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PSY-40163 - Module Specification
School of Psychology
Faculty of Natural Sciences

For academic year: 2025/26 Last Updated: 04 December 2025

PSY-40163 - Applied Psychological Research Methods
Coordinator: Chris Street Tel: +44 1782 7 33386
Lecture Time: See Timetable...
Level: Level 7
Credits: 30
Study Hours: 300
School Office: 01782 733736

Programme/Approved Electives for 2025/26

None

Available as a Free Standing Elective

No

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

None

Barred Combinations

None

Description for 2025/26

You will develop a critical understanding of different quantitative and qualitative philosophical approaches to understanding the world (e.g., social constructivist, semantic, frequentist, Bayesian). The module takes you through the full research process, from the implementing of an appropriate research method to address a psychological question to handling, extracting and analysing the data and finally through to interpreting and disseminating the findings.

Aims
This module provides training for students around advanced research skills, design, and analysis. It aims to provide students with advanced research skills and familiarity with a breadth of research designs in psychology so that they can progress through the rest of the programme being able to set their work in wider context. It includes an advanced and critical understanding of different quantitative and qualitative research skills and methods (e.g., discursive analysis, Bayesian t-test) and philosophical approaches (e.g., semantic, social constructivist, frequentist, Bayesian).

Intended Learning Outcomes

Critically apply advanced psychological research methods to answer a research question: 1,2
Communicate the findings of an advanced analysis to a scientific audience: 2
Demonstrate competence in a range of analytical skills: 1

Study hours

Synchronous hours:
- Class time: 58 hours
Asynchronous hours:
- Online guided asynchronous activities: 30 hours
- Assessment preparation and completion: 127 hours
- Independent study hours: 85 hours

School Rules

None

Description of Module Assessment

1: Flexible Class Test weighted 30%
Analytical Practical
Students will be assigned data sets relevant to the techniques that they have learnt on the module and be required to implement the statistical approaches learnt on the module in order to answer a set of multiple choice questions. Addressing the questions will require understanding the nature of the data, and having competence in carrying out and interpreting the results of the methods that they have learnt. Some questions will addresss conceptual aspects of research methods while others will require students to complete analyses using mock data sets provided to the students. Twenty questions will be set as part of the assessment. The questions will be related to the techniques taught between Weeks 1 and 6. The questions will be released to students two weeks before the end of the assessment period.

2: Laboratory Report weighted 70%
3,000 to 4,000 word Lab Report
Students will analyse a set of either quantitative or qualitative data in order to produce a 3,000-word to 4,000-word scientific lab report formatted to APA standard. Students will use at least one technique that was taught between weeks 7 and 12. Quantitative lab reports are expected to be approximately 3,000 words while qualitative lab reports are expected to be approximately 4,000 words. An opportunity for in-class formative assessment will be made available.

The University undertakes a continuous review of its teaching and research provision to ensure programmes are of a high quality and changes may be made to modules where it is necessary and reasonable to do so. Please be aware that minor changes to modules, such as a change to an individual assessment, can occur up until enrolment, although we endeavour to give you as much notice as possible of any changes. 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/legalgovernancecompliance/governance/actcharterstatutesordinancesandregulations/studenttermsconditions/

Last Updated: 04 December 2025