PSYC2012: Semester 1, 2025

Overview

The aim is to introduce students to fundamental concepts in statistics and research design as applied to psychological research. These include summary descriptive statistics, an introduction to the principles and practice of research design (both quantitative and qualitative approaches), and the use of inferential statistics. Building upon this framework, the unit of study aims to develop each student's expertise in understanding the rationale for, and application of, a variety of statistical tests to the sorts of data typically obtained in psychological research.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit	Psychology Academic Operations
Credit points	6
Prerequisites ?	PSYC1001 or PSYC1002
Corequisites ?	None
Prohibitions ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	Recommended: HSC Mathematics, any level
Available to study abroad and exchange students	Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Daniel Costa, daniel.costa@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s)	Daniel Costa, daniel.costa@sydney.edu.au

Assessment

The census date for this unit availability is 31 March 2025

Details
Criteria

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Supervised exam ?	Final Exam See the 'Assessment summary' below and Canvas site for details.	40%	Formal exam period	2 hours
Outcomes assessed:
Online task	Quizzes See the 'Assessment summary' below and Canvas site for details.	30%	Multiple weeks	15 minutes ea
Outcomes assessed:
Participation	Research Participation See the 'Assessment summary' below and Canvas site for details.	5%	STUVAC	Up to 5 hours
Outcomes assessed:
Online task	Quizzes 1 and 2 Early feedback task	0%	Week 02	15 minutes ea
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Assignment See the 'Assessment summary' below and Canvas site for details.	25%	Week 09 Due date: 02 May 2025 at 23:59 Closing date: 30 May 2025	See Canvas for details.
Outcomes assessed:
= hurdle task ? = AI allowed ? = early feedback task ?

Early feedback task

This unit includes an early feedback task, designed to give you feedback prior to the census date for this unit. Details are provided in the Canvas site and your result will be recorded in your Marks page. It is important that you actively engage with this task so that the University can support you to be successful in this unit.

Assessment summary

Research Participation: Students can volunteer to participate in research run by students and academics in the School of Psychology. Students will receive 1% for every hour of participation recorded (i.e. five hours will yield the maximum of 5%). If you do not complete any or all of your five hours of Research Participation, you simply will not receive the marks associated with it. An alternative to the Research Participation assessment is available if made by request to the Unit of Study Coordinator before 11:59pm on Sunday of the sixth week - the alternative will be a written assignment.
Quizzes: A total of 10 quizzes will be delivered online throughout semester. Each quiz will be made available from Tuesday 9am – Monday 11:59pm the following week, with the best 8 of 10 contributing to your final score. Each quiz will test the knowledge acquired in previous weeks tutorials. If you miss any of the Quizzes, you may apply for Special Consideration, from which the only outcome is a 'mark adjustment', applying only to the Quiz(zes) you were approved to miss (N.B: if you miss seven or more quizzes and are approved for Special Consideration for all of them, you will be required to complete an oral assessment). If you miss any of the Quizzes and do not receive Special Consideration, you will simply not receive the marks associated with the Quiz(zes).
Assignment: Students will be provided with a dataset and will need to answer questions by critically applying the knowledge and skills learnt in previous weeks to said dataset. If you do not complete the Assignment by the closing date, you may apply for Special Consideration, from which the only outcome is a 'replacement', details of which will be sent to you by the Unit of Study Coordinator by the end of the semester. If you do not complete the Assignment and are not approved by Special Consideration, you will simply receive 0 for the Assignment.
Final Exam: Each lecture series and the Assignment will be assessed in a two-hour closed book exam held after the teaching period ends. If you miss the Final Exam, you may apply for Special Consideration, from which the only outcome is a 'replacement', which will be held in the University's Replacement Exam period. If a Second Replacement Exam is required, the format will be at coordinator discretion and may be an oral exam held outside of the formal period. If you miss the Final Exam and are not approved by Special Consideration, you will receive an Absent Fail (AF) grade for this unit, as the Final Exam is a compulsory assessment.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a High distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a Distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100	This work shows excellent understanding of the topic and clear evidence of independent critical thought.
Distinction	75 - 84	This work shows a very good understanding of the relevant content. Some calculations or interpretations may be flawed, but a serious and sustained attempt has been made.
Credit	65 - 74	This work shows a clear understanding of the relevant material; it contains only small gaps or minor errors.
Pass	50 - 64	This work shows evidence of a satisfactory level of understanding of the relevant material; it may contain gaps, errors or other kinds of blemishes, but it is obvious that the student has read and digested material from lectures and/or tutorials.
Fail	0 - 49	When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see guide to grades.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

Except for supervised exams or in-semester tests, you may use generative AI and automated writing tools in assessments unless expressly prohibited by your unit coordinator.

For exams and in-semester tests, the use of AI and automated writing tools is not allowed unless expressly permitted in the assessment instructions.

The icons in the assessment table above indicate whether AI is allowed – whether full AI, or only some AI (the latter is referred to as “AI restricted”). If no icon is shown, AI use is not permitted at all for the task. Refer to Canvas for full instructions on assessment tasks for this unit.

Your final submission must be your own, original work. You must acknowledge any use of automated writing tools or generative AI, and any material generated that you include in your final submission must be properly referenced. You may be required to submit generative AI inputs and outputs that you used during your assessment process, or drafts of your original work. Inappropriate use of generative AI is considered a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy and penalties may apply.

The Current Students website provides information on artificial intelligence in assessments. For help on how to correctly acknowledge the use of AI, please refer to the  AI in Education Canvas site.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Support for students

The Support for Students Policy 2023 reflects the University’s commitment to supporting students in their academic journey and making the University safe for students. It is important that you read and understand this policy so that you are familiar with the range of support services available to you and understand how to engage with them.

The University uses email as its primary source of communication with students who need support under the Support for Students Policy 2023. Make sure you check your University email regularly and respond to any communications received from the University.

Learning resources and detailed information about weekly assessment and learning activities can be accessed via Canvas. It is essential that you visit your unit of study Canvas site to ensure you are up to date with all of your tasks.

If you are having difficulties completing your studies, or are feeling unsure about your progress, we are here to help. You can access the support services offered by the University at any time:

Support and Services (including health and wellbeing services, financial support and learning support)
Course planning and administration
Meet with an Academic Adviser

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	Introduction to statistics and research methods	Lecture (3 hr)
Week 02	Variables, research design, and measurement properties	Lecture (3 hr)
Week 02	Research questions, variables, and measurement properties	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 03	Descriptive statistics and the normal distribution	Lecture (3 hr)
Week 03	Introduction to R	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 04	Introduction to null hypothesis significance testing	Lecture (3 hr)
Week 04	Descriptive statistics, tables and graphs	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 05	Introduction to qualitative research	Lecture (3 hr)
Week 06	Related and independent-samples t-tests	Lecture (3 hr)
Week 06	Introduction to qualitative research	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 07	One-way analysis of variance	Lecture (3 hr)
Week 07	One-, related and independent-samples t-tests	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 08	Two-way analysis of variance	Lecture (3 hr)
Week 08	One-way analysis of variance	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 09	Design, data collection and analysis in qualitative research	Lecture (3 hr)
Week 09	Two-way analysis of variance	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 10	Correlation	Lecture (3 hr)
Week 10	Interpreting and evaluating the quality of qualitative research	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 11	Regression	Lecture (3 hr)
Week 11	Correlation	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 12	Chi-square tests and other research methods topics	Lecture (3 hr)
Week 12	Regression	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 13	Ethics and limitations of research	Lecture (3 hr)
Week 13	Interpretation and summary	Tutorial (2 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

For each week, content will be delivered during the 2-hour lecture on Monday. The lecture on Tuesday will involve revision, extra practice and the opportunity to ask questions about the Monday lecture content. Each week there will be one 2-hour tutorial, which will be face-to-face on campus.

Students are welcome to bring a calculator to tutorials, but there will be few calculations required in this unit. The calculators used in HSC mathematics courses will be suitable.

As per Section 60(5)(c), 68(2)(a), and 68(3) of the University’s Coursework Policy, a student must comply with a Unit of Study’s attendance requirement – for this Unit of Study, a student must be recorded as having attended at least 8 of 11 tutorials, and if a student does not meet this requirement, they will receive an Absent Fail (AF) grade.

Also, as noted in the Assessment table, the Final Exam is a compulsory assessment, so a student who does not attend it and is not approved to miss it will receive an Absent Fail (AF) grade.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

The recommended text for this unit is

Coolican, H., (2018). Research Methods and Statistics in Psychology (7th ed.). London: Routledge.

This is a available as an e-book via the library.

Two recommended resources are the two versions of David Howell’s texts (available via the University library as hard copies only):

Howell, D. C. (2012). Statistical methods for psychology (8th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.
Howell, D. C. (2017). Fundamental statistics for the behavioral sciences (9th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.
- For those students who have done no statistics before (PSYC1001/1002 not included) and are apprehensive, the Fundamental textbook is recommended. For those who have some statistical training, the Statistical methods textbook is more advanced and a valuable reference for further study in Psychology. Earlier editions of the textbooks are suitable. See Canvas for updated pricing and library availability information.

For Statistics, useful resources are:

Aron, A., Aron, E. N., & Coups, E. (2013). Statistics for psychology (6th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
King, B. M., & Minium, E. W. (2003). Statistical reasoning in psychology and education (4th ed.). New York: Wiley.
Wheelan, C. (2013). Naked statistics: Stripping the dread from the data. New York: Norton.

For Research Methods, useful resources are:

Gravetter, F. J., & Forzano, L. B. (2016). Research methods for the behavioral sciences (5th ed.). Stamford, CT: Cengage Learning.
Mitchell, M, L., & Jolley, J. M. (2012). Research design explained (8th ed.). Belmont, CA: Thomson Wadsworth.
*Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3, 77-101.
*Chiovitti, R. F., & Piran, N. (2003). Rigour and grounded theory research. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 44, 427-435.
*Gale, N. K., Heath, G., Cameron, E., Rashid, S., & Redwood, S. (2013). Using the framework method for the analysis of qualitative data in multi-disciplinary heath research. BMC Medical Research Methodology, 13, 117. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2288-13-117 (Links to an external site.)
*Holloway, I., & Todres, L. (2003). The status of method: Flexibility, consistency and coherence. Qualitative Research, 3, 345-357.

*These resources are useful for qualitative research methods.

There is a huge number of resources for using R. The following is probably what most closely maps to this unit:

Navarro, D. Learning Statistics with R.
https://learningstatisticswithr.com/

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. Calculate and interpret descriptive statistics such as measures of central tendency and variability
LO2. Demonstrate understanding of graphical and tabular representations of data, and be able to use statistical tables
LO3. Conduct significance tests for statistical hypotheses relevant to Psychology
LO4. Compute and interpret confidence intervals and effect size indices
LO5. Describe, apply, and evaluate the different quantitative research methods used by psychologists
LO6. Describe and define qualitative research methods used by psychologists
LO7. Demonstrate practical skills in laboratory-based and other psychological research
LO8. Recognise potential bias in human thinking, including cultural biases in interpretation of research
LO9. Use information in an ethical manner (e.g., acknowledge and respect work and intellectual property rights of others through appropriate citations in oral and written communication); understand the ethical obligations of research scientists and understand best practice in research design

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Alignment with Competency standards

Outcomes	Competency standards
	Australian Psychology Accreditation Council - 1.1.12. research methods and statistics.
	Australian Psychology Accreditation Council - 1.1.12. research methods and statistics.
	Australian Psychology Accreditation Council - 1.1.12. research methods and statistics.
	Australian Psychology Accreditation Council - 1.1.12. research methods and statistics.
	Australian Psychology Accreditation Council - 1.1.12. research methods and statistics.
	Australian Psychology Accreditation Council - 1.1.12. research methods and statistics.
	Australian Psychology Accreditation Council - 1.1.12. research methods and statistics. 1.6. Demonstrate self-directed pursuit of scholarly inquiry in psychology.
	Australian Psychology Accreditation Council - 1.1.12. research methods and statistics. 1.2. Apply knowledge and skills of psychology in a manner that is reflexive, culturally appropriate and sensitive to the diversity of individuals.
	Australian Psychology Accreditation Council - 1.1.12. research methods and statistics. 1.2. Apply knowledge and skills of psychology in a manner that is reflexive, culturally appropriate and sensitive to the diversity of individuals. 1.4. Demonstrate an understanding of appropriate values and ethics in psychology.

Australian Psychology Accreditation Council -

Competency code	Taught, Practiced or Assessed	Competency standard
1.1.12		research methods and statistics.
1.2		Apply knowledge and skills of psychology in a manner that is reflexive, culturally appropriate and sensitive to the diversity of individuals.
1.3		Analyse and critique theory and research in the discipline of psychology and communicate these in written and oral formats.
1.4		Demonstrate an understanding of appropriate values and ethics in psychology.

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

The lectures, tutorials and assessment tasks have changed substantially in 2025, based on student feedback and increased use of generative AI.

Additional information

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

This unit of study outline was last modified on 21 Feb 2025.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Early feedback task

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Alignment with Competency standards

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect

Current students

PSYC2012: Statistics and Research Methods for Psych

Semester 1, 2025 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Early feedback task

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Alignment with Competency standards

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect