Have you ever read an empirical research article and wondered where the authors got the idea for their research study? Have you ever thought about how researchers decide on which participants to select and what questions to ask of their study participants? How can we assess the value of a theoretical idea based on empirical evidence? And why might there be conflicting findings when researchers test the same phenomenon?
This course is designed to help students explore these and other questions related to research methods in psychology, with a focus on sleep research. This is an interactive lecture and lab-based course. Through a series of hands-on lab assignments, students will acquire the necessary skill set to be able to critique, analyze, and design psychological research. Students will explore both qualitative and quantitative methodological designs used in psychological research (e.g., experiments, interviews, and surveys). Additionally, students will gain skills in conducting basic statistical analyses (e.g., correlation, t-test, ANOVA). The course will culminate with a final project in which students will design an original research study. |