Information Package / Course Catalogue
PSYC 415 Readings and Research in Social Psychology V
MEF University
Degree Programs
Psychology
General Information For Students
Diploma SupplementErasmus Policy Statement
Psychology
Bachelor Length of the Programme: 4 Number of Credits: 240 TR-NQF-HE: Level 6 QF-EHEA: First Cycle EQF: Level 6

Ders Genel Tanıtım Bilgileri

School/Faculty/Institute Faculty of Econ., Admin. and Social Sciences
Course Code PSYC 415
Course Title in English Readings and Research in Social Psychology V
Course Title in Turkish Sosyal Psikolojide Okuma ve Araştırma V
Language of Instruction EN
Type of Course Flipped Classroom
Level of Course Advanced
Semester Spring
Contact Hours per Week
Lecture: 2 Recitation: Lab: 1 Other:
Estimated Student Workload 188 hours per semester
Number of Credits 7.5 ECTS
Grading Mode Standard Letter Grade
Pre-requisites PSYC 205 - Research Methods I
Expected Prior Knowledge Research Methods in Psychology
Co-requisites None
Registration Restrictions Only Undergraduate Students
Overall Educational Objective To become familiar with the advanced theoretical background of major areas of social and cross-cultural psychology; to be able to integrate psychological research practice and to be able to understand, critique and present empirical articles published in highly acclaimed psychology journals. Additionally, the course aims at providing students with hands-on experience in conducting their own cross-cultural research.
Course Description This course is an advanced course on readings and research on the topic of cross-cultural research. The main goals of the course are to familiarise and engage the students with the theoretical background in the research practice in the field of cross-cultural psychology. A major part of the course will consist about formulating a research question that relates to contemporary research in the field of cross-cultural psychology, to conduct a literature review, to come up with testable hypotheses, to clarify the methods and preregister the research, to prepare and create a dataset (from existing data), to analyze the dataset, and to evaluate the findings and write them up in an empirical format.
Course Description in Turkish Bu ders kültürlerarası araştırma konusuna ilişkin okumalar ve araştırmalar üzerine ileri düzeyde bir derstir. Dersin ana hedefleri, öğrencileri kültürlerarası psikoloji alanındaki araştırma uygulamalarının teorik arka planıyla tanıştırmak ve bunlarla etkileşime geçirmektir. Dersin büyük bir kısmı, kültürlerarası psikoloji alanındaki çağdaş araştırmalarla ilgili bir araştırma sorusunun formüle edilmesini, literatür taraması yapılmasını, test edilebilir hipotezlerin ortaya konulmasını, yöntemlerin açıklığa kavuşturulmasını ve araştırmanın ön kaydının yapılmasını, bir veri seti hazırlanmasını ve oluşturulmasını (mevcut verilerden), veri setinin analiz edilmesini ve bulguların değerlendirilmesini ve ampirik bir formatta yazılmasını içermektedir.

Course Learning Outcomes and Competences

Upon successful completion of the course, the learner is expected to be able to:
1) Understand the theories and methods of cross-cultural psychology
2) Evaluate scientific articles in relation to the research methods and theories employed
3) Design, prepare and conduct scientific research
4) analyze and evaluate the findings of research through a statistical package program (e.g., SPSS, Jamovi)
5) Write research findings up in an empirical format
6) Discuss and present psychological theories and research in the correct ethical format
Program Learning Outcomes/Course Learning Outcomes 1 2 3 4 5 6
1) Thorough knowledge of the major concepts, theoretical perspectives, empirical findings, and historical trends in psychology.
2) Understanding of and ability to apply essential research methods in psychology, including research design, data analysis, and data interpretation.
3) Competence to use critical and creative thinking, skeptical inquiry and a scientific approach to solving problems related to behavior and mental processes.
4) Understanding and ability to apply psychological principles, skills and values in personal, social, and organizational contexts.
5) Ability to weigh evidence, to tolerate ambiguity, and to reflect other values that underpin psychology as a discipline.
6) Internalization and dissemination of professional ethical standards.
7) Demonstration of competence in information technologies, and the ability to use computer and other technologies for purposes related to the pursuit of knowledge in psychology and the broader social sciences.
8) Skills to communicate the knowledge of psychological science effectively, in a variety of formats, in both Turkish and in English (in English, at least CEFR B2 level).
9) Recognition, understanding, and respect for the complexity of sociocultural and international diversity.
10) Recognition for the need for, and the skills to pursue, lifelong learning, inquiry, and self-improvement.
11) Ability to formulate critical hypotheses based on psychological theory and literature, and design studies to test those hypotheses.
12) Ability to acquire knowledge independently, and to plan one’s own learning.
13) Demonstration of advanced competence in the clarity and composition of written work and presentations.

Relation to Program Outcomes and Competences

N None S Supportive H Highly Related
     
Program Outcomes and Competences Level Assessed by
1) Thorough knowledge of the major concepts, theoretical perspectives, empirical findings, and historical trends in psychology. H Exam,Participation,Project
2) Understanding of and ability to apply essential research methods in psychology, including research design, data analysis, and data interpretation. H Participation,Presentation,Project
3) Competence to use critical and creative thinking, skeptical inquiry and a scientific approach to solving problems related to behavior and mental processes. H HW,Participation
4) Understanding and ability to apply psychological principles, skills and values in personal, social, and organizational contexts. S Project
5) Ability to weigh evidence, to tolerate ambiguity, and to reflect other values that underpin psychology as a discipline. H HW,Participation,Project
6) Internalization and dissemination of professional ethical standards. H Lab,Project
7) Demonstration of competence in information technologies, and the ability to use computer and other technologies for purposes related to the pursuit of knowledge in psychology and the broader social sciences. H Lab,Project
8) Skills to communicate the knowledge of psychological science effectively, in a variety of formats, in both Turkish and in English (in English, at least CEFR B2 level). H Exam,Participation
9) Recognition, understanding, and respect for the complexity of sociocultural and international diversity. H Participation
10) Recognition for the need for, and the skills to pursue, lifelong learning, inquiry, and self-improvement. S Participation
11) Ability to formulate critical hypotheses based on psychological theory and literature, and design studies to test those hypotheses. H
12) Ability to acquire knowledge independently, and to plan one’s own learning. H HW,Project
13) Demonstration of advanced competence in the clarity and composition of written work and presentations. H Participation,Project
Prepared by and Date SENA CÜRE ACER , December 2023
Course Coordinator SENA CÜRE ACER
Semester Spring
Name of Instructor

Course Contents

Week Subject
1) Introduction to the course
2) Introduction to cross-cultural theories and current research practice (multi-level approaches)
3) A roadmap for conducting research in cross-cultural psychology / forming of research groups
4) Selecting a research topic and reviewing relevant literature / write introduction
5) Selecting a research topic and reviewing relevant literature / write introduction
6) Deciding on the research methods (concrete variables and their operationalization, samples - inclusion/ exclusion criteria; sample size – power analysis) / write methods
7) Brief proposal presentations and feedback
8) Brief proposal presentations and feedback
9) Preregistration of the research (hypotheses, methods and analysis plan)
10) Preparing the dataset (data merging, data cleaning, outliers and tests of distribution)
11) Preparing the dataset (data merging, data cleaning, outliers and tests of distribution)
12) Data analysis / write results
13) Data analysis / write results
14) Paper writing
15) Final Examination Period
16) Final Examination Period
Required/Recommended ReadingsRecommended Textbook: Berry, J.W., Poortinga, Y.H., Breugelmans, S.M., Chasiotis, A., & Sam, D.L.(2011). Cross-cultural psychology: Research and applications (3rd Edition). UK: Cambridge University Press. There will also be a set of required empirical articles.
Teaching MethodsThis course will be taught entirely in the flipped format. Students will be assigned to prepare several materials / to complete several tasks prior to attending the course (e.g., submit a research question; write an introduction; write a paragraph about their variables’ operationalization; conduct a power analysis, respond to discussion questions; find relevant literature and summarize the literature regarding a research topic). Each week, students will learn to advance their literature reviewing skills as well as coding and analysing in a statistical package program. Students will be expected to prepare for class by spending sufficient time to master the preparatory materials. They will also be expected to contribute appropriately to class discussions and to assisting the learning of other students. I as the instructor commit to preparing and selecting high-quality materials for each class. This course is aimed at final year Psychology students.
Homework and ProjectsThere will be continuous tasks that students are required to complete both prior to class sessions (i.e., pre-class tasks), and during class hours. Additionally, students will be asked to complete two projects that build upon each other in groups of 2-3 students: First, students will be asked to come up with a proposal presentation during class that includes their research idea; they will be asked to complete all steps of conducting contemporary cross-cultural research based on pre-existing data. Second, at the end of the semester, students are expected to submit a brief empirical article based on these analyses in APA format.
Laboratory WorkStudents will use a statistical package program to enter and analyse the data they have collected as well as to do literature review for their empirical paper.
Computer UseStudents will work with a statistical package program to enter and analyse the data they have collected as well as to do literature review for their empirical paper.
Other ActivitiesStudents will be asked to prepare for each class’s topic prior to that week’s classroom session.
Assessment Methods
Assessment Tools Count Weight
TOTAL %
Course Administration acers@mef.edu.tr

Instructor’s mail address: karakulaka@mef.edu.tr Attendance to this course is mandatory. Students arriving late or unprepared will be barred from that class, which will impact upon their continuous assessment grade. Students missing more than 4 classes without a legitimate excuse will not be able to pass the course. Students must provide a legitimate, acceptable and documented excuse for missing a scheduled event (proposal presentation). Students are expected to treat university personnel and one another respectfully at all times; this includes showing respect for class content and for others’ opinions. The commitment of acts of cheating, lying, and deceit in any of their diverse forms such as plagiarism, and copying during examinations is dishonest and will not be tolerated. Academic dishonesty and plagiarism: YÖK Disciplinary Regulation.

ECTS Student Workload Estimation

Activity No/Weeks Hours Calculation
No/Weeks per Semester Preparing for the Activity Spent in the Activity Itself Completing the Activity Requirements
Course Hours 14 1 3 4 112
Presentations / Seminar 1 20 12 6 38
Project 1 20 12 6 38
Total Workload 188
Total Workload/25 7.5
ECTS 7.5