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PSYC2261: Advanced Psychological Research for Non-Single Honours

Please ensure you check the module availability box for each module outline, as not all modules will run in each academic year. Each module description relates to the year indicated in the module availability box, and this may change from year to year, due to, for example: changing staff expertise, disciplinary developments, the requirements of external bodies and partners, and student feedback.

Type Tied
Level 2
Credits 20
Availability Available in 2025/2026
Module Cap None.
Location Durham
Department Psychology

Prerequisites

  • PSYC1062 IPR plus PSYC1071 Intro 1 and/or PSYC1081 Intro 2

Corequisites

  • PSYC2271 - Social and Developmental Psychology

Excluded Combinations of Modules

  • None

Aims

  • To build upon knowledge gained in first year in experimental design and statistics to fulfil the requirements for a BPS recognised degree in Psychology.
  • To develop academic skills required for studying psychology at degree level.
  • To provide students an opportunity to discuss psychological research and practice psychological literacy skills in a tutorial context.

Content

  • Students will undertake tutorials to discover, share, key areas/issues in psychology.
  • The focus of the tutorial section of the module will be on research-led teaching and the development of academic skills for understanding and communicating empirical findings and theoretical concepts.
  • The statistics and experimental design section of the module will provide students with the analytic skills required to complete their third year Project in Psychology.

Learning Outcomes

Subject-specific Knowledge:

  • Acquisition of knowledge in core areas of Psychology in research-led manner.
  • Knowledge and understanding of statistics for psychology.
  • Integrate first year knowledge of a range of research paradigms and methods, including qualitative and quantitative methods into more advanced statistics methods.

Subject-specific Skills:

  • Understand the relationship between theory and data, including the ability to evaluate theories and concepts.
  • Academic skills related to psychological literacy and study at degree level.
  • Ability to formulate research questions and hypotheses, and select appropriate statistical procedures.

Key Skills:

  • Finding, summarizing, and critically evaluating evidence to build into an argument.
  • Developing competence in written communications skills.
  • Good IT skills in word processing, data manipulation and data presentation.

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

  • Asynchronous online recordings will introduce students to relevant academic skills that will be practiced throughout the module.
  • Tutorials will give students opportunities to practice academic skills, give and receive feedback from tutors and peers. The tutorials develop students ability to organise, review, critically evaluate, and present knowledge. Assessment of this knowledge will be carried out via a summative essay. A key component in the preparation of the essay is the acquisition of adequate word processing skills.
  • Statistics will be taught via online content and face-to-face sessions. Statistics lectures will introduce and explain a range of statistical methods and procedures and opportunities will be provided for students to practice using these techniques with support. Students will be taught how to use the JASP computer package to manipulate data and undertake statistical analyses.
  • The summative assessment of the statistics section of the module comprises an exam as well as in-class tests. These will allow assessing the students' understanding of the principles underlying statistical analyses and theirs skills in data manipulation, analysis, and presentation.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

ActivityNumberFrequencyDurationTotalMonitored
Lectures2Once at the start of each term2 Hour4Yes
Online Lectures55 in Term 11 Hour5 
Tutorials55 in Term 11 Hour5Yes
Online Statistics Sessions8Weekly in Term 22 Hours16Yes
Project/Dissertation information session1once in Term 21 Hour1Yes
Drop-In Classes12Weekly in Term 2 and Term 31 hour12 
Preparation and Reading157 
Total200 

Summative Assessment

Component: ExaminationComponent Weighting: 40%
ElementLength / DurationElement WeightingResit Opportunity
Examination2 hours100
Component: In class testsComponent Weighting: 10%
ElementLength / DurationElement WeightingResit Opportunity
in class tests100
Component: EssayComponent Weighting: 50%
ElementLength / DurationElement WeightingResit Opportunity
Essay2000 words100

Formative Assessment

Formative assignments are provided within tutorials (Michaelmas Term) and in breadcrumb MCQs (Epiphany Term)

More information

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