07298 - Data Analysis Techniques

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course the student will be able to: assess the psychometric characteristics of a good test; use and apply a clinical psychometric test; write a diagnostic profile based on the use of psychometric tests; prepare a research-intervention in the clinical setting, with particular reference to the experimental design, the formulation of hypotheses, the choice of the sample, the measuring instruments and appropriate statistical analyzes to verify them.

Course contents

A) The measurement in psychology. Characteristics of a good psychometric test (reliability, validity, sensitivity). Scoring and interpretation of a test based on the norms, diagnostic profile of individual clinical cases and draft of a written report.

B) Multivariate statistical analysis (factor analysis, linear regression analysis, and analysis of variance) applied to the development and validation of a psychometric instrument, with reference to validity (structural, criterion, predictive), reliability (internal consistency and stability), sensitivity and specificity, and sensitivity to change.

C) Inferential Statistics using the General Linear Model applied to hypothesis testing in clinical research designs (cross-sectional, longitudinal, with or without a control group).

The course will take place during the first semester (from October to December 2019) at the Cesena Campus, Department of Psychology, viale Europa 119, Cesena,

Readings/Bibliography

Part A): Handout written by the teacher, downloadable from the teaching materials.

Parts B) and C): Gremigni P. & Casu G (2015) Psicometria e testistica in Psicologia clinica. eBook/PDF (online at http://www.lulu.com/shop/paola-gremigni-and-giulia-casu/psicometria-e-testistica-in-psicologia-clinica/ebook/product-22395057.html)

Teaching methods

Lessons will be organized into 2 modules, conducted by the same professor, related to the program part A) and B)/C), respectively. Each of them will include a theoretical part where general issues will be introduced and an application part, which will illustrate specific examples that will be interactively discussed with the students in the class.

Since the discussion of cases/examples may help very much the understanding of the course content (almost complex), the regular attendance of the lessons is highly recommended.  

Furthermore, the understanding of modules B) and C) is aided by the integration with the Psychometric laboratories that will take also place in the first semester.

Assessment methods

The assessment test consists of an oral exam preceded by an intermediate written exam and will be composed as follows:
1) The intermediate exam can be carried out by each student independently starting from the completion date of module A) and will focus on the contents of module A). Each student will be assigned a clinical case (different from the others) consisting of the scores reported by a person in a clinical test. The student will have to score the test, comment on scores, and produce a written report. The report will be sent by email to the teacher who will correct and evaluate it by giving a mark on thirtieths (0-30). Passing this test is a necessary condition to be able to take the oral exam. The deadline for sending via email to the teacher of this exam is 15 days before the student enrolls in the oral exam he/she want to apply for. Detailed instructions for conducting the test will be provided in class and described in the educational material available for download from the course website.
2) The individual oral exam will aim to ascertain the general theoretical knowledge acquired by the student on the topics related to parts B) and C) of the program, introduced in class and presented in a more complete way in the adopted textbook. The topics that are most difficult to understand will be illustrated in class, and the teacher will be available to further explanations also via email. Only the students who have passed the written intermediate exam with a score of at least 18 will be able to take the oral exam. The score attributed to this test is 0-30. Each student must register online at one of the regular exam established for the course.
The final mark of the exam will be the average between the two tests.

Teaching tools

Video, PC, tests.

Office hours

See the website of Paola Gremigni