UCL - Méthodes de recherche et techniques de recueil de données en psychologie

[PSYM2112]

[60h] 6 credits

This course is taught in the 1st semester.

Teacher(s): Mauro Pesenti, Isabelle Roskam, Emmanuelle Zech

Language: French

Level: Second

Aims
Main themes
Content and teaching methods
Other information (prerequisite, evaluation (assessment methods), course materials recommended readings, ...)

Aims

At the end of the training, the student:
- will be able to master the main procedures and methods of principal research in psychological sciences; including the techniques of data collection specific to the fields broached;
- will be able to have a methodological criticized look on the practices of research, the articles published, as well as the oral and written reports in research;
- will be able to work out a valid research plan and to concretely develop an experimental study.

Main themes

The course will present a set of methods and procedures used in various fields of research in psychological sciences, insisting on the methodological constraints that the characteristics of these fields imply to the practical implementation of valid experimental reasonings. The topics will cover the methods and procedures specific to research:
- In psychology of the development and education, through measurements of the behavior and personality of the child (by observation with video coding, hetero-brought back questionnaires and tests paper-pencil), of cognition and parental educational behavior (by discussions with analysis of contents, auto- and hetero-brought back questionnaires, Qsort);
- In social psychology and personality, through the evaluations of the psycho physiologic answers (e.g., cardiac and respiratory answers), behavioral-expressive (e.g., facial expressions, postures) and cognitive experimental (e.g., auto--brought back questionnaires, hetero-evaluations, implicit measurements) and their interrelationships;
- In (neuro) cognitive sciences, through measurements of the mental activity (behavioral measurements, metabolic and neurophysiologic measurements, organic method).

Content and teaching methods

The course has for objective:
- To teach methods and advanced procedures for research in psychology and sciences of education;
- To develop methodological criticisms and interpretation of data aptitudes towards published articles.
The course will include lectures by the teachers, workgroups (readings of articles, oral presentations), as well as meetings of practical initiation to certain techniques of collection and analysis of data.

Other information (prerequisite, evaluation (assessment methods), course materials recommended readings, ...)

Requirements: Understanding of basic notions of experimental methodology and observation (concepts of dependant and independent variables, experimental plan, internal and external validity, bias, etc); PSP1118, PSP1271, PSP1278 or equivalent courses. Understanding of basic notions of statistics (description of data, statistical inference; PSP or equivalent courses). Knowledge of scientific English; ANGL1840B or equivalent courses.
Evaluation: the written examination includes closed questions (with multiple choice and true/false) and open questions. Moreover the individual evaluation takes into account the contribution of the student to workgroup and oral presentations carried out by the students.
Support: made up of (1) synthesis chapters resulting from English and Frenchworks, and (2) slides and transparencies presented during the course. The books (see list below) are available in the Psychology library and the slides are available on iCampus according to the progression of the course.
References:
- Houdé references, O., Mazoyer, B., & Tzourio-Mazoyer, NR. (2002). Cerveau et psychologie. Introduction à l'imagerie cérébrale anatomique et fonctionnelle. Paris: PUF.
- Reis, H.T, & Judd, C.M. (Eds.) (2000). Handbook of methods in social and personality psychology. Cambridge: Cambridge University Near
- Vallérand, R.J. & Hess, U. (Eds.) (2000). Méthodes de recherche en psychologie. Bougerville, Canada: Gaëtan Morin.