rationale and Purpose of the Module:
The purpose of this module is to increase teach students how particular research questions relate to particular research designs. Students will get a good understanding of advanced research designs and how they can be developed for experimental and non-experimental psychological research, in both basic and applied research domains. Besides providing the necessary knowledge about advanced research designs, this model seeks to prepare students for their own research (i.e., their Major Research Project).
Syllabus:
This module covers the rationale of methods in both basic and applied research. Students will learn how to investigate research questions by using the appropriate research designs. Pros and cons of several research designs will be discussed. Specifically, we will discuss the merits of experimental methods, non-experimental methods, qualitative methods, implicit methods, explicit methods, computer simulations, and mixed-methods approaches. Besides teaching students the rationale of advanced research designs, this module seeks to teach students the tools that may need for their own research.
Learning Outcomes:
Cognitive (Knowledge, Understanding, Application, Analysis, Evaluation, Synthesis)
On successful completion of this module, students should be able to:
Understand the rationale of complex research designs.
Assess the quality of research designs in general.
Debate the pros and cons of particular designs for particular research questions.
Apply research designs flexibly to their own research as a function of specific questions in the research process.
Affective (Attitudes and Values)
On successful completion of this module, students should be / should be able to:
Confident in using research designs that are adequate for examining advanced research questions and for evaluating the quality of research designs in general.
Appreciate the research designs that advanced psychological research offers.
Psychomotor (Physical Skills)
N/A
How the Module will be Taught and what will be the Learning Experiences of the Students:
The module will be taught in lectures and lab sessions. The teaching style will be interactive (especially in lab sessions) and problem-focussed. In addition, and students will have to submit coursework in which they discuss the pros and cons of research designs with regard to particular research questions. The primary learning experience will be the acquisition of necessary knowledge adequate for a postgraduate degree in psychology.
Research Findings Incorporated in to the Syllabus (If Relevant):
N/A
Prime Texts:
Giles, D. C. (2002)
Advanced research methods in psychology
, Routledge
Maxwell, S. E., & Delaney H. D. (2004)
Designing experiments and analyzing data, a model comparison perspective (second edition)
, Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.
Other Relevant Texts:
Creswell, J. W., & Plano Clark, V. L. (2006)
Designing and conducting mixed methods research
, London: Sage.
Creswell, J. W., & Plano Clark, V. L. (2008)
The mixed methods reader
, London: Sage.
Programme(s) in which this Module is Offered:
Semester(s) Module is Offered:
Module Leader:
andrew.moynihan@ul.ie