1. Handbook
  2. Subjects
  3. Research Methods for Human Inquiry

Research Methods for Human Inquiry (PSYC30013)

Undergraduate level 3Points: 12.5Dual-Delivery (Parkville)

You’re viewing the 2021 Handbook:
Or view archived Handbooks
In 2021, there will be three delivery modes for your subjects – Dual-Delivery, Online and On Campus.
Please refer to the return to campus page for more information on these delivery modes and students who can enrol in each mode based on their location.
You’re currently viewing the 2021 version of this subject

Overview

Availability
Semester 1 - Dual-Delivery
FeesLook up fees

In this subject, students will acquire research skills and methods to critically investigate, measure and assess psychological research. In addition, students will acquire an understanding of fundamental principles in the psychological assessment of individual traits and dispositions. Emphasis will be placed on how (a) the skills and techniques being taught are tools for gathering evidence relating to real-world problems that are typically encountered in the psychological sciences and (b) meaningful inferences can be generalised beyond the particular sample data at hand. Topics to be covered may include research design, implementation, and evaluation; techniques for measuring human behaviour, emotions, and interactions; the application of relatively simple quantitative models to data in order to identify group differences, associations, and predictions.

Intended learning outcomes

Knowledge


On completion of this subject, students should demonstrate knowledge of:

  • The translation of research questions into appropriate methods of investigation.
  • The application of different types of quantitative methods to real-world problems.
  • The fundamental principles of individual and group-based psychological assessment.

Skills


On completion of this subject, students should have developed skills to:

  • Evaluate evidence from quantitative methods to support answers to, and inferences about, complex research problems.
  • Translate complex problems into measurable questions, hypotheses, methods for analysis, findings and answers.
  • Evaluate the reliability and validity of common psychological tests and other approaches to psychological assessment.
  • Identify specific kinds of limitations when using quantitative methods.

Application of knowledge and skills


On completion of this subject, students should be able to apply their knowledge and skills to:

  • Investigations that are directly relevant to psychological sciences and to other areas of social inquiry.
  • The critical assessment of research in scientific publications and of the reporting of such research more generally.

Generic skills

On completion of this subject students should be able to:

  • Think critically and coherently about complex problems;
  • Translate aims and objectives for investigating complex problems into measureable questions, hypotheses, findings, and answers;
  • Evaluate both various kinds of evidence to support answers to, and inferences about, complex problems;
  • Synthesise and present evidence in meaningful and interpretable ways for others to comprehend;
  • Critically recognise and articulate various limitations when investigating complex problems.

Last updated: 19 September 2024