This module builds on Investigating psychology 2 and takes a critical and creative approach to methodology in psychology with a substantive empirical project. Experimentation, survey methodology and text-based qualitative analyses (discourse analysis and phenomenological analysis) are explored through the topics of memory, language, creativity, personality, child development, emotions, and relationships. These topics are also used to present research in the core domains of biological, cognitive, developmental, individual differences and social psychology. In addition, quantitative and qualitative methods are taught. Students can express a preference for the method to be used in their independent project: text-based analysis, experimentation, or survey.
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No current presentation
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This module is expected to start for the last time in February 2028. |
What you will study
Investigating psychology 3 gives you the opportunity to carry out an independent research project with specialist supervision. To facilitate this, you are strongly encouraged to engage with an online activity that outlines the broad options available for the independent project. This takes place before the module begins and is designed to help you decide on your preferences. At the start of the module, you can record these preferences, which will be used to allocate you an appropriate tutor.
During the first half of the module, the interactive online study guide leads you, week by week, through an exploration of the key methods used in psychological research, investigating how the diversity of methods originated and the way that psychology relates to both social and natural sciences.
You'll examine how experimentation, survey and text-based methods are used and consider the kind of psychological knowledge that each method generates.
You will learn about:
- the use of experimentation in memory research and how it relates to clinical research, such as brain imaging, will also be reviewed
- how attitudes and beliefs about the way children learn and develop relate to our practices in child rearing and education.
- how surveys are used in personality research and in assessing creativity
- phenomenological analysis, and how it can be used to explore our experiences of the world and ourselves
- discourse analysis and how this method helps us to appreciate and analyse the social constructed nature of the world around us, including psychological phenomena.
Experiments and surveys produce data that can be analysed using statistics, and this module builds on the statistical techniques introduced in Investigating psychology 1 and 2. The methods also lend themselves to the use of software and you will be introduced to professional-grade packages that allow you to produce experimental procedures and questionnaires as well as to collect data in a straightforward and accurate manner.
The second part of the module is your opportunity to carry out your own psychological investigation. Under the close supervision of your tutor, you'll design and build a study, considering procedural and ethical issues. You'll collect your data, carry out the appropriate analysis and report your findings as a research report. You’ll also participate in other students’ projects which will deepen your appreciation of how psychological data are generated.
Throughout this process, you'll be well supported, but we stress that this is your project and you'll be expected to take responsibility for it. In our experience, many students find the independent project is the most satisfying part of the whole degree.
Entry
This module is not available for standalone study; it can only be studied as part of a qualification. Normally, you should have successfully completed Investigating psychology 2 (DE200) before you study this module.
If you have any doubt about the suitability of the module, please speak to an adviser.
If you have a disability
The OU strives to make all aspects of study accessible to everyone and this Accessibility Statement outlines what studying DE300 involves. You should use this information to inform your study preparations and any discussions with us about how we can meet your needs.
To find out more about what kind of support and adjustments might be available, contact us or visit our disability support pages.
Study materials
What's included
You'll be provided with two textbooks, statistical analysis software (SPSS) and access to the module website, which includes:
- a week-by-week study guide and planner
- interactive activities and materials
- audio and video content
- step-by-step statistical analysis guides
- online tutorials and forums
- assessment guides
- links for further independent study.
Access to specialist software (Gorilla, Qualtrics, NVivo and SONA) to aid experimental, survey and qualitative projects, and to facilitate participant recruitment will also be made available through the module website.
Computing requirements
A computing device with a browser and broadband internet access is required for this module. Any modern browser will be suitable for most computer activities. Mobile devices and computing devices that do not meet the specs listed below, including Chromebook laptops or tablets running the Linux-based Chrome OS as its operating system, will not be able to install or run the SPSS statistics software required and thus are not suitable for parts of this module. The inability to use SPSS will prevent you from passing the module.
Additional software will be provided, including the SPSS statistics program. For this reason, you will need to be able to install and run this software on a desktop or laptop computer with either:
- Windows 64-bit (10 or 11)
- macOS (Ventura or higher)
- 3GB hard drive free space and 4GB of RAM
The screen of the device must have a resolution of at least 1024 pixels horizontally and 768 pixels vertically.
To join in the spoken conversation in our online rooms, we recommend a headset (headphones or earphones with an integrated microphone.
Our module websites comply with web standards, and any modern browser is suitable for most activities.
Our OU Study mobile App will operate on all current, supported versions of Android and iOS. It's not available on Kindle.
Teaching and assessment
Support from your tutor
You’ll be assigned a tutor who will give you advice and guidance throughout the module. They will help you with the study materials, mark and comment on your written work and will support you to design, carry out and produce your project. The tutor will provide project support through a dedicated research project forum, which is accessible only to you and your tutor.
We also offer online tutorials and other specialist teaching forums that you are encouraged to take part in.
Contact us if you want to know more about study with The Open University before you register.
Assessment
The assessment details for this module can be found in the facts box.
Professional recognition
This is one of the core modules in our British Psychological Society (BPS) accredited degrees in psychology.
Students also studied
Students who studied this module also studied at some time:
Future availability
Investigating psychology 3 currently starts once a year – in October. This page describes the module that will start in October 2024. The 2025/26 academic year will have two presentations – in October and February. We expect it to start for the last time in February 2028.
How to register
We regret that we are currently unable to accept registrations for this module. Where the module is to be presented again in the future, relevant registration information will be displayed on this page as soon as it becomes available.
Regulations
As a student of The Open University, you should be aware of the content of the academic regulations which are available on our
Student Policies and Regulations website.