Why do we do what we do? How can we best help those experiencing psychological problems? In this writing intensive course, we will learn what science can tell us about how people work or how they can be helped—and the methods psychologists use to figure that out. Your efforts in this class will help you understand why psychology is a science. You will learn about what makes psychology different from other fields (mainly, the scientific method), research ethics, how to develop research ideas, how we approach measurement and data analysis, experimental and non-experimental research and designs, correlational research, and scientific writing (the details of APA format will be a strong thread that runs throughout the course). You will learn through lecture (primarily online) and in-class activities, reading the textbook, quizzing/testing, writing, and other online content (e.g., advance organizers, handouts).

Prerequisites:  PSYC 401 and PSYC 402