BSc Psychology / Course details

Year of entry: 2024

Course unit details:
Statistics and Data Analysis

Course unit fact file
Unit code PSYC21061
Credit rating 10
Unit level Level 2
Teaching period(s) Semester 1
Offered by Division of Psychology and Mental Health
Available as a free choice unit? No

Overview

 

This course unit builds upon the principles and techniques introduced in PSYC10100 Research Methods and Statistics. Students who have not completed this Level 4 course may need to do some independent study in preparation for the Level 5 course (please contact the unit lead for recommended resources).

This course will cover statistical tests appropriate to a range of research designs which are commonly employed in psychological research. Focus will be placed on developing a theoretical (rather than mathematical) understanding of statistical procedures. Concepts common to these procedures will be emphasised to provide students with an appreciation of fundamental principles underpinning statistical analyses. Students will be guided in the use of statistical software (SPSS) for data analysis and will have regular opportunities to apply the procedures they have learnt to novel data. These data will always be contextualised within practical research scenarios and emphasis will be placed on determining the appropriate analysis and providing a meaningful interpretation of results.

Aims

The unit aims to:

- Encourage a conceptual understanding of the logic underpinning a range of inferential statistical procedures commonly used in psychological research

- Instruct students in the use of SPSS for data analysis

- Equip students with statistical knowledge that will allow them to independently identify and conduct appropriate statistical analyses and interpret the results of these analyses

- Equip students with statistical knowledge that will allow them to independently evaluate the use of statistics in published research 

 

Teaching and learning methods

This unit will be taught via lectures and practical stats classes.

It will be supported with an online textbook and links to relevant online resources.

Knowledge and understanding

- demonstrate understanding of the nature of statistics and their application in psychological sciences

- understand the logic underpinning a range of inferential statistical tests

- recognise important assumptions inherent in given statistical analyses, identify where these have been violated and implement appropriate solutions

Intellectual skills

- interpret statistical results in order to draw meaningful conclusions from such analyses in the context of a research hypothesis/question

- evaluate the suitability of analysis decisions in published research and the validity of conclusions drawn from such analyses

- (begin to) generalise knowledge gained on the course unit in order to explore more advanced or specialised statistical techniques

Practical skills

- determine the most appropriate statistical analysis given the nature of the research design and properties of the data collected

- describe and draw inference from research data

- use statistical software (SPSS)

- report the results of analyses in a manner suitable for psychological research communication

Transferable skills and personal qualities

- handle and analyse numerical data

- use Excel and SPSS software

Assessment methods

 Exam - 70% 

Blackboard Quizzes - 30%

Feedback methods

Students will receive a grade and cohort level feedback

Recommended reading

Warren, P., Fisher, A. & Lewis, L. (2020). Statistics and Research Methods (5th Edition). Harlow: Pearson.

Study hours

Independent study hours
Independent study 63

Teaching staff

Staff member Role
Alison Fisher Unit coordinator

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