PSY2105 – Hands-on science in psychology: Evaluating publications and conducting a research project
Course content
The course gives students the opportunity to gather first-hand experience with psychological research. Students will either jointly conduct a group research project or do a research internship.
The course has three goals: (1) familiarize students with all stages of the research process; (2) strengthen research methods and quantitative methods skills; and (3) convey knowledge in the project topics from the fields of cognitive, developmental, or social psychology.
The course uses a project-based approach. Students collect and analyse their own data. The course is based on the idea that methods skills are best trained by conducting research oneself.
If doing a group project, students work in groups of about 12 students on one concrete research questions under the supervision of one researcher. Students choose the topic from a list of offered topics, read and evaluate relevant literature, develop research question and hypotheses, plan a study and develop materials, run the study and collect data, analyse the data, and present and discuss results to their fellow students.
If doing a research internship, students work directly with one researcher on a project that they develop together, and go through the same steps.
Researchers from cognitive, developmental, and social psychology participate in teaching the course. Not all fields may be represented in each semester. After being admitted to the course, students will be informed on what researchers will offer projects and internships, will be asked to rank-order their preference, and then be assigned to a project. (It will not always be possible to follow individual preferences.)
Before the project, a set of four lectures refreshes knowledge on research methods and quantitative methods, introduces open science methods, and orients in how to plan research.
At the conclusion of the course, students from both the group project path and the internship path meet for a final symposium where they present their work in a pecha kucha style presentation and in a poster session..
The initial 4 lectures will be given in English. Group projects may be given in English or Norwegian. Language of assignments, presentation and posters can be chosen by students.
Learning outcome
Knowledge
Principles of the research process
Principles of open science in planning, conducting, and reporting psychological research
Statistics of p-values effect sizes, statistical power
Skills
Evaluate evidential value of scientific publications
Plan empirical studies to maximize evidential value
Plan and pre-register analyses
Analyse real data
Use open science platforms
General competence
Group work
Project management
Presentation of a research project
Admission to the course
Students who are admitted to study programmes at UiO must each semester register which courses and exams they wish to sign up for in Studentweb.
If you are not already enrolled as a student at UiO, please see our information about admission requirements and procedures.
Formal prerequisite knowledge
The content of this course builds on introductory courses in developmental, social, and cognitive psychology, and methods, in particular:
- PSY1200 - Introduction to developmental psychology
- PSY1300 - Kognitiv psykologi
- PSY1100 - Innføring i sosialpsykologi
- PSY1010 - Innføring i metode
- PSY2014 - Kvantitativ metode
For proffesions students:
- PSY1200 / PSYC1210 - Introduction to developmental psychology
- PSY1300 / PSYC1230 - Kognitiv psykologi
- PSY1100 / PSYC1201 - Innføring i sosialpsykologi
- PSY1010 / PSYC1100 - Innføring i metode
- PSY2014 / PSYC2104 - Kvantitativ metode
- These courses (or equivalents) are prerequisites.
Teaching
Access to teaching
Initial 4 lectures (1.5 h) with complete group, assignments on canvas
Planned schedule of lecture:
- The research project from funding to publication; principles of open science
- Evaluating evidential value, statistical concepts: sample size, effect sizes, statistical power
- Demonstration of evaluation and reanalysis
- How to develop a research project
Teaching in group work path will be given in project groups of max 12 students. Groups meet with their project teacher in seminar, 8 times for 3 h. Attendance is compulsory; students can miss 2 meetings
Approximate outline of the 8 meetings:
- Discussion of research field, choosing a topic
- Development of hypothesis and study outline
- Development of material
- Development of material
- Preparation to collect data
- Analysis of data
- Analysis of data
- Preparation of presentation
Examination
Assignment 1 consists of a report after the lecture part on a reanalysis of existing data
Second examination consists of a presentation of the internship/project and its results to all other students via pecha kucha presentation and poster.
Language of examination
You may write your report in Norwegian, Swedish, Danish or English.
Grading scale
Grades are awarded on a pass/fail scale. Read more about the grading system.
Resit an examination
If you are sick or have another valid reason for not attending the regular exam, we offer a postponed exam later in the same semester.
See also our information about resitting an exam.
More about examinations at UiO
- Use of sources and citations
- Special exam arrangements due to individual needs
- Withdrawal from an exam
- Illness at exams / postponed exams
- Explanation of grades and appeals
- Resitting an exam
- Cheating/attempted cheating
You will find further guides and resources at the web page on examinations at UiO.