Discovering Statistics (C8552)

15 credits, Level 5

Autumn teaching

This module deepens your theoretical understanding and practical skill in implementing, interpreting, and reporting the results of statistical analyses, based around the overarching theme of the linear model. There are weekly lectures that cover statistical principles in depth, each accompanied by an online tutorial to help you develop and test your understanding.

Practical classes compliment the lectures by providing guidance on applying the general linear model, advice on designing and executing projects, and conducting experimental research, and encourage consistent development of statistical skills and critical thinking through weekly quizzes. The statistical analysis parts of the module build upon existing knowledge of statistical theory to enable you to analyse more complex data structures through understanding the general linear model (regression, ANOVA etc).

There is one assessed empirical report using some of these techniques, which will enable you to develop skills in research design, data-gathering and analysis and which will therefore equip you for your empirical research projects.

This module builds on knowledge gained in the core psychology modules C8511: Psychology as a science and C8891: Analysing data. Students who are not enrolled on the BSc Psychology course at Sussex are expected to be familiar with the material covered in these modules.

Contact hours and workload

This module is approximately 150 hours of work. This breaks down into about 45 hours of contact time and about 105 hours of independent study. The University may make minor variations to the contact hours for operational reasons, including timetabling requirements.

We regularly review our modules to incorporate student feedback, staff expertise, as well as the latest research and teaching methodology. We’re planning to run these modules in the academic year 2024/25. However, there may be changes to these modules in response to feedback, staff availability, student demand or updates to our curriculum.

We’ll make sure to let you know of any material changes to modules at the earliest opportunity.