Class Dissertation Project in Clinical and Health Psychology

Given the scientific status of Psychology, it is essential that students master a set of practical skills related to the management of scientific information in this field of study. The main objective of this curricular unit is to develop a set of skills inherent to the preparation of a research project, essential for the development of a dissertation. This includes skills related to decision-making related to the preparation of a research, planning of all stages of research, and scientific writing. This curricular unit aims to promote these skills through practical exercises (with tutoring), based on theoretical content.

Not applicable

Research planning: Scientific information search. Research questions and hypotheses. Study purpose (exploratory, descriptive, or explanatory). Study approach (qualitative, quantitative, or mixed-methods). Quantitative studies: concepts, constructs, and variables. Research design (experimental, quasi-experimental, cross-sectional, longitudinal, qualitative). Population, sample, and sampling techniques (probability and nonprobability sampling). Data collection: development and evaluation of self-report measures; observation; interview. Data collection planning and dissemination tasks Study validity: threats and research procedures to minimize them. Elaboration of a research project: Characteristics of scientific writing. Formatting norms of the American Psychological Association. Structure of a research project.

Classes are of laboratory practice and include tutoring activities. Continuous assessment consists of the participation in the tasks proposed throughout the classes (weight: 20%); an individual written assignment (weight: 50%); and an individual written assignment with oral presentation (weight: 30%). Final assessment: an individual written exam (weight: 100%). Practical class attendance is mandatory. The students’ performance in each assessment moment should convey the acquisition of the necessary competencies in order to pass the curricular unit. The use of AI tools is not allowed, as the aim of this curricular unit is to develop critical and methodological thinking skills, encouraging the understanding and application of the fundamental principles of a research process.    

Frey, B. B. (2015). 100 questions (and answers) about tests and measurement. Thousand Oaks: SAGE. Kail, R. V. (2019). Scientific writing for psychology: Lessons in clarity and style (2.ª ed.). Londres: SAGE . MacInnes, J. (2018). Know your variables. Londres: SAGE. McLeod, J. (2015). Doing research in counseling and psychotherapy (3.ª ed.). Thousand Oaks: SAGE. O’Leary, Z. (2018). Research question. Londres: SAGE. Ruel, E. (2019). 100 questions (and answers) about survey research. Thousand Oaks: SAGE. Silvia, P. J. (2018). How to write a lot: A practical guide to productive academic writing (2.ª ed .). Washington: American Psychological Association. Sullivan, C., Gibson, S., & Riley, S. E. (Coords.) (2012). Doing your qualitative psychology project. Londres: SAGE. Urban, J. B., & van Eeden-Moorefield, B. M. (2018). Designing and proposing your research project. Washington: American Psychological Association.