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PSY-30061 - Module Specification
School of Psychology
Faculty of Natural Sciences

For academic year: 2024/25 Last Updated: 17 April 2024

PSY-30061 - Final Year Project (Double) - ISP
Coordinator: Nicola Marsh Room: N/A Tel: +44 1782 7 33317
Lecture Time: See Timetable...
Level: Level 6
Credits: 30
Study Hours: 300
School Office: 01782 733736

Programme/Approved Electives for 2024/25

None

Available as a Free Standing Elective

No

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

None

Barred Combinations

None

Description for 2024/25

The Final Year Project module, which runs over Autumn and Spring Semesters, provides final year students with the opportunity to put into practice the scholarship and research methods skills they have developed over the Psychology Course. Successful completion of a Final Year Project is also a prerequisite for a psychology degree that confers the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership of the British Psychological Society, which hugely facilitates pursuing a professional career in Psychology. Students should identify a supervisor from Psychology Academic Staff with research knowledge of an area in which they wish to conduct research. In consultation with their supervisor, students design, conduct and write-up a piece of original empirical work. Students also construct and present a poster about their research project in the first semester. The Project Research Report and Poster marks contribute to the module assessment. The academic, logical, numerical, IT, communication and organizational skills developed and practiced on this module are vital for postgraduate study in psychology and are regarded highly by potential employers.

Aims
The aim of this module is to give students the opportunity to carry out and report a sound empirical investigation of a research topic of personal interest to the student.

Talis Aspire Reading List
Any reading lists will be provided by the start of the course.
http://lists.lib.keele.ac.uk/modules/psy-30061/lists

Intended Learning Outcomes

design research complying with BPS ethical requirements, which is required for study approval by the School of Psychology Student Project Ethics Committee: 1
select, locate and critically review a pertinent research literature to identify gaps in existing knowledge: 2,3,4,5
initiate and design an empirical study that tests the research hypotheses/questions identified: 2,3,4,5
develop stimuli/materials pertinent to the research question: 2,3,4,5
identify and communicate key aspects of their project to an informed audience using visual and verbal presentation skills: 2,4,5
collect data, select and carry out an appropriate form of analysis: 3,5
discuss the implications of the results and critically evaluate the quality of the research: 3
write up their project research following APA report writing conventions: 3
critically review and assess contemporary scientific understanding of a chosen area of psychology from which the student can develop hypotheses or research questions that can be tested empirically within the time available: 2,3,4,5
Conduct themselves in a professional manner throughout the duration of their project (for example, record-keeping, contributing in meetings, engaging in planning/discussions, time-keeping etc): 5

Study hours

300 hours:
Supervision - 10 hours
Poster presentation - 1 hour
Asynchronous skills workshops - 4 hours
Independent study (including applying for ethical approval, preparing project poster, private study, data collection and report preparation) 285 hours.


School Rules

None

Description of Module Assessment

1: Ethical Approval weighted 0%
Approval of the project by the School Research Ethics Committee
SPEC Assessment of students' Final Year Project research proposals. The School of Psychology SPEC applies the British Psychological Society Guidelines for ethical (human and other animal) research. Research ethics is a topic covered throughout course from the 1st year of study.

2: Assignment weighted 5%
Project Poster (poster)
This is part 1 of a 2-part assignment. Students submit A1 size posters describing and explaining their Final Year Psychology Research Projects. In part 2, students will present the poster. Students must complete both part 1 and part 2 in order to get a grade. Students cannot get a grade for part 1 without completing part 2.

3: Research Report weighted 80%
Project Research Report
Word length: 5,000 - 10,000 words depending on the standard for the research area. Quantitative projects are expected to be towards the lower end of the range, while qualitative projects are expected to be towards the upper end of the range.

4: Assignment weighted 5%
Project Poster (presentation)
This is part 2 of a 2-part assignment. Students present their previously submitted posters (part 1) describing and explaining their Final Year Psychology Research Projects. These 'informal' presentations are assessed by the students' Research Project supervisors and the allocated 2nd marker of the students' Final Year Psychology Research Reports. Students must complete both part 1 and part 2 in order to get a grade. Students cannot complete part 2, if they don't complete part 1.

5: Performance weighted 10%
Professional Skills
Marks are awarded to each student based on a range of professional skills that the student is able to demonstrate across the project. Skills include: organisation; independence; preparation; problem solving and communication skills. This will be graded using a rubric.

Please note that for the 2022/23 Academic Year programmes may be adapted to operate in accordance with a flexible, digital approach. This means that there may be some changes made to how modules are delivered and assessed. The latest information will be provided to you by your School in module handbooks. We endeavour to give you as much notice as possible of any changes and details about the circumstance in which changes are made to programmes can be found in the Student Agreement, available at: https://www.keele.ac.uk/student-terms-and-conditions/

Last Updated: 17 April 2024