Subject: Advanced Research Methods

Scientific Area:

Psychology

Workload:

56 Hours

Number of ECTS:

6 ECTS

Language:

Portuguese

Overall objectives:

1 - Main goal: to obtain research skills, both to assess one's work and interventions and to maintain competence in research and other literature.
1.2 - Precisely frame and characterize advanced research methodologies; Recognize and consider ethical issues; Understand the research process; Develop skills to formulate research problems, review the literature, and formulate research questions and hypotheses.Implement data collection tools and techniques; Recognize and apply criteria of accuracy and quality in research (reliability and validity). Develop advanced data analysis skills and use data analysis software. Write and interpret scientific writing based on APA and journals with IF. Evaluate the psychometric quality of psychological measures, including the procedures of development, adaptation, and validation of instruments.

Syllabus:

1 - The conception of research in Clinical Psychology, health, and Well-being (CPHW)
1.1 - Framework and characterization of advanced research methodologies
1.2 - Ethical issues in CPHW
2. - Research process
2.1 - Formulation of the research problem, research questions, and/or hypotheses
2.2 - Sampling
2.3 - Data collection instruments and techniques (e.g. advanced use of interviews, questionnaires) and sample power calculation/analysis
2.4 - Criteria for rigor and quality in research (reliability and validity)
2.5 - Advanced statistical analysis methods: e.g. multivariate statistics, including ANOVA, regression analysis, factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, structural equation modelling, multilevel modelling for both cross-sectional and longitudinal data, generalised linear models.
2.6 - Data analysis software (e.g. the statistical environment R. SPSS, NVIVO, or others)
2.7 - Writing and interpreting scientific writing in accordance with the APA Rules. - the basis of publications in IF peer-reviewed journals. Example past papers published, including student authors. I&D financed research projects examples.
3. - Development, adaptation, and validation of psychological measures for the clinical context. Health and well-being and its psychometric validity.
4 - Meta-analysis and systematic review of literature
5. - Case studies, content analysis.
6 - Skills training in the methods and techniques mentioned above

Literature/Sources:

American Psychological Association , 2020 , Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed). , APA
B. G. Tabachnick, L. S. Fidell , 2013 , Using multivariate statistics , Pearson
J. Comer, P. Kendall , 2013 , The Oxford handbook of research strategies for clinical psychology. , OUP
P. Cuijpers , 2016 , Meta-analyses in mental health research. , VU
P. Irwing, T. Booth, B. Hughes, , 2018 , The Wiley handbook of psychometric testing: A multidisciplinary reference on survey, scale and test development. , Wiley.
D. Moher, L. Shamseer, M. Clarke, D. Ghersi, A. Liberati, M. Petticrew, P. Shekelle, L. Stewart , 2015 , Preferred reporting items for systematic review and meta-analysis protocols (PRISMA- P) 2015 , Systematic reviews statment
J. Marôco , 2018 , Análise Estatística com o SPSS Statistics. , Report Number
M. Sladekova, L.E.A. Webb,, A. P. Field, , 2022 , Estimating the change in meta-analytic effect size estimates after the application of publication bias adjustment methods. , Psychological Methods. Advance online publication.
C.A. Mertler, R.A. Vannatta, K.N. LaVenia , 2021 , Advanced and multivariate statistical methods: Practical application and interpretation , Taylor & Francis

Assesssment methods and criteria:

Classification Type: Quantitativa (0-20)

Evaluation Methodology:
Students will be evaluated by the following evaluation elements: a group work with samples in a real research context outside the classroom context (with the collaboration of entities and protocoled institutions and/or authorized for this by the Ethics Committee), which will consist of the preparation of a research paper/report, requiring quantitative and qualitative research skills (written work with a weighting of 50%), evaluating the component more practical, and an individual test (with a weighting of 50%, recoverable in period of appeal/improvement), evaluating the more theoretical component.