What Do I Hope You'll Learn in This Course?
Of course, the overall goal of this class and its counterpart, Research Methods, is for you to learn how to conduct research in psychology. But I do have several subgoals in mind while I structure this course. First, my more philosophical hopes. I'd like you to understand that:
Science Has Strengths and Weaknesses: An assumption underlying this course is a belief in the power of science to help us better understand human actions. It is a tool that, if well used, can help us move closer and closer to solving many behavioral problems, and to bettering life's conditions. On the other hand, the scientific method has severe limits when applied to our lives. It is not the only way, nor necessarily the best way, to go about studying ourselves.
Not All Science is Good Science: Five years from now, it would make me smile if you could pick up your local newspaper, a copy of Time or Newsweek, yes, even the National Enquirer, read an article containing claims based on "science," and be able to discern highly probable fact from down right biased reporting, and all that lies in between. Science is simply a method used to answer questions. It can be used and reported properly, or it can be disgustingly abused.
Scientific Knowledge is Slowly Gained: Simply put, a single scientific study tells us very little. Individual studies have so many limitations naturally placed on them (as we will learn) that they can, at best, provide us with only a kernel of knowledge. And that's assuming the study is well constructed. Research studies must build on one another, and readers of these works should search for patterns that emerge from groups of studies instead of focusing on the few results that tickle their fancy.
Now, more specific goals. By the end of these courses you will know how to:
- Critically read a professional journal article;
- Establish a hypothesis;
- Select and carry out a research design to test your hypothesis.
- Select the appropriate statistic to analyze the data you obtained in your study.
- Use a computerized statistical program to analyze your data.
- Write up your study and its results in APA format.
- Present your study in an APA-style poster session.
Last revised on 08 January 2002