24504 - Research and Master Thesis

Academic Year 2018/2019

  • Moduli: Luca Pietrantoni (Modulo 1) Silvia Moscatelli (Modulo 2) Cristian Balducci (Modulo 3) Cristian Balducci (Modulo 4) Gabriele Prati (Modulo 5) Stefano Toderi (Modulo 6) Michela Menegatti (Modulo 7)
  • Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures (Modulo 1) Traditional lectures (Modulo 2) Traditional lectures (Modulo 3) Traditional lectures (Modulo 4) Traditional lectures (Modulo 5) Traditional lectures (Modulo 6) Traditional lectures (Modulo 7)
  • Campus: Cesena
  • Corso: Second cycle degree programme (LM) in Work, Organizational and Personnel Psychology (cod. 9236)

Learning outcomes

By the end of this activity, students will show: - the mastery of basic/fundamental topics of psychosocial and organizational research - the mastery of research methods for psychosocial and organizational studies - the ability to carry out a psychosocial and organizational research.

Course contents

MODULE 1 “Scientific writing” 15h Pietrantoni Luca

MODULE 2 “Review” 15h Moscatelli Silvia

MODULE 3 “Methods and designs in WOP-P/1” 30h Balducci Cristian

MODULE 4 “Methods and designs in WOP-P/2” 30h Balducci Cristian

MODULE 5 “Questionnaires and surveys” 15h Menegatti Michela

MODULE 6 “Online surveys” 15h Toderi Stefano

MODULE 7 “Design of training programs” 15h Prati Gabriele

MODULE 1 (Luca Pietrantoni, 15h, 3h x 5 classes)

At the end of the module students will be able to write in scientific jargon, report results and display findings following APA format.

Topics of each class:

  • Scientific writing
  • The “hourglass” metaphor
  • APA style
  • Figures and Tables
  • Ethics

MODULE 2 (Silvia Moscatelli, 15h, 3h x 5 classes)

At the end of the module students will be able to write a literature review, and to formulate research questions and hypotheses; to identify limitations and future direction of your research; to write the “Discussion” section of the RP.

Topics of each class:

  • How to write a literature review, and to formulate research questions and hypotheses;

    How to identify limitations and future direction of your research

    How to write the “Discussion” section of the RP

    “Becoming a reviewer” of a scientific paper: an exercise

MODULE 3-4 (Cristian Balducci, 60h, 3h x 20 classes)

At the end of the module students will be able to design a research/intervention study to assess common questions regarding the relationship between psychological and psychosocial variables, analyse the data and interpret the main results.

Topics of each class:

  • Quick review of the notion of correlation
  • The theory of latent constructs, including aspects of psychological measurement, the notions of validity and reliability and the role of factor analysis
  • Normative data of a psychological measure. Development and interpretation.
  • Scale validation in practice (review of a scale validation paper)
  • The problem related to self-reported data: potential solutions (multisource data, objective data, triangulation)
  • Causality in psychological research: definition and assessment
  • Intervention designs in WOP psychology (cross-sectional and longitudinal studies)
  • Diary Studies
  • Moderation and mediation: theory and implementation
  • Thematic seminar: A multisource and prospective analysis on the relationship between work addiction and well-being outcomes.
  • Presentations of the students' empirical projects with discussion of the main substantive and methodological issues

MODULE 5 (Michela Menegatti, 15h, 3h x 5 classes)

At the end of the module students will be able to design, develop and pilot an effective survey/questionnaire to answer specific research and practical questions.

Topics of each class:

  • Surveys and questionnaires: Strengths and weaknesses.
  • Operationalization of the constructs and variables in a questionnaire
  • Designing items/questions for a questionnaire
  • Piloting
  • Development of a questionnaire to be used in the professional practice

MODULE 6 (Stefano Toderi, 15h, 3h x 5 classes)

At the end of the module, students will be able to design and conduct online surveys and to export data in SPSS. Students will also learn some basic information about the Scientist Practitioner Orientation.

Topics of each class:

  • Qualtrics as a software for online surveys and scales
  • Inserting questions in Qualtrics
  • Exporting results in SPSS
  • Explorative factor analysis and internal validity of the Scientist-practitioner Inventory
  • Exercise of self-assessment

MODULE 7 (Gabriele Prati, 15h, 3h x 5 classes)

At the end of the module students will learn professional practices in the training and will be able to develop, perform, and evaluate a training program.

Topics of each class:

  • Development of a training program on non-technical skills
  • Professional practices in the training of healthcare professionals
  • Team techniques for delivering training effectively
  • Exercise on evaluation of training programs
  • Kirkpatrick’s model of evaluation of training

Readings/Bibliography

Research designs:

Pyrczak, F. (2016). Writing empirical research reports: A basic guide for students of the social and behavioral sciences. Routledge.

Clark, V. L. P. (2014). A Guide to Key Features for Writing Papers in the APA Style.

Nuijten, M. B., Hartgerink, C. H., van Assen, M. A., Epskamp, S., & Wicherts, J. M. (2016). The prevalence of statistical reporting errors in psychology (1985–2013). Behavior research methods, 48(4), 1205-1226.

Stangor, C., & Walinga, J. (2010) Introduction to Psychology. 1st Canadian edition (Chapter 3: Psychological Science).

Literature review:

Hart, C. (1998). Doing a literature review. London: SAGE

Surveys and questionnaires:

Krosnick, Jon A., & Presser S. (2009). Question and Questionnaire Design. In J. D. Wright & P. V. Marsden (eds.) Handbook of Survey Research (2nd Edition). Elsevier: San Diego.

Workplace assessment and coaching:

Scott, J. C., & Reynolds, D. H. (2010). Handbook of workplace assessment (Vol. 32). John Wiley & Sons.

Chapter 13 (Executive and Managerial Assessment) and chapter 15 (The role of assessment in succession management)

Hernez-Broome, G., & Boyce, L. A. (Eds.). (2010). Advancing executive coaching: Setting the course for successful leadership coaching (Vol. 29). John Wiley & Sons.

Teaching methods

In-Class attendance. Attendance and active participation are highly important. The joint effort of teachers and students is needed. Although we don’t want to rely in the mere strength of negative reinforcements, penalty will be applied for every class missed without due motivation (1 point for every missed 2 hours).

Ethical code. All students are expected to follow the ethical code of the University of Bologna. http://www.normateneo.unibo.it/NormAteneo/codice_etico.htm

The following actions are not acceptable. PLAGIARISM: representation of another’s work or ideas as one’s own in academic submissions. CHEATING: actual or attempted use of resources not authorized by the instructor for academic submissions. In addition, students are expected to treat each other, themselves and the course instructor and teaching assistant with respect and courtesy, including respecting, and possibly capitalizing on, diversity of all types.

Penalties of late and short / long work. Our Master is challenging, so that cooperation by everyone is needed to make the effort sustainable. Delays in agreed deadlines for assignments area threats for the quality of our work. Any assignment which is submitted after the relevant deadline, without being covered by adequate evidence of medical problems or of another serious emergency, or by the prior permission of the tutor concerned, will be penalized as follows: 1 point will be deducted for every day after the relevant deadline.

Assessment methods

The range of marks in Italy is from 18 to 30 points (18/30 is the threshold to pass or fail).

The teacher of each module will ask you to complete assignments and perform some extra activities in case of missing classes.

Teaching tools

Policy on the Use of Technology in the Classroom. Technology is useful, only when aimed to improve performance in the classroom. Therefore all hand held devices (cell phones, cameras, etc.) should be turned off and packed away during class sessions. Computers in the classroom are a tool for work, and should be used for note-taking only. If computers are used for texting, e-mail, or Internet connection (without the explicit permission of the professor), the professor may stop the use of a computer in that class. Students who need to use voice recorders for class lectures are kindly invited to ask for the explicit permission of the professor in order to do so.

Office hours

See the website of Luca Pietrantoni

See the website of Silvia Moscatelli

See the website of Cristian Balducci

See the website of Cristian Balducci

See the website of Gabriele Prati

See the website of Stefano Toderi

See the website of Michela Menegatti