Course Syllabus
Learning area
Research methods in experimental psychological sciences
Learning objectives
Knowledge and understanding
- Illustrating types of interventions
- Designing interventions and identifying their implications (e.g., ethics, golden standards, sampling)
- Analyzing costs and benefits of interventions
Applying knowledge and understanding
- Development of an intervention project
- Critical evaluation of interventions (theoretical and methodological implications)
Contents
The
course aims to provide the theoretical, methodological and practical bases to
design and evaluate a psychological intervention in different fields of
application. Students will be provided with a general framework of the elements
that constitute typical interventions in different psychological areas. Invited
experts will share their experience to deepen a series of specific technical
topics. Students will have the opportunity to practice their knowledge and to
design an intervention on a domain of their interest.
Detailed program
- Types of interventions across different fields of psychology
- Gold standards of interventions
- Assessing interventions’ efficacy: Quantitative and qualitative methods
- Nudge and Decisional Psychology
- Sampling: sampling strategies, sample size and effect size determination
- Power analysis
- Risk Analysis
- From pilot to large scale: defining costs and benefits of the interventions
- Elements and pitfalls of
costs/benefits analysis
Prerequisites
Good
knowledge of the research methods employed in psychological research enables a
more aware learning.
Teaching methods
*** Lessons will be held in presence or through online video lessons, according to the University’s regulations regarding the COVID-19 emergency situation. In both cases, all lessons will be video recorded and made available to the students. ***
Assessment methods
Learning will be assessed through a project work. Students will complete the project work in small groups, each one developing a psychological intervention project on a specific topic of their choice.
The projects will be discussed in the
final lesson of the laboratory.
*** During the COVID-19 emergency, exams will be conducted according to the University’s regulations regarding the COVID-19 emergency situation. ***
Textbooks and Reading Materials
There is not a reference book for this laboratory.
All the materials used in the class (i.e., slides, papers) will be made available on the e-learning website by the instructor.