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Introduction to methodology of experimental psychology

Study level: Undergraduate study programme in psychology
Lecturers: Darja Maslić Seršić, Ph.D.
ECTS: 4
Language: Croatian
Semester: 1st (winter)
Status: mandatory
Form of instruction with class hours: 30 hours of lectures
Prerequisites: none
Student evaluation: oral exam

Course description

General methods in psychology: observation (extrospection) and self-observation (introspection). Classic scientific experiment. Psychological experiment. Causal relations. Independent variable. Dependent variable. Measurement in psychology. Relevant factors (besides independent variables) in
psychological experiment and their possible influence on dependent variable. Role of subjects and experimenters in experiment. Experimental and control groups; control experiment on the same subjects. Factorial and functional experiment; experiments with more than one independent variable. Validity of inference about relations between independent and dependent variables and possibility for
generalization of results.

Course objectives

Basic knowledge about experiment as a general method and about experiment in psychology. Understanding of data collected in experiment. General understanding of procedures for collecting data in psychology.

Required readings

Bujas, Z. (1981). Uvod u metode eksperimentalne psihologije. Zagreb: Školska knjiga.

Rathus, S.A. (2000). Temelji psihologije. Jastrebarsko: Naklada Slap.

Kolesarić, V. (1996). Metodologija psihologijskih istraživanja. Zagreb: Odsjek za psihologiju Filozofskog fakulteta (interno izdanje).


Recommended readings

Breakwell, S.H., Hammond, S. & Fife-Schaw, C. (2003). Research Methods in Psychology. London: SAGE Publications.