Background:

Acquisition and generalization of data analysis skills are perennial challenges for psychology students. Teaching advanced data analysis in a psychology-specific context might improve students’ learning.

Objective:

At a mid-sized public university, we evaluated student outcomes after a new quantitative psychology course taught in the psychology department compared to upper-level statistics courses taught in the statistics department.

Method:

Undergraduate psychology majors (N = 80) completed quantitative psychology and/or upper-level statistics courses in preparation for their capstone research course. Participants also completed a brief data analysis skills assessment and the Major Field Test for Psychology.

Results:

Controlling for prerequisite grades and ACT composites, participants who completed quantitative psychology compared to upper-level statistics had significantly better academic outcomes, on average (standardized mean difference = 0.37).

Conclusions:

Psychology students completing an upper-level data analysis course within versus outside the department demonstrated better learning outcomes in psychology.

Teaching Implications:

Psychology programs that outsource data analysis courses should consider whether teaching these skills in-house holds potential to improve student outcomes. Alternatively, statistics departments might consider developing psychology-themed courses taught by faculty with expertise in psychological science.

中文翻译：

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内部教学数据分析可以提高心理学生的技能吗？

背景：

数据分析技能的获得和推广对心理学专业的学生来说是长期的挑战。在特定于心理学的环境中教授高级数据分析可能会改善学生的学习。

目的：

在一家中等规模的公立大学中，我们比较了心理学系开设的新定量心理学课程与统计系开设的高等统计学课程后对学生成绩的评估。

方法：

心理学专业的本科生（N = 80）完成了定量心理学和/或高级统计学课程，为他们的基础研究课程做准备。参加者还完成了简短的数据分析技能评估和心理学专业考试。

结果：

在控制前提等级和ACT组合的情况下，与上级统计数据相比，完成定量心理学的参与者的平均学术成绩显着提高（标准化平均差异= 0.37）。

结论：

在系内和系外完成高级数据分析课程的心理学学生表现出更好的心理学学习成果。

教学意义：

将数据分析课程外包的心理学程序应考虑在内部教授这些技能是否具有改善学生成果的潜力。另外，统计部门可能会考虑开发由心理学专业的教师教授的以心理学为主题的课程。