Investigating psychology 3
This module builds on Investigating psychology 2 and takes a critical and creative approach to methodology in psychology with a substantive empirical project. Experimentation, survey methodology and text-based qualitative analyses (discourse analysis and phenomenological analysis) are explored through the topics of memory, language, creativity, personality, child development, emotions, and relationships. These topics are also used to present research in the core domains of biological, cognitive, developmental, individual differences and social psychology. In addition, quantitative and qualitative methods are taught. Students can express a preference for the method to be used in their independent project: text-based analysis, experimentation, or survey.
What you will study
Investigating psychology 3 gives you the opportunity to carry out an independent research project with specialist supervision. To facilitate this, you are strongly encouraged to engage with an online activity that outlines the broad options available for the independent project. This takes place before the module begins and is designed to help you decide on your preferences. At the start of the module, you can record these preferences, which will be used to allocate you an appropriate tutor.
During the first half of the module, the interactive online study guide leads you, week by week, through an exploration of the key methods used in psychological research, investigating how the diversity of methods originated and the way that psychology relates to both social and natural sciences.
You'll examine how experimentation, survey and text-based methods are used and consider the kind of psychological knowledge that each method generates.
You will learn about:
- the use of experimentation in memory research and how it relates to clinical research, such as brain imaging, will also be reviewed
- how attitudes and beliefs about the way children learn and develop relate to our practices in child rearing and education.
- how surveys are used in personality research and in assessing creativity
- phenomenological analysis, and how it can be used to explore our experiences of the world and ourselves
- discourse analysis and how this method helps us to appreciate and analyse the socially constructed nature of the world around us, including psychological phenomena.
Experiments and surveys produce data that can be analysed using statistics, and this module builds on the statistical techniques introduced in Investigating psychology 1 and 2. The methods also lend themselves to the use of software and you will be introduced to professional-grade packages that allow you to produce experimental procedures and questionnaires as well as to collect data in a straightforward and accurate manner.
The second part of the module is your opportunity to carry out your own psychological investigation. Under the close supervision of your tutor, you'll design and build a study, considering procedural and ethical issues. You'll collect your data, carry out the appropriate analysis and report your findings as a research report. You’ll also participate in other students’ projects which will deepen your appreciation of how psychological data are generated.
Throughout this process, you'll be well supported, but we stress that this is your project, and you'll be expected to take responsibility for it. In our experience, many students find the independent project is the most satisfying part of the whole degree.
Professional recognition
This is one of the core modules in our British Psychological Society (BPS) accredited degrees in psychology.
Entry requirements
This module is not available for standalone study; it can only be studied as part of a qualification. Normally, you should have successfully completed Investigating psychology 2 (DE200) before you study this module.
If you have any doubt about the suitability of the module, please speak to an adviser.
What's included
You'll be provided with two textbooks, statistical analysis software (SPSS) and access to the module website, which includes:
- a week-by-week study guide and planner
- interactive activities and materials
- audio and video content
- step-by-step statistical analysis guides
- online tutorials and forums
- assessment guides
- links for further independent study.
Access to specialist software (Gorilla, Qualtrics, NVivo and SONA) to aid experimental, survey and qualitative projects, and to facilitate participant recruitment will also be made available through the module website.
Computing requirements
A computing device with a browser and broadband internet access is required for this module. Any modern browser will be suitable for most computer activities. Mobile devices and computing devices that do not meet the specs listed below, including Chromebook laptops or tablets running the Linux-based Chrome OS as its operating system, will not be able to install or run the SPSS statistics software required and thus are not suitable for parts of this module. The inability to use SPSS will prevent you from passing the module.
Additional software will be provided, including the SPSS statistics program. For this reason, you will need to be able to install and run this software on a desktop or laptop computer with either:
- Windows 64-bit (10 or 11)
- macOS (Ventura or higher)
- 3GB hard drive free space and 4GB of RAM
The screen of the device must have a resolution of at least 1024 pixels horizontally and 768 pixels vertically.
To join in the spoken conversation in our online rooms, we recommend a headset (headphones or earphones with an integrated microphone.
Our module websites comply with web standards, and any modern browser is suitable for most activities.
Our OU Study mobile App will operate on all current, supported versions of Android and iOS. It's not available on Kindle.