Research Methods in Clinical Psychology
CCPX 5533
Isaac Galatzer-Levy, Ph.D.
isaac.galatzer-levy@nyumc.org
This course will introduce students to design and quantitative methodologies that are used to
conduct research in clinical psychology. Students will be introduced to the theory and practices
of study design, data collection, and data analysis. The class will be structured around common
areas of study in psychology including cognition, emotion, memory, psychopathology, and
treatment.
Grading:
15% Class participation: Students will be expected to attend class regularly and to stay current
on readings. Students can expect to be called on with specific questions about the reading.
Attendance is mandatory. Accommodations due to excused absences will be made on a case by
case basis.
25% Midterm Exam: The midterm will consist of specific questions on experimental and quasi
experimental design covered in Campbell & Stanley.
35% Weekly assignment: Weekly assignments will consist of either a) a weekly response to an
assigned article for the week or b) completion of a weekly statistics assignment (in the second
half of the semester). If more than one article is assigned, students must write a response that
integrates both articles. All weekly assignments are due at the beginning of class. Each late or
missed assignment will result in a 5% reduction in the final grade up to -35%.
25% Final Paper: Students will be asked to identify and refine a unique research interest. The
final paper should be a detailed research proposal including 1) key hypotheses; 2) specific aims
of the research students intend to conduct; 3) design of data collection; 4) basic data analytic
plan. Student’s research proposal should be realistic using a method and budget that is
reasonable for student research. Student’s do not have to execute the research project, just design
it. However, the project should be one that is within reach for the student to execute.
Reading Assignments:
1. The Mismeasure of Man- Stephen Jay Gould
2. Experimental and Quasi-Experimental Designs for Research – Donald Campbell & Julian
Stanley
3. Students can expect to read 2-3 empirical articles per week. Students should focus on the
methodology employed by the investigators.
Week 1:
Reading:
Introduction to Research Methods in Clinical Psychology/ How to read a research article.
Week 2:
Reading:
The Mismeasure of Man, Chapter 3-4
Galatzer-Levy, I.R., Bryant, R.A. (2013) 636,120 Ways to Have Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.
Perspectives in Psychological Science 8(6), 651-662.
Week 3:
Reading:
The Mismeasure of Man, Chapter 5-6
Campbell & Stanley: Problems and Background, (pp. 1-6)
Week 4:
Reading:
Campbell & Stanley: Three Pre-Experimental Designs, (pp. 6-12)
Loran, N.F., McDonnell, M.H.M., Loewenstein, G.(2011). What constitutes torture?
Psychological impediments to an objective evaluation of enhanced interrogation tactics.
Psychological Science, 22 (5), 689-694.
http://pss.sagepub.com/content/22/5/689.short
Week 5:
Reading:
Campbell & Stanley: Three True Experimental Designs, (pp. 13-23)
Payne, J.D., Kensinger, E.A. (2010). Sleep’s role in the consolidation of emotional episodic
memories. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 19, 290-295.
http://cdp.sagepub.com/content/19/5/290.short
Loftus, E.F., Hoffman, H.G. (1989). Misinformation and memory, The creation of new
memories. Journal of experimental psychology: General, 118, (1), 100-104.
http://psycnet.apa.org/psycinfo/1989-24881-001
Week 6:
Reading:
Reading: Campbell & Stanley: Three True Experimental Designs, (pp. 24-33)
LeDoux, J.E. (2012) Rethinking the Emotional Brain. Neron
Week 7:
Reading:
Reading: Campbell & Stanley: Quasi Experimental Designs, (pp. 33-49)
Lieberman, D., Pillsworth, E.G., Haselton, M.G. (2011). Kin affiliation across the ovulatory
cycle: Females avoid fathers when fertile. Psychological Science, 22 (1), 13-18.
http://pss.sagepub.com/content/22/1/13.short
Week 8:
Review of Experimental and Quasi-Experimental Design.
Week 9:
Midterm Exam
Week 10:
Beginning of Statistical Methods
Reading:
Things I have learned (so far).
J Cohen - American Psychologist; American Psychologist, 1990
Week 11:
Reading:
The earth is round (p<. 05).
J Cohen - American psychologist, 1994
Assignment:
Generate histograms and report Mean, Median, Mode, Skewness, Kurtosis, minimum, and
maximum for each continuous variable. Provide pie charts and frequencies for each categorical
variable.
Data Source: http://www.ats.ucla.edu/stat/spss/faq/scatter.htm
Week 12:
Reading:
Belief in the law of small numbers.
A Tversky, D Kahneman - Psychological Bulletin; Psychological …, 1971
Assignment:
1. Generate scatter plot with regression line and Pearson’s bivariate correlation and r2 for all
combinations of two continuous measures of academic performance.
Instructive Video’s: Scatter Plot: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blfflA-34pQ
Pearson Correlation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOI5IlHfZVE
2. Generate frequencies of all categorical variables along with pie charts.
Data Source: http://www.ats.ucla.edu/stat/spss/faq/scatter.htm
Week 13:
Reading:
The file drawer problem and tolerance for null results.
R Rosenthal - Psychological bulletin, 1979
Assignment:
1. Conduct independent samples t-test comparing all continuous measures of academic
performance by gender. Report overall significance of the test. Include descriptive
statistics with an explanation.
2. Conduct χ2 analysis comparing gender by type of school.
Data Source: http://www.ats.ucla.edu/stat/spss/faq/scatter.htm
Week 14:
Reading:
Feeling the future: experimental evidence for anomalous retroactive influences on cognition and
affect. DJ Bem - Journal of personality and social psychology, 2011
Assignment:
Conduct One-Way ANOVA comparing type of program by all continuous measures of academic
performance. Conduct post-hoc LSD. Report overall significance of the test and mean
differences for post-hoc test. Include descriptive statistics with an explanation.
Data Source: http://www.ats.ucla.edu/stat/spss/faq/scatter.htm
Week 15:
Paper Due; Research Methods for pursuing a PhD
Office Hours upon Request
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with Disabilities for information about registration (166 Thorndike Hall). Services are available
only to students who are registered and submit appropriate documentation. As your professor, I
am happy to discuss specific needs with you as well.
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grade has been postponed because certain course requirements are outstanding. If the outstanding
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notation indicating the date that the grade of Incomplete was replaced by a final grade. If the
outstanding work is not completed within one calendar year from the date of the close of the
term in which the grade of Incomplete was received, the grade will remain as a permanent
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