- Although it would be wonderful if everyone became a
Research Psychologist, reality says this will not be true. However, it is
expected that you will become a better consumer of the Psychological
Literature. That is, you will be able to assess the relevance of the literature
your read to your own work now and in the future.
- Although it would be wonderful if everyone became a
Research Psychologist, we hope that you will at the very least develop a
"questioning approach" to the world around you. However, it is expected that
you will become a better consumer of information resources. That is, you will
be able to evaluate the appropriateness of the data provided and discussed in a
report, magazine, newspaper article, etc.
- Although it would be wonderful if everyone became a
Research Psychologist, we hope that this class will better prepare you to
understand information presented in upper division psychology courses,
especially those involving laboratories. It is expected that you will become a
better consumer of Psychology. That is, you will be able to better choose
courses and materials that are relevant to your areas of interest.
- A review of the Goals listed for the department will show
that you should be able to work towards fulfillment, at least partially, of
those goals:
Goal 1: Describing Psychological Knowledge
- a. Describes and explains a variety of significant
elements of content and/or facts in the areas of learning, sensation and
perception, biological psychology, or cognitive psychology.
- b. Describes and explains a variety of significant
elements of content and/or facts in the areas of child psychology, social
psychology, abnormal psychology, or personality.
- c. Describes and explains a variety of significant
elements of content and/or facts in the areas of adult-child relationships,
environmental psychology, the psychology of diversity, the psychology of aging,
the psychology of women, the psychology of families, health psychology,
neuropsychology, tests and measurement, or positive psychology.
Note that although the specific areas mentioned
above in a-c may not be discussed in this course, a general understanding of
the research methodology available to psychologists will increase understanding
of all the areas in psychology. Thus the inference is that you should be better
able to describe an area if you can understand it better.
- Goal 2: Explaining Psychological Knowledge
- a. Explains behavior using theory-based concepts
from a specific psychodynamic, biological, humanistic, cognitive, behaviorist
or other equally-broad theoretical system.
- b. Explains behavior using concepts from a specific
narrowly-focused portion of a theory or model.
- c. Explains how specific behavior would be
understood differently by two theories/models that are both able to offer
sensible explanations for it.
- d. Evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of
evidence and arguments supporting specific psychological theories or
models.
Note that although specific areas mentioned
above in a-d may not be discussed in this course, a general understanding of
the research methodology available to psychologists will increase understanding
of all the areas in psychology. Thus, the inference is that you should be
better able to explain an area if you can understand it
better.
- Goal 3: Discovering Psychological Knowledge
- a. Formulates testable research hypotheses.
- b. Designs appropriate empirical tests of research
hypotheses that take into account the strengths and limitations of different
research designs.
- c. Identifies threats to internal and external
validity, and proposes improvements to reduce these threats in studies from the
literature.
- d. Selects and appropriately applies inferential
statistics to distinguish between outcomes that do and do not support
hypotheses.
- e. Conducts appropriate library and electronic
searches in order to identify and acquire information that is relevant to a
target topic.
- f. Reads and understands psychological research
articles at the level of an educated consumer.
- g. Communicates scientific findings clearly and
accurately in appropriate written formats.
- Goal 4: Applying Psychological Knowledge
- a. Describes major applied areas of psychology and
the rationale for applications to these areas.
- b. Explains how psychological science can be used
to understand social issues, inform public policy, and improve
individuals’ lives.
- c. Demonstrates the application of psychological
knowledge outside of the classroom to affect behavior in a desired
direction.
- d. Communicates psychological theories, data, or
methods clearly to non-psychologists.
Note that although specific areas mentioned in
a-d above may not be discussed in this course, a general understanding of the
research methodology available to psychologists will increase understanding of
all the areas in psychology. Thus, the inference is that you should be better
able to explain an area if you can understand it better.
- Goal 5: Ethics and Values in Psychology
- a. Explains the benefits and acknowledges the
limitations of a scientific perspective on human behavior.
- b. Describes and explains ethical codes and
standards that guide the work of students and professionals in psychology.
- c. Demonstrates understanding and acceptance of
research ethics through relevant behaviors.
- d. Demonstrates understanding and acceptance of
practice ethics through relevant behaviors.
Note that although the ideas underlying
psychological practice (e.g., clinical work) will not be discussed
specifically, the general discussion about research ethics should help to
understand the ethical standards and guidelines as applied to this more applied
area of psychology.
- e. Identifies personal values and evaluates them
from the perspective of the discipline of psychology.
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