Southern Utah University

Course Syllabus

Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Fall Semester 2025

Statistics and Research Design I

PSY 6700-01

Course: PSY 6700-01
Credits: 3
Term: Fall Semester 2025
Department: PSY
CRN: 30829

Course Description

Students learn to interpret and evaluate elements of research design and statistical analyses and their applicability in health services psychology. Included are quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods approaches. Demonstration of the ability to formulate a research proposal is required. Attention is paid to issues related to individual and cultural diversity, ethics, and research with vulnerable populations. (Fall) [Graded (Standard Letter)] Registration Restriction(s): PsyD students only

Required Texts

Field, A. (2018). Discovering Statistics using IBM SPSS statistics (5th N. American edition). London: Sage.

 
Urban, J. B. & Van Eeden-Moorefield (2018). Designing and Proposing Your Research Project. DC: American Psychological Association. 

Learning Outcomes

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES:

PWC Outcome - Research

Demonstrate the substantially independent ability to formulate research or other scholarly activities (e.g., critical literature reviews, dissertation, efficacy studies, clinical case studies, theoretical papers, program evaluation projects, program development projects) that are of sufficient quality and rigor to have the potential to contribute to the scientific, psychological, or professional knowledge base.

 

ELOs

 |   | Article analyses  | Statistical application | Research Proposal
 | Inquiry & analysis |             X |                 X |               X
 | Problem solving |             X |                 X |               X
 | Quantitative literacy |   |                 X |               X
 | Ethical reasoning |             X |   |  
 | Intercultural knowledge & competence |             X |   |  
 | Integrative learning |             X |   |                X
 

DEVELOPMENTAL PROGRESSION:
Professional values and attitudes cultivated in previous coursework will be extended by focusing on ethical considerations in research, including research with vulnerable and under researched populations. This class emphasizes discussion of readings and practical application in clinical settings. Students may elect to have their research proposal be the basis of their forthcoming professional project. Course requirements will be the foundation for Statistics and Research Design II and will be beneficial in subsequent coursework that involves evaluating evidence-based practices in health services psychology. 
 
CULTURAL AND INDIVIDUAL DIVERSITY:
Consideration of individual and cultural diversity will be achieved by including readings and article analyses with these populations.  

Course Requirements

Article analyses
Critical review of research articles will improve your ability to read and consume psychological research that you encounter as a clinician. For each article, students will explain the purpose, methodology, and outcome of the study. Sampling, measurement, and statistical analyses must be addressed. If applicable, discuss how the study could be modified for minority/vulnerable participants. Choose 5 of the 8 available articles to analyze. Article analyses are due the week after the topic is discussed. 5 @ 100 points  
 
Statistical application assignments
Students will work with data sets to apply techniques of statistical analyses, including t tests and ANOVAs, using SPSS. Students must interpret results and demonstrate understanding of the appropriateness of statistical analyses to particular data sets. 3 @ 100 points.   
 
Research proposal
You may decide that your research proposal will be the basis of your professional project. The research proposal should include a background of the topic (approximately 4-5 pages), including a research question, and detailed methodology to answer your research question, including:

1)      Participants 

2)      Measures (what you will use and why you chose these measures in particular)

3)      Research design to answer your question (use one of the designs we learned about)

4)      Data analysis plan

5)      Expected outcomes

6)      Potential problems with your methods and how you will address them

7)      Completion of CITI training for research with human subjects; attach certificate

100 points. See rubric.

Course Outline

No Class on Sept. 1st  but do extra readings for Sept. 8th  
Sept. 8th  
Ethics and Cultural Competency
1: McClure, K. S. (2020). Following ethical principles and guidelines, pp. 73-80. Selecting and Describing Your Research Instruments. DC: American Psychological Association. 
 
2: Fried, A. L. (2012). Ethics in psychological research: Guidelines and regulations, pp. 55-73. APA Handbook of Research Methods in Psychology, vol. 1, H. Cooper (Ed.). DC: American Psychological Association. 
 
3: Matsumoto, D. & van de Vijver, F. J. R. (2012). Cross-cultural research methods, pp. 85-100. APA Handbook of Research Methods in Psychology, vol. 1, H. Cooper (Ed.). DC: American Psychological Association. 
 
4: Moving Human Rights to the Forefront of Psychology: The Final Report of the APA Task Force on Human Rights (2021). DC: American Psychological Association. 
 
Article analysis:
5: Sunderji, N., Angl, E. N., Polaha, J., & Gao, C. (2019). Why and how to use patient-oriented research to promote translational research. Families, Systems, & Health, 37, 1-9. 
 
Theory /hypothesis testing
Field, A. (2018). Why is my evil lecturer forcing me to use statistics? pp. 1-45. Discovering Statistics using IBM SPSS statistics (5th N. American edition). London: Sage.

 
6: Creswell, J. W. & Creswell, J. D. (2018). The use of theory, pp. 90-124. Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches, 5th Ed., Los Angeles: Sage.
 
Sept. 15th  
Measurement techniques
7: McClure, K. S. (2020). Identifying and defining constructs and variables to measure, pp. 9-18. Selecting and Describing Your Research Instruments. DC: American Psychological Association.
 
8: Bakeman, R. & Quera, V. (2012). Behavioral observation, pp. 207-225. APA Handbook of Research Methods in Psychology, vol. 1, H. Cooper (Ed.). DC: American Psychological Association. 
 
9: Madill, A. (2012). Interviews and interviewing techniques, pp. 249-275. APA Handbook of Research Methods in Psychology, vol. 1, H. Cooper (Ed.). DC: American Psychological Association. 
 
Article analysis:
10: Stanton, K., McDonnell, C., Hayden, E., & Watson, D. (2020). Transdiagnostic approaches to psychopathology measurement: Recommendations for measure selection, data analysis, and participant recruitment. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 129, 21-28. 
 
Sept. 22nd  
Sampling
11: Salkind, N. (2012). Sampling and generalizability, pp. 95-108. Exploring Research, 8th Ed. Boston: Pearson.
 
12: Roosa, M. W., Knight, G. P., & Umana-Taylor, A. J. (2012). Research with under researched populations, pp. 101-115. APA Handbook of Research Methods in Psychology, vol. 1, H. Cooper (Ed.). DC: American Psychological Association. 
 
Sept. 29th   
Strengths, limitations, technical aspects of rigorous case study
     13: Horner, R. H. & Odom, S. L., (2014). Constructing single case research designs: Logic and options, pp. 27-51. Single-case intervention research: Methodological and Statistical Advances. DC: American Psychological Association. 
 
     14: Kratochwill, T. R. & Levin, J. R. (2014). Enhancing scientific credibility of single-case intervention research: Randomization to the rescue, pp. 53-89. Single-case intervention research: Methodological and Statistical Advances. DC: American Psychological Association. 
 
     15: Rizvi, S. L. & Ferraioli, S. J. (2012). Single case experimental designs, pp. 589-611. APA Handbook of Research Methods in Psychology, vol. 1, H. Cooper (Ed.). DC: American Psychological Association.
 
Article analysis:  
16: Locatelli, M. G. (2020). Play therapy treatment of pediatric medical trauma: A retrospective case study of a preschool child. International Journal of Play Therapy, 29, 33-42. 
     
Article analysis:
17: Newcomb, E. T., Wright, A., Camblin, J. (2019). Assessment and treatment of aggressive behavior maintained by access to physical attention. Behavioral Analysis: Research and Practice, 19, 222-231. 
 
Oct. 6th  
Experimental designs
18: Creswell, J. W. & Creswell, J. D. (2018). Quantitative methods, pp. 206-253. Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches, 5th Ed., Los Angeles: Sage.
 
Descriptive statistics
Field, A. (2018). Exploring data with graphs, pp. 177-223. Discovering Statistics using IBM SPSS statistics (5th N. American edition). London: Sage.

Fall break on 13th  
 
Univariate, t tests and ANOVAs
20th  : independent and dependent t tests; Application Assignment 1 
Field, A. (2018). Comparing two means, pp. 437-479. Discovering Statistics using IBM SPSS statistics (5th N. American edition). London: Sage.

October 27th : univariate and factorial ANOVAs; Application Assignment 2

Field, A. (2018). GLM 1: Comparing several independent means, pp. 519-570. Discovering Statistics using IBM SPSS statistics (5th N. American edition). London: Sage.

 

November 3rd  : Repeated Measures and Mixed Design ANOVAs; Application Assignment 3 

Field, A. (2018).GLM 4: Repeated measures designs, pp. 649-702  Discovering Statistics using IBM SPSS statistics (5th N. American edition). London: Sage.

 

Field, A. (2018).  GLM 5: Mixed designs, pp. 703-734. Discovering Statistics using IBM SPSS statistics (5th N. American edition). London: Sage.

 

Article analysis:

19: Mass, J.J., McNeil, C., Bigfoot, D. S., & McNeil, D. W. (2021). Parenting practices and acceptability of behavioral parent training in American Indians and European Americans. The Behavior Therapist, 44, 171-180. 

 

Article analysis:

20: Schumacher, J. A., Williams, D. C., McAfee, N. W., Madson, M. B., & Lim, C. S. (2021). Practice and dissemination of screening brief intervention and referral to treatment: Integrating psychology interns into medical student evaluation. The Behavior Therapist, 44, 90-94. 

 

November 10th   
Qualitative designs and methods
     21: Camic, P. M. (2021).Going around the bend and back: Qualitative inquiry in psychological research, pp. 3-26. In Camic, M. P. (Ed.) Qualitative Research in Psychology: Expanding Perspectives in Methodology & Design. DC: American Psychological Association.
 
     22: Elliott, R. & Timulak, L. (2021). Why a generic approach to descriptive-interpretive qualitative research?, pp., 3-14. Descriptive-Interpretive Qualitative Research: A Generic Approach. DC: American Psychological Association. 
 
November 17th
Mixed Methods
     23: Harding, E., Sullivan, M. P., Yong, K. X. X., 7 Crutch, S. (2021). Into the ordinary: Lessons learned from a mixed-methods study in the homes of people living with dementia (2021). In Camic, P. M. (Ed.). Qualitative Research in Psychology: Expanding Perspectives in Methodology and Design, pp. 235-262. DC: American Psychological Association. 
 
     24: Stapley, O’Keeffe, & Midgley (2021). An example of an ideal type analysis- from start to finish, pp. 61-78. Ideal-Type Analysis: A Qualitative Approach to Constructing Typologies. DC: American Psychological Association.     
 
Article analysis:
25: O’Keeffe, S., Martin, P., Target, M., & Midgley, N. (2019). “I just stopped going: A mixed methods investigation into types of therapy dropout in adolescents with depression.” Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 75. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00075.
 
Article analysis:
26: Johnson, R., Johnson-Pynn, J. S., Drescher, C. F., & Kleru, S. (2021, under review). Evolving pathways to positive youth development among Maasai adolescents. International Perspectives in Psychology.
 
Thanksgiving November 24th
 

December 1st   

In lieu of a final exam, students will share their research proposals with the class in a brief oral presentation.  

 

 

Instructor's policies on late assignments and/or makeup work

Late work is not accepted.

Attendance Policy

Attendance is required

ADA Statement

Students with medical, psychological, learning, or other disabilities desiring academic adjustments, accommodations, or auxiliary aids will need to contact the Disability Resource Center, located in Room 206F of the Sharwan Smith Center or by phone at (435) 865-8042. The Disability Resource Center determines eligibility for and authorizes the provision of services.

If your instructor requires attendance, you may need to seek an ADA accommodation to request an exception to this attendance policy. Please contact the Disability Resource Center to determine what, if any, ADA accommodations are reasonable and appropriate.

Academic Credit

According to the federal definition of a Carnegie credit hour: A credit hour of work is the equivalent of approximately 60 minutes of class time or independent study work. A minimum of 45 hours of work by each student is required for each unit of credit. Credit is earned only when course requirements are met. One (1) credit hour is equivalent to 15 contact hours of lecture, discussion, testing, evaluation, or seminar, as well as 30 hours of student homework. An equivalent amount of work is expected for laboratory work, internships, practica, studio, and other academic work leading to the awarding of credit hours. Credit granted for individual courses, labs, or studio classes ranges from 0.5 to 15 credit hours per semester.

Academic Freedom

SUU is operated for the common good of the greater community it serves. The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition. Academic Freedom is the right of faculty to study, discuss, investigate, teach, and publish. Academic Freedom is essential to these purposes and applies to both teaching and research.

Academic Freedom in the realm of teaching is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the faculty member and of you, the student, with respect to the free pursuit of learning and discovery. Faculty members possess the right to full freedom in the classroom in discussing their subjects. They may present any controversial material relevant to their courses and their intended learning outcomes, but they shall take care not to introduce into their teaching controversial materials which have no relation to the subject being taught or the intended learning outcomes for the course.

As such, students enrolled in any course at SUU may encounter topics, perspectives, and ideas that are unfamiliar or controversial, with the educational intent of providing a meaningful learning environment that fosters your growth and development. These parameters related to Academic Freedom are included in SUU Policy 6.6.

Academic Misconduct

Scholastic honesty is expected of all students. Dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent (see SUU Policy 6.33). You are expected to have read and understood the current SUU student conduct code (SUU Policy 11.2) regarding student responsibilities and rights, the intellectual property policy (SUU Policy 5.52), information about procedures, and what constitutes acceptable behavior.

Please Note: The use of websites or services that sell essays is a violation of these policies; likewise, the use of websites or services that provide answers to assignments, quizzes, or tests is also a violation of these policies. Regarding the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), you should check with your individual course instructor.

Emergency Management Statement

In case of an emergency, the University's Emergency Notification System (ENS) will be activated. Students are encouraged to maintain updated contact information using the link on the homepage of the mySUU portal. In addition, students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Emergency Response Protocols posted in each classroom. Detailed information about the University's emergency management plan can be found at https://www.suu.edu/emergency.

HEOA Compliance Statement

For a full set of Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) compliance statements, please visit https://www.suu.edu/heoa. The sharing of copyrighted material through peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, except as provided under U.S. copyright law, is prohibited by law; additional information can be found at https://my.suu.edu/help/article/1096/heoa-compliance-plan.

You are also expected to comply with policies regarding intellectual property (SUU Policy 5.52) and copyright (SUU Policy 5.54).

Mandatory Reporting

University policy (SUU Policy 5.60) requires instructors to report disclosures received from students that indicate they have been subjected to sexual misconduct/harassment. The University defines sexual harassment consistent with Federal Regulations (34 C.F.R. Part 106, Subpart D) to include quid pro quo, hostile environment harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. When students communicate this information to an instructor in-person, by email, or within writing assignments, the instructor will report that to the Title IX Coordinator to ensure students receive support from the Title IX Office. A reporting form is available at https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?SouthernUtahUniv

Non-Discrimination Statement

SUU is committed to fostering an inclusive community of lifelong learners and believes our university's encompassing of different views, beliefs, and identities makes us stronger, more innovative, and better prepared for the global society.

SUU does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex (including sex discrimination and sexual harassment), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, disability status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, military status, veteran status, or other bases protected by applicable law in employment, treatment, admission, access to educational programs and activities, or other University benefits or services.

SUU strives to cultivate a campus environment that encourages freedom of expression from diverse viewpoints. We encourage all to dialogue within a spirit of respect, civility, and decency.

For additional information on non-discrimination, please see SUU Policy 5.27 and/or visit https://www.suu.edu/nondiscrimination.

Pregnancy

Students who are or become pregnant during this course may receive reasonable modifications to facilitate continued access and participation in the course. Pregnancy and related conditions are broadly defined to include pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, lactation, related medical conditions, and recovery. To obtain reasonable modifications, please make a request to title9@suu.edu. To learn more visit: https://www.suu.edu/titleix/pregnancy.html.

Disclaimer Statement

Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.