Handbook home
Research Methods for Human Inquiry (PSYC30013)
Undergraduate level 3Points: 12.5Dual-Delivery (Parkville)
From 2023 most subjects will be taught on campus only with flexible options limited to a select number of postgraduate programs and individual subjects.
To learn more, visit COVID-19 course and subject delivery.
About this subject
- Overview
- Eligibility and requirements
- Assessment
- Dates and times
- Further information
- Timetable(opens in new window)
Contact information
Overview
Availability | Semester 1 - Dual-Delivery |
---|---|
Fees | Look 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: 11 April 2024
Eligibility and requirements
Prerequisites
None
Corequisites
None
Non-allowed subjects
512320 Research Methods 3
512302 Research Methods for Human Inquiry
Recommended background knowledge
Prior coursework in at least two Level 2 psychology subjects is recommended. Level 2 psychology subjects includes Biological Psychology, Cognitive Psychology, Developmental Psychology, and Personality & Social Psychology. Students are recommended to have previous experience with statistical analysis software, preferably SPSS.
Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)
The University of Melbourne is committed to providing students with reasonable adjustments to assessment and participation under the Disability Standards for Education (2005), and the Assessment and Results Policy (MPF1326). Students are expected to meet the core participation requirements for their course. These can be viewed under Entry and Participation Requirements for the course outlines in the Handbook.
Further details on how to seek academic adjustments can be found on the Student Equity and Disability Support website: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/student-equity/home
Last updated: 11 April 2024
Assessment
Description | Timing | Percentage |
---|---|---|
Assignment
| Mid semester | 35% |
Exam
| End of semester | 65% |
Hurdle requirement: Each piece of assessment must be submitted. | Throughout the teaching period | N/A |
Hurdle requirement: Attendance of at least 80% of laboratory classes. In case of failure to meet the hurdle requirement, additional work related to the missed class activities (e.g., short 500 word essay on missed topic) will be required before a passing grade can be awarded. | Throughout the teaching period | N/A |
Last updated: 11 April 2024
Dates & times
- Semester 1
Coordinator Andrew Perfors Mode of delivery Dual-Delivery (Parkville) Contact hours 36 hours Total time commitment 170 hours Teaching period 28 February 2022 to 29 May 2022 Last self-enrol date 11 March 2022 Census date 31 March 2022 Last date to withdraw without fail 6 May 2022 Assessment period ends 24 June 2022
Time commitment details
Estimated total time commitment for this subject is 170 hours
Last updated: 11 April 2024
Further information
- Texts
Prescribed texts
No prescribed texts.
- Related Handbook entries
This subject contributes to the following:
Type Name Informal specialisation Science Discipline subjects - new generation B-SCI Major Psychology Major Psychology - Breadth options
This subject is available as breadth in the following courses:
- Bachelor of Commerce
- Bachelor of Design
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Acting)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Animation)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Dance)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Film and Television)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Music Theatre)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Production)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Screenwriting)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Theatre)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Visual Art)
- Bachelor of Music
- Available through the Community Access Program
About the Community Access Program (CAP)
This subject is available through the Community Access Program (also called Single Subject Studies) which allows you to enrol in single subjects offered by the University of Melbourne, without the commitment required to complete a whole degree.
Entry requirements including prerequisites may apply. Please refer to the CAP applications page for further information.
Last updated: 11 April 2024