Course Syllabus
Learning area
RESEARCH METHODS IN EXPERIMENTAL PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCES
Learning objectives
Knowledge and understanding
Learning different methods for survey research (including ambulatory assessment) and indirect measures
Learning about the scale construction process and psychometric issues when creating a measure
Applying knowledge and understanding
Identifying the best methods to measure different concepts in different domains
Creating surveys and indirect measures using specific software
Making Judgements
Understanding the quality and the shortcomings of psychological measurments methods
Several psychological measures are analyzed and their pros and cons are evaluated
Groups are formed to discuss pros and cons of measurement methods
Practical implementation issues are discussed and tested hands-on by students
Communication skills
Students present (in groups) their implementation of the various methods discussed in class
Students difend (in groups) their project and comment on other groups projects in class
Learning skills
Learning different methods for survey research (including ambulatory assessment) and indirect measures
Learning about the scale construction process and psychometric issues when creating a measure
Students develop their own survey or assessment project that allow them to apply these skills in their thesis or in their future workplace
Contents
Presentation of examples of research in different domains related to survey research and especially scale construction and validation, to studies using ecological momentary assessment, and to implicit cognition research.
Group work or individual work for creating surveys and measures applied to different domains.
Detailed program
Survey and vignette research: scale construction process, psychometric properties and quality, creating a survey using Qualtrics.
Ecological Momentary Assessment method: construction process, psychometric properties and quality, creating a EMA survey using Qualtrics and an App and testing it.
Prerequisites
No specific prerequisites but the lab experience might be better if you take the Psychometrics (for statistics) in the same year than the lab.
Teaching methods
The course will be held in presence. Teaching will consist of lecture-based lessons (about 12 hours), in which the most important survey techniques will be presented, as well as interactive classwork (about 24 hours), that will include individual and group work for creating different types of surveys.
Attendance is mandatory for at least 70% of the classes. Failure to meet this minimum attendance requirement may result in not passing the course.
Assessment methods
The course will be assessed on a pass/fail basis only. There is no final exam; evaluation will be based on active participation and any assignments or activities carried out during the course.
Students in small groups have to create a scale on a topic of their choice starting from the existing literature, then collect data, and examine the validity of the scale. The small groups have then to present their work orally with slides and each student has to provide an individual report on the work he/she/they produced within the group.
Textbooks and Reading Materials
Mehl, M. R., & Conner, T. S. (2012) Handbook of Research Methods for studying life. Guilford
Rudman, L. (2011). Implicit Measures for Social and Personality Psychology. Sage
Furr, R. M. (2011). Scale construction and Psychometrics. Sage
Sustainable Development Goals
Staff
-
Marcello Gallucci
