Introduction
Welcome to Psychology Research Methods!
Created by The Research Methods Teaching and Learning Group
This open education resource has been created for the use of PSY 321: Research Methods in Psychology at Portland State University. This will serve as your reading for PSY 321 this quarter.
The primary purpose of PSY 321: Research Methods in Psychology is to help you develop a foundation in research methods for psychology. During this course we will learn about how research scientists in the field of psychology identify questions, design studies, collect data, and present findings in a way that is clear and impactful. Upon completion of this course you will be able to:
- Locate, understand and interpret empirical research.
- Understand ethical concerns in conducting and reporting research.
- Understand the various forms of measurement.
- Understand the differences between experimental and observational research.
- Differentiate between validity and reliability.
- Design a research study to systematically investigate a hypothesis.
Building a strong foundation in research methods is an essential and important part of earning your psychology degree. This open education resource will provide you with weekly readings that support your success in this course and provide you with the breadth of knowledge you need to understand the science of psychology.
These OER materials were converted to a Pressbook under the direction of Dr. Scott Robison and with the help of Shalene Allen and Jeslin Hancock.
