Observation Methods in Psychology

Code:

LP103

Acronym:

MOP

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Psychology

Instance: 2005/2006 - A

Active?	Yes
Responsible unit:	Psychology
Course/CS Responsible:	Psychology Degree

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
LPSI	150	Plano oficial a partir de 2001/02	1	6	13	-

Objectives

1)students learn how to use the main techniques of collecting, processing and analysing information/data on psychosocial phenomena.
2)the acquisition of such basic competences has always as a reference structure the metatheoretical (ontological, epistemological and methodological) frames, which "shape" them. Therefore we choose a practical and theoretical approach in which the "fieldwork" developed by the students may be followed by a reflection on implicitly or explicitly underlying principles.

Program

1.Paradigmatic approach: ontological, epistemological and methodological issues in the gathering and management of information about psychosocial phenomena. The paradigms: Burrel & Morgan, Lincoln & Guba, Berger.
2.Research aims: Description, Exploration, explanation, assessment, research-action.
3.Research methods: logical-positivistic (hypothetical-deductive method), Naturalists (holistic-inductive method).
4.Analysis elements: individual, group, organization, community.
5.Development stages of a research: exploratory stage, elaboration stage, verification stage.
6.Information sources: primary (questionnaire, observation, simulation), secondary (audio and video records, texts and statistics.
7.Research techniques: observation, inquiry (interview, questionnaire).
8.Measuring in Psychology: measuring levels (nominals, ordinals, pause)
9.Construction of a scale: scale format (Thurstone, Gutman, Likert, Semantic Differential), assessment.
10.Measuring assessment: validity (content, criterion), Fidelity, Sensitivity.

Teaching methods and learning activities

Theoretical and pratical classes.

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation with final exam