3 credits
Fall 2025 Lecture
This course provides an in-depth introduction to the fundamentals of research methods and design, including the scientific approach and its applicability to the science of psychology to the philosophy of science, the role of theory, and hypothesis testing. Philosophical and theoretical fundamentals are discussed, followed by methodological issues. The course includes content on the replication crisis in psychology, the practices that contributed to it, and the means to overcome it, as well as issues in sampling, measurement, and design. The course will examine nonexperimental research as well as experimental and quasi-experimental approaches. Permission of department required.
Learning Outcomes1Understand Open Science practices, basic psychometrics, experimental design, and nonexperimental approaches and identify bad research practices in published research articles.
2Evaluate special issues faced when studying psychopathology.
3Evaluate the factors that contribute to replication concerns in the field (i.e., low statistical power, HARKing, p-hacking, and publication bias).
4Evaluate correct strategies for calculating reliability and demonstrating validity of a psychological assessment.
5Create a research study working through sampling, assessment, and design.
Restrictions
made by Purdue students.