Program Overview

Bachelor’s Thesis Psychological Methods

Overview

The Bachelor's Thesis Psychological Methods is a course offered by the University of Amsterdam, with the course catalogue number 7203BTPMXY. It is worth 12 EC and is taught in English.

Entry Requirements

To be eligible for this course, students must have completed 60 EC from the first-year Psychology curriculum, including Research Participation, Scientific and Statistical Reasoning (7202A701XY), Practical Training: Psychological Research (7202A704), and at least 18 EC of the course package of Psychological Methods and the first part of Behavioural Research Toolbox XY.

Objectives

After completing the Bachelor's Thesis, students will be able to:

• Assess the research literature on a psychological subject and select the most important publications.
• Paraphrase the content of the selected publications.
• Analyse the academic argumentation applied in the selected publications and evaluate it in broad outline.
• Indicate the current state of affairs within a research area.
• Indicate why the research question is important.
• Set up and conduct an empirical study as part of a group and under supervision.
• Evaluate academic argumentation in the selected publications in broad outline.
• Analyse the data independently.
• Reflect on the ethical aspects of the study.
• Broadly evaluate the results within the research field.
• Write and format an empirical research article in APA style.
• Orally present the conducted research to peers.

Contents

In groups, students will conduct an empirical or simulation study and individually write a report about it in the form of a research article. The research topic will be determined by the supervisor, although students are asked which of the available topics they would prefer.

Teaching Method and Contact Hours

The course includes an introductory lecture, group-based supervision and teaching in workshops, optional individual sessions with the supervisor, written and other assignments in preparation for the workshops, conducting an empirical or simulation study, writing a research report, presentations to fellow students, and processing feedback.

Study Materials

The required study materials include:

• Starreveld, P. A. (Ed.). (2022). Writing psychology research reports (2nd ed.). Boom.
• Starreveld, P. A. (Ed.). (2022). Verslaglegging van psychologisch onderzoek (5e druk). Boom.
• Student manual Bachelor's Thesis (Canvas)

Assessment

A detailed description of assessment criteria and procedure can be found in the Student Manual on Canvas. All criteria have to be met in order to pass. Students individually submit sub-products and two final products: a research report and an oral presentation of their research. Supervisors assess both final products.

Remarks

Bachelor thesis topics: Students can indicate which of the available topics they would prefer to do their thesis on. However, it is not always possible to be assigned to one of the preferred options. During the Bachelor’s programme, students are required to obtain 5 colloquium points, which is linked to completing the BSc thesis in semester 1 of the third year of study.