Going into level I

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Going into level I

• Psychology NoH

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Modules

• Researching the Social World (RSW) this covers
  statistics that build on your first year coupled
  with Social Psychology.
• Mind, Brain and Behaviour (MBB) which covers
  Psychobiology, Evolution and Cognitive Psychology.

The persistence of vision..
OCD
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Provisional structure of the year

• 6 weeks of RSW1 statistics, including ANOVA,
  multiple regression and qualitative techniques
  e.g. thematic analysis
• 6 weeks of MBB 1 biology, including evolution,
  OCD and sexuality
• 6 weeks of RSW2 Social psychology, including
  social identity, cults, conformity and obedience
  amongst other things
• 6 weeks of MBB 2 Cognitive Psychology, including
  memory, visual cognition.

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Provisional assessment

• RSW 1
• Class test on statistics (25)
• Group research assignment with individual
  write-up (25)
• RSW 2
• Group research assignment on questionnaire design
  and evaluation, with individual write-up. (25)
• Exam. (25)

Please note these are provisional and may change
slightly.
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Provisional Assessment for RSW1

• Class test (25) this usually comprises
  questions on each area of statistics you have
  covered e.g. ANOVA, Multiple regression and
  Qualitative stats.
• The ANOVA and Multiple Regression are assessed by
  asking you to interpret printouts from SPSS.
• The Qualitative component is assessed with an
  essay.
• There is also a section on terminology, where you
  will be required to give definitions of words you
  have encountered throughout the statistical
  component

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Provisional assessment for RSW1

• Research report you will be required to devise
  a piece of research, carry it out, and then
  produce a written report. Your tutor will help
  you with all stages of this, and there is
  guidance on the appropriate Psychology web pages

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Provisional assessment for RSW2

• You will be asked to design a questionnaire study
  to assess attitudes towards something (this year
  involving education, work and religion). You
  will need to carry out a reliability analysis
  using Cronbachs alpha test, and additionally
  carry out an ANOVA analysis. Again, there is a
  great deal of advice and support that can be
  obtained from both your tutor, and the RSW web
  pages. The report write-up needs to be
  individual (even though the research is carried
  out in a group)

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Provisional assessment for RSW2

• Exam the exam usually consists of 8 questions
  in two sections.
• You will be required to answer a question from
  each section.
• There will also be a revision session to guide
  your reading/planning
• The exams normally take place in the first two
  weeks of May

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Provisional assessment for MBB

• MBB 1
• Essay (25)
• Group research assignment with individual
  write-up (25)
• MBB 2
• Essay. (25)
• Exam. (25)

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Provisional assessment MBB 1

• You will be required to write an essay on a given
  topic. It is likely that you will be asked to
  look at both evolutionary and biological
  explanations for a particular behaviour
• Secondly, you will carry out a group research
  project. Potential topics will be given to you
  nearer the time, and your tutor will be available
  to discuss your research with you.

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Provisional assessment MBB 2

• Essay you will be given an essay topic by your
  tutor
• Exam the cognitive exam will be in May,
  (usually in the second week)
• Note that you will be doing both a Cognitive
  Psychology exam AND a Social Psychology exam in
  May

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Provisional assessment timetable

• Level I is a difficult year, and you will need to
  keep on top of your coursework.
• In general, coursework is due in the week after
  you finish a topic. So your RSW1 research report
  will be due in during your first week of MBB1

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So a rough outline of when your research needs to
be submitted might look as follows

• Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6
  Week 7 Week 8 Week 9 Week 10 Week 11 Week 12
• Week 13 Week 14 Week 15 Week 16 Week 17 Week
  18 Week 19 Week 20 Week 21 Week 22 Week 23
  Week 24

RSW 1 Research project submitted in week 7
RSW 1 class test is in week 6
MBB 1 Essay submitted in week 12
RSW 2
MBB 2
MBB 1 Project submitted in week 13
MBB 1 research submitted in week 18
MBB 2 Essay submitted week 24
Note there is no break for half terms so you
may need to arrange child care. Easter usually
falls in MBB 2, giving you more time to complete
your assignment
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RSW 1 class test and assignment

• Note that although these two assignments seem
  close together, in reality, you should be
  learning the statistics as you go along, so the
  class test shouldnt require a great deal of
  extra work.
• Also, you will be thinking about statistics and
  design in relation to your research report,
  particularly the Results Section.

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Over the Summer

• You are strongly advised to make sure you
  understand the statistics you have learnt at
  level C before beginning level I.
• This is because level I builds on level C, and
  includes many of the same concepts e.g. IV, DV,
  types of design, p values and significance etc

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Level I stats

• The ANOVA is basically an extension of the t-test
• Multiple regression is basically an extension of
  correlation
• Qualitative stats doesnt use numbers at all!
  (which may be a relief to some of you!)

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You may also wish to buy course texts in advance
for RSW 1 and 2 (although there are copies in the
library)

• Langridge, D. (2004) Introduction to Research
  Methods and Data Analysis in Psychology. London.
  Pearson.And Hogg, M. A. Vaughan, G.M. (2004)
  Social Psychology, 4th Edition. London Prentice
  Hall.

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Course texts for MBB

• Barrett, L., Dunbar, R. Lycett, J. (2001).
  Human Evolutionary Psychology. Palgrave Macmillan
  
• Toates, F. (2003). Biological Psychology.
  Prentice Hall.
• Eysenck, M.W. Keane, M.T. (2000). Cognitive
  Psychology A Students Handbook. London LEA.

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Finally

• Although it is a difficult year, level I is also
  when you really begin to get to grips with
  Psychology and all the interesting research that
  is carried out and that you can try out for
  yourselves.
• Try to keep up with the assignments, and
  remember, your tutor is there to help you!