PSYC 491: Topical Research in Psychology (WI)
Prerequisites: PSYC 302
Credit Hours: (3)
Students conduct empirical research under the supervision of a faculty member and
prepare a report on the study in APA format. Students will develop content knowledge
and skills related to being a professional psychologist, including, but not limited
to, reading and understanding current literature, developing research questions, designing
research projects, conducting research, and communicating research results in written
and oral form. Research topics will vary with the interests of the faculty member
teaching a section.
Note(s): Applied Learning designated course. Students may be assigned a list of outside readings
from a reading list of primary literature in relevant psychological journals. This
course will fulfill the Integrative Research Experience required of psychology majors
in the revised major.
Detailed Description of Content of Course
1)Introduce, review, and integrate contemporary issues in a given topical area of psychology
a.Includes critical reading of research literature.
2)Review, develop, and apply relevant professional skills related to modern research and analysis techniques used in the field
a.Varies based on content focus
b.May include, but is not limited to, primary data collection, use of archival data, various research designs with different populations (e.g., student participants, animal models, etc.), advanced quantitative or qualitative analyses
i.Students will design and collect data related to the topical area of psychology
ii.Students will analyze and interpret data related to the topical area of psychology
3)Review and apply scientific writing skills in the drafting, revision based on feedback, and completion of an individual-student authored, APA-style research paper based on research conducted throughout the course of the semester
Detailed Description of Conduct of Course
A number of instructional strategies will be employed to enhance student engagement and learning. Courses will include following elements:
•Critical reading of research literature
•Individual and/or collaborative research activities
•Individual formal writing process that includes drafting, feedback, and revision.
•Individual and/or group presentations
Courses may also include other instructional strategies such as.
•Lecture and/or instructor-led discussion
•Informal writing and oral presentation activities
•Online content, activities, and assignments
•Community-based projects
•Video instruction
•Small-group discussions
•Critical thinking assignments
•Group activities
•Case studies
•Guest speakers
•Journals or class blogs
Goals and Objectives of the Course
Having successfully completed this course, the student will be able to:
1)Identify the major areas of contemporary research on the topic of the class
2)Describe and explain the procedures and issues of measurement and empirical research related to the topic
3)Design an empirical test of a hypothesis regarding some aspect of the topic
4)Apply developed professional skills to perform an empirical investigation of some aspect of the topic and collect and analyze quantitative or qualitative data relating to the research project
5)Apply developed professional skills to write up and revise the results of empirical research conducted within the course in APA format
6)Critically reflect on the professional skills they have developed.
Assessment Measures
1)Students may have quizzes, tests, midterms, and/or comprehensive finals in this course.
2)A term project. Students will be required to apply their content knowledge and research skills to write up a research investigation conducted within the course in APA format that includes drafting, feedback, and revision. Students may be required to make oral presentations of the term project, and may also be required to present oral reviews of research studies within the topic. Students may be required to present the study at the Student Engagement Forum or other venue.
3)Participation, project critiques, homework, in-class presentations, and short written reviews of research within this topic may also be part of the assessment process for this course.
Other Course Information
Students may be assigned a list of outside readings from a reading list of primary literature in relevant psychological journals.
This course fulfills the Integrative Research Experience required of psychology majors.
Review and Approval
April 13, 2016
October, 2007
March 01, 2021