Brief Course Description

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This course provides an overview of advanced research methods used in industrial and organizational psychology including research ethics. Students will learn to determine whether the data investigation approaches are the best ones for the research purpose. Tips on writing research articles are also discussed. Students will have hands-on practice in actual data analyses using statistical software and in research report writing.

 

Aims

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This course aims to:

1.  Provide students with practical knowledge of operationalizing research questions;

2.  Provide students with knowledge of sampling;

3.  Provide students with knowledge of selecting assessments;

4.  Train students to identify correct statistical techniques for testing research questions;

5.  Teach students to use different statistical programs to analyse data;

6.  Prepare students to present the results in the format that meets the requirements of the American Psychological Association;

7.  Train students to understand the importance of ethics in conducting research.

           

Learning Outcomes

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Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to:

1.  Ask research questions that are able to be tested using scientific research methods (LO1)

2.  List different research methods in work psychology and design psychological research to collect data (LO2)

3.  Evaluate the reliability and validity of measurement tools for surveys and experimental studies (LO3)

4.  Select appropriate statistical techniques to interpret, evaluate and analyse data (LO4)

5.  Perform common statistical procedures used by psychologists in quantitative data analysis with statistical software, such as SPSS and AMOS (LO5)

6.  Prepare reports with strong logical reasoning and critical thinking using APA format (LO6)

 

Indicative Content

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1. Background and introduction of quantitative psychological studies

2. Advanced design in psychological research and research ethnics

3. Descriptive statistics

   • Central tendency

   • Variance

4. Distribution

   • Frequency

   • Z-distribution

5. Hypothesis testing

   • Z-test

   • One-sample t-test

6. Compare means

   • Independent sample t-test

   • Paired sample t-test

   • ANOVA

7. Correlation

8. Regression

   • Simple linear regression

   • Multiple regression

9. Item analysis

10. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA)

11. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA)

12. Structural Equation Modelling with AMOS

    •  Mediation

    •  Moderation

 

Teaching Method

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Lectures combined with computer and psychology lab practices. Relevant research studies and actual data analysis will be used to illustrate the application of different research designs and statistical techniques. Half of the classes during the term will be held in the computer laboratory. Students will have the chance to apply what they have learned from the readings and lectures. Students will perform statistical computation using available datasets. 

 

Measurement of Learning Outcomes

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1. Students’ comprehension and synthesis of research and statistical concepts will be assessed by exercises and examination. Students are expected to apply the relevant concepts to manipulate and interpret information about statistical analysis and validate research design. Students have to demonstrate their awareness of ethical issues in empirical research (LOs 1-6).

2. Students’ application of statistical concepts and techniques will be assessed via computer lab assignments. Students are expected to formulate hypotheses, select appropriate statistical methods, and carry out various procedures of data analysis and report the findings appropriately (LOs 4, 5).

3. Students’ logical reasoning and critical thinking will be assessed by examination and computer lab exercises (LO 6).

 

Assessments (continuous, including attendance, interaction and exercises): 40%

Final examination (19:00-22:00, 15 May 2019): 60%

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Recommended Readings

 

1. Rogelberg, S. G. (Ed.). (2002). Handbook of research methods in industrial and organizational psychology. London: Blackwell.

2. Whiteley, B. E. Jr., & Kite, M. E. (2013). Principles of research in behavioural science (3rd ed.). New York: Routledge.

3. Aron, A., Aron, E. N., and Coups, E., Statistics for Psychology, 6th Edition, US: Pearson,  2012.

4. Cohen, R. J., Swerdlik, M. E. & Sturman, E. Psychological Testing and Assessment: An Introduction to Test and Measurement, 8th Edition, New York, NY: McGraw Hill, 2012.

5. Cooper, H., Camic, Paul M., Long, D., Panter, A., Rindskof, D., & Sher, K. (Eds.). (2012). The APA handbook of research methods in psychology. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association

6. Dyer, C., Doing Research in Psychology: A Practical Guide to Research Methods and Statistics, 2nd Edition, London: Blackwell, 2006.

7. Field, A., Discovery Statistics Using SPSS, 4th Edition, London: Sage, 2013.

8. Elmes, D. G., Kantowitz, B. H., and Roediger, H. L., III Research Methods in Psychology, 9th Edition, Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning, 2011.

9. Goodwin, C. J., & Goodwin, K. A. (2017). Research in psychology methods and design. John Wiley & Sons.

10. Gravetter, F. J., and Wallnau, L. B., Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences, 9th Edition, New York: Thomson Wadsworth, 2012.

11. Gregory, R. J., Psychological Testing: History, Principles, and Applications, 6th Edition, Needham Heights, MA: Allyn and Bacon, 2010.

12. Hair, J., Anderson, Black, W., R., Babin, B. J., Anderson, R. E. Multivariate Data Analysis, 5th Edition, Prentice Hall, 2009.

13. Horvat, J., and Davis, S. F., Doing Psychological Research, Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1998.

14. Howell, D. C., Statistical Methods for Psychology, 8th Edition, Belmont: Thomson, 2012.

15. Levin J., and Fox J. A., Elementary Statistics in Social Research, 12th Edition, Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 2013.

16. Moring, B. (2014). Research methods in psychology: Evaluating a world of information. WW Norton & Company.

17. Pelham, B. W., and Blanton, H., Conducting Research in Psychology: Measuring the Weight of Smoke, 4th Edition, Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning, 2012.

18. Schuman, H., and Presser, S., Questions and Answers in Attitude Surveys: Experiments on Question Form, Wording, and Context. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 1996.

19. Shaughnessy, J. J., Zechmeister, E. B., and Zechmeister, J. S. 2015. Research Methods in Psychology, 10th Edition., Boston: McGraw Hill.

20. Sudman, S., Bradburn, N. M., and Schwarz, N., Thinking about Answers: The Application of Cognitive Processes to Survey Methodology, San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 1996.

 

Important Note

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Students shall be aware of the University regulations about dishonest practice in course work and the possible consequences as stipulated in the Regulations Governing University Examinations

 

According to Lingnan University and Social Sciences Programme policy, plagiarism is “the presentation of another person’s work without proper acknowledgement of the source, including exact phrases, or summarised ideas, or even footnotes/citations, whether protected by copyright or not, as the student’s own work.” Plagiarism (unattributed copying) will be heavily penalized and may attract a zero mark and disciplinary action.