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This module allows students to investigate the nature / nurture debate within psychology via independent-led inquiry. Here, students will be first introduced to the debate within psychology before having the autonomy to delve deeper into this debate within a specific topic area of the discipline (e.g. personality, intelligence or aggression). Through this endeavour, students will also be introduced to the different methods and techniques of searching for sources during a literature search. Students will be required to think critically about the sources they retrieve and learn to summarise the information and conclusions from these sources in a clear and effective manner. Students will develop key research enquiry skills, with a particular focus on the development of a rationale behind a research project and its target population. Students will also be introduced to key concepts in research methods (e.g., empiricism vs. dogmatism, validity, reliability, interview techniques) and review the different (qualitative, quantitative & mixed methods) approaches to research in psychology and the strengths and weaknesses of each. Students will also be encouraged to consider the real world implications of research and engage in experiential learning about research in psychology through participating in other students’ research projects.
Students will be required to produce two pieces of coursework. The first will be a group report where students will evidence their development of, and then reflect upon, their literature search skills. The second assessment will be an individual presentation where students will demonstrate these new skills, in conjunction with their awareness of research principles. Throughout the module, students will be encouraged to collaborate across subject boundaries and to think critically about the transferable nature of academic knowledge and research skills.
By the end of this module, students will have become inquiring, analytical, digitally literate, collaborative, and research-minded students.
Purpose and scope of the module:
This is an SCQF Level 7 module and upon successful completion, participants will be awarded 20 credits.
Delivery
The module will be delivered using a hybrid approach of weekly 1-hour independent activities followed by 2-hour labs.
Course presenter
This module will be delivered by Dr Greg Maciejewski.
NOTE: This is a university module and upon approval of your application, you will be invited to register and then supported to complete enrolment. To enrol on the university system, the first step involves security set-up using the Microsoft Authenticator app; you will need to ensure that you have a compatible smartphone.
Further information is available at the Student Information Portal.
To access this module via the CPD route, individuals should be ordinarily resident in Scotland. If you do not meet this criteria, please enquire here.