PY0663 - Psychology Project

On this module you will learn through project tutorials with your supervisor, and supporting lectures.
You will complete an independent piece of psychological research with support from the Module Tutor, UG Ethics Chair and an Individual Supervisor. You will have the opportunity to meet with your supervisor every week to discuss your research development. Your supervisor will provide guidance with respect to the conceptualisation, planning and execution of your research, and they will also guide your selection of research methodologies and statistical techniques. Supervisors may also provide guidance on practical issues such as participant recruitment and sourcing research materials, as well as overall research feasibility. The module tutor will, along with the Ethics Chair and other guest speakers, deliver a series of lectures and workshops to support the running of the module. These sessions will cover topics such as research ethics, data collection, analysis and interpretation, critical thinking, scientific writing, research dissemination and future career planning.

You primary source of support throughout the module will be your project supervisor. Your supervisor will advise and guide you through each phase of your research, and will also provide you verbal and written feedback on your ethics application and the assessments attached to the module.
Additionally, a series of lectures and workshops will be used to support your learning on the module. All content (e.g., lecture slides, reading lists, ethics and assessment templates) will be made available via the e-learning portal, as will links to other resources (e.g., research equipment, copyrighted tests, photographic stimuli) designed to support your completion of the module. A discussion board, allowing you to pose (and respond to) questions with peers, module and assessment tutors, and the UG Ethics Chair will also be made available via the e-learning portal, as will opportunities to engage with technology enabled learning in the form of email, Microsoft Office, TurnItIn, YouTube, Qualtrics, SPSS and a range of technologies designed for data manipulation.

All modules at Northumbria include a range of reading materials that students are expected to engage with. The reading list for this module can be found at: http://readinglists.northumbria.ac.uk
(Reading List service online guide for academic staff this containing contact details for the Reading List team – http://library.northumbria.ac.uk/readinglists)

Knowledge & Understanding:
MK1: You should be able to critically evaluate knowledge, theory and research evidence relevant to the topic of the psychology project.

Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities:

MIP1: You will develop the ability to initiate, plan and conceptualise an independent psychology project that is manageable within the time available
MIP2: You will conduct, analyse, interpret and write up resulting data and findings, and satisfy the psychology department’s ethics requirements, demonstrating skills valuable for employability
MIP3: You will develop skills in written communication, interpersonal skills, and time and project management skills, as well as computer and problem solving skills

Personal Values Attributes:
PVA1: You will reinforce the characteristics of a Northumbria Psychology Graduate as you create new knowledge, communicate effectively with your project supervisor, and demonstrate sensitivity to multicultural and interpersonal factors

Formative Assessment: -
You will receive continuous oral feedback through meetings with your project supervisor. You will also have the opportunity to produce draft ethics documents for discussion with your supervisor, providing feedback which will be useful for your later summative assessments (MK1; MIP1; MIP2; MIP3; PVA1)
Summative assessment:
You will write a Research Question and Design Proposal (RQDP; 2 page maximum). You will critique relevant psychological literature, provide a statement of your rationale and research question(s), and identify research methodologies and analysis techniques appropriate for answering your research question. Your RQDP mark will constitute 20% of your module grade. (MK1; MIP1; MIP3; PVA1)

You will write a research report (project; 8000 words maximum). Your project mark will constitute 80% of your module grade. (MK1; MIP2; MIP3, PVA1)

Ethics Submission: You are required to gain full ethical approval prior to beginning data collection. Failure to gain ethical approval by the published deadline, will result in 5 marks being deducted from your final mark for the project report.

Feedback
Written feedback will be provided on the RQDP submission. As a minimum standard of feedback, one strength and three weaknesses of your work will be highlighted. You will also receive additional verbal feedback in a dedicated one-to-one meeting with your supervisor.

You will receive individual written feedback on the final project report. Highlighting strengths and weaknesses of your work, along with areas for improvement.

None

None

You will individually conceptualise, plan, execute, analyse and write up a piece of psychological research with support from a supervisor. The project, which represents the culmination of your degree programme, provides you with an opportunity to further develop a range of research (e.g., critical thinking, data analysis/interpretation, scientific report writing) and generic (e.g., oral and written communication, time management, working with others, planning) skills that will enhance your employability.