PY2107:03
Experimental Investigation and Analysis of Behaviour
| Townsville, Cairns | HECS Band 1 |
26 hours lectures, 12 hours tutorials, 24 hours practicals. Semester 2.
Staff: Dr D Cottrell (Cairns campus).
This subject introduces and examines the design and implementation of experimental research. Emphasis is on the use of the experiment as an inferential tool to test theory and build an empirical foundation for the science. As such, coverage will include detailed discussion of matters of experimental design and the practical use of statistical procedures.
Beginning with the basic designs and using these as building blocks for more complex designs, all major experimental designs commonly used by psychologists will be covered. In parallel with a detailed description of major designs, a comprehensive conceptual description and practical application of appropriate statistical analysis of data collected from each of the designs will also be provided.
Learning Objectives:
- provide an appreciation for the richness of information available from different experimental designs;
- provide the basic information necessary to design and to analyse experiments;
- provide the necessary skills and understanding necessary to critically evaluate research findings and inferences drawn from experimental data;
- provide the skills to analyse data using SPSS.
Assessment by practical work (40%); statistics quiz (30%); final examination (30%).