QUANTITATIVE COURSES IN THE PSYCHOLOGY DEPARTMENT

Psych 209 Fundamentals of Psychological Research (5 credits)

Who should take this course? Any student wishing to apply to be a psychology major should take Psych 209 prior to applying for the major. You must make a 2.0 in this class to be admitted into the major. A grade of at least 2.0 in psych 101 is a prerequisite to take psych 209.

What will I learn in this course? Psych 209 will introduce you to the major types of research strategies used in psychological studies. You will learn how certain types of research designs are better at answering certain types of questions. You will also become aware of issues that researchers face in conducting studies, such as ethical issues, measurement considerations, interpreting findings, and communicating findings. In Psych 209 you will also acquire various skills necessary to carrying out quality research, such as online database searching and managing and summarizing data using MS Excel. Of course this is just the "tip of the iceberg." One of our goals for you in this course is for you to become an active participant in the research process. To this end you are likely to spend time asking research questions, collecting relevant data, describing patterns in the data, and cautiously interpreting your results.

When is this course offered? Psych 209 is offered every quarter, including summer. Check the time schedule here for course offerings in upcoming quarters.

How often does Psych 209 meet? This class has three lectures and two discussion sections each week.

How can Psych 209 students use the SMARTPsych website? Your instructor may have specific tasks for you that will require use of the website. However, on your own, you might take a look at the research methods glossary, explore a few psychological studies in the Windows on Research section, follow links to other places where you can learn more about psychological research, or take a look at the Excel tutorials.

Psych 315 Understanding Statistics in Psychology (5 credits)

Who should take this course? This course (or both Psych 317 and 318) is required of students wishing to earn a BA in Psychology. You must have already taken Math 111 or 120 (with a grade of at least 2.0) before you can take Psych 315.

How does this course differ from Psych 317/318? Psych 315 surveys basic descriptive and inferential statistics in one quarter. It is faster paced than Psych 317/318, and it requires fewer math prerequisites. Both Psych 315 and 317/318 are mathematically based, but the material presented in Psych 315 does not go as deep into the mathematical underpinnings of statistics.

What will I learn in this course? In Psych 315 you will learn how to describe data sets in terms of central tendency and variability, you will learn how to visually display summaries of data, and you will learn how to apply hypothesis testing procedures to help you determine what your sample tells you about the population to which you wish to generalize your findings. The hypothesis testing procedures you will learn are those most commonly used in psychological research. You will learn how to select the most appropriate statistical procedure and how to use a statistical software program to help you analyze your data.

When is this course offered? Psych 315 is offered every quarter, including summer. Check the time schedule here for course offerings in upcoming quarters.

How often does this class meet? Psych 315 meets four hours per week (generally this will be four days for one hour each) for lecture and one hour per week for a quiz section.

Psych 317 Introduction to Probability and Statistics for Psychology (5 credits)

Who should take this course? Students wishing to earn a BS in Psychology are required to complete this course and Psych 318. Students must complete Psych 209 (with a grade of at least 2.5) before taking this class.

How does this course differ from Psych 315? While Psych 315 surveys basic descriptive and inferential statistics in one quarter, Psych 317 covers basic descriptive statistics and probability theory. The continuation of Psych 317, Psych 318, surveys basic inferential statistics. Together, Psych 317/318 explore descriptive and inferential statistics in greater depth than Psych 315, and these courses require at least one quarter of college calculus (either Math 112, 124 or 144 with a grade of at least 2.0). Both Psych 315 and 317/318 are mathematically based, but the material presented in Psych 317 and 318 goes deeper into the mathematical underpinnings of statistics.

What will I learn in this course? In Psych 317 you will learn how to describe data sets in terms of central tendency and variability, you will learn how to visually display summaries of data, and you will learn how probability theory forms the basis for statistical hypothesis testing.

When is this course offered? Psych 317 is offered in the Fall and Winter quarters only. Check the time schedule here for course offerings in upcoming quarters.

How often does this class meet? Psych 317 consists of three hours of lecture and two hours of quiz section (discussion/problem solving/computer lab) per week.

Psych 318 Statistical Inference in Psychological Research (5 credits)

Who should take this course? Students wishing to earn a BS in Psychology are required to complete this course. You must have completed Psych 317 with a 2.0 GPA or higher to enroll in Psych 318.

What will I learn in this course? In Psych 318 you will learn how to select and conduct inferential tests of hypotheses about group means, correlations, frequencies, and proportions.

When is this course offered? Psych 318 is offered in the Winter and Spring quarters only. Check the time schedule here for course offerings in upcoming quarters.

How often does this class meet? Psych 318 consists of three hours of lecture and two hours of quiz section (discussion/problem solving/computer lab) per week.