Research I: Basics

An introductory course concentrating on the basics of scientific research in Psychology. Students will learn: how to acquire information from libraries and the internet; methods for collecting data, such as surveys, case studies, unobtrusive measures and observational procedures, in experimental, quasi-experimental and correlational designs; how to operationalize variables to create reliable and valid measures; to identify types of data and how to describe and graph data; the basics of hypothesis testing and statistical significance; how research is communicated in research reports using APA style. Attention will also be given to ethical issues in research with human and nonhuman subjects. Students must earn a grade of C or better in this course.