Psycology and Health

ANTONIO CHIRUMBOLO

GENERAL AIM
The general aim of the course is the acquisition of basic elements of psychometrics. The course includes three main topics, closely related to each other, which refer respectively to descriptive statistics, inferential statistics, and the study of the relationship between variables.
The first part of the course will introduce the basic concepts of descriptive statistics (cases, variables, measurement levels), and the main techniques for the description and the graphical representation of the data (with particular reference to central tendency, dispersion, and form of the distribution).
The second part of the course will deal with the foundations of inferential statistics (samples and populations, indicators and parameters, sample distributions), the properties of the central limit theorem, and the general principles underlying parameter estimates (point and interval estimation) and hypothesis testing (null and alternative hypotheses, the critical region, type I and II errors, statistical power). Several parametric and non-parametric statistical tests will be introduced (the one sample z-test, the one sample t-test, the two independent samples z-test, the two independent samples t-test, the analysis of the variance, the chi-square test).
The third part of the course will focus on the statistical techniques aimed to investigate the relationship between variables (the correlation coefficient, bivariate regression).
For each of these themes, students will first be introduced to theoretical and formal contents. Next, practical exercises will be proposed, in which students are required to analyze real data (both by hand and by using SPSS), and to interpret and discuss their application in the psychological field.

SPECIFIC AIM
Knowledge and understanding
At the end of the course, the students are expected to get acquainted with basic notions of statistical methods for the analysis and description of data, the general principles underlying inferential statistics, the most important statistical tests in use for hypothesis testing, and main approaches for investigating associations between variables.

Applying knowledge and understanding
At the end of the course, the students are expected to be able to select and apply the most appropriate methods and statistical techniques to the analysis of real data; moreover, they are expected to be able to critically evaluate the applicability of such methods, according to the aim of the study, the measurement level of the variables, and the tenability of the assumptions on which they are based.

Making judgements
At the end of the course, the students are expected to have acquired the capability to evaluate and interpret results of studies and research in which the above statistical models are applied, and to critically evaluate their strengths and weakness. Several practical exercises will allow students to develop and refine these skills. The exercises will require students to read and interpret research reports and SPSS outputs.

Communication skills
At the end of the course, the students are expected to be able to communicate the results of studies and research in a clear and formally correct way. Such skills will be acquired providing examples of real data and reading materials (e.g., research reports, scientific articles).

Learning skills
At the end of the course, the students are expected to be able to continue independently in the application of the statistical techniques discussed during the course, and in deepening the study of theoretical and methodological aspects that are useful for conducting studies and research in the field of psychology.

Students will have to know a set of notions related to the topic, to know how to carry out exercises and to know how orientinting themselves within a research problem/question by choosing the correct analyses to run, and highlight critical reasoning skills. In particular, they must: a) know the basic notions and possess the theoretical knowledge of the discipline; b) being able to practice exercises and problems; c) understand the processes underlying the discipline (e.g. statistical decision making); d) demonstrate critical reasoning ability (e.g. identify and apply the correct statistical analysis in response to a specific research question); e) demonstrate knowledge of the jamovi software.

**DUBLIN DESCRIPTORS**

By the end of the course, students will have acquired basic knowledge of statistics and quantitative research applied to psychology. In particular, they will understand the main concepts of psychological measurement, the assumptions underlying psychometric analyses, the main basic statistical and psychometric models, and their application to psychological research. Students will also be able to understand the role of data analysis across the different stages of the research process, from dataset construction to the interpretation of results.
**[Dublin Descriptor No. 1 – Knowledge and understanding]**

The skills acquired will include the ability to organise and manage a data matrix, create a data-entry template, import datasets into jamovi, produce and interpret descriptive graphs, compute basic statistics, and perform the main statistical and psychometric analyses covered in the course. Students will be able to apply these skills to concrete problems in psychological research, selecting the most appropriate procedures according to the aims of the analysis and the nature of the available data.
**[Dublin Descriptor No. 2 – Applying knowledge and understanding]**

The course will promote students’ ability to critically interpret the results of statistical and psychometric analyses, evaluating their meaning, their consistency with the research hypotheses, and their methodological limitations. Students will be progressively guided towards developing autonomy in moving from theoretical knowledge to practical application, learning how to select, interpret, and discuss the analyses most appropriate to the context of psychological research.
**[Dublin Descriptor No. 3 – Making judgements]**

Throughout the course, students will be involved in individual and, where possible, group activities aimed at discussing and presenting the results of the analyses carried out. In-class and home exercises will help students develop the ability to communicate clearly, concisely, and appropriately the procedures used, the results obtained, and their psychological and methodological meaning. Students will therefore be encouraged to report on their work both orally, through discussions and presentations, and in written form, through short papers or analysis reports.
**[Dublin Descriptor No. 4 – Communication skills]**

The course aims to foster the development of skills useful for autonomous learning and for the further study of basic psychometric analyses. By the end of the course, students should be able to use jamovi independently for the main data analyses, understanding not only the operational procedures but also the theoretical assumptions underlying them. These skills will be particularly useful for the preparation of the bachelor’s or master’s thesis and, more generally, for the further study of methodological and psychometric topics throughout students’ academic and professional training.
**[Dublin Descriptor No. 5 – Learning skills]**

Basic mathematical competences provided at school will be necessary.

The course content is structured and divided into several thematic areas.
PSYCHOMETRICS. The first part covers general introductory topics, addressing topics related to measurement in psychology and the social sciences. Specific topics include: quantification and measurement in psychology and the social sciences; variable types and measurement scales. The second part of the course covers descriptive statistics and covers the following topics: frequency distributions; tables and graphs for representing and summarizing data; indices of central tendency (e.g., mode, median, and mean) and variability (e.g., standard deviation, variance); standardization of measures and standard scores; the normal distribution and its use in psychology and the social sciences. The third part focuses on the study of relationships between variables, with specific topics including Pearson correlation and simple linear regression. The fourth part covers probability and inferential statistics, with specific topics including: the concept of probability; populations and samples; Overview of different sampling distributions and their uses (normal curve, Student's t-test, and Chi-square); inferential statistics; parameter estimation (confidence interval); hypothesis testing and statistical decision-making; Type I and Type II errors; hypothesis testing on means; hypothesis testing on two independent samples and two correlated samples (Student's t-test); hypothesis testing on multiple independent means (One-Way Analysis of Variance); nonparametric tests for hypothesis testing (Chi-square).
JAMOVI. The course includes a laboratory portion of practical exercises to be completed in the classroom on the topics covered in the program. The various statistical techniques covered in the course will be illustrated practically through the use of the freeware statistical software "jamovi".
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY IN PSYCHOLOGY. The section on psychological research methodology covers the following topics: The scientific method – Observational methods – Surveys – Independent groups and repeated measures research designs – Factorial designs – Research validity

a) For the PSYCHOMETRICS section, the reference text is: Howitt and Cramer (2020). Introduction to Statistics in Psychology. Pearson. CHAPTERS #2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 20, 24, 28 are to be completed.
b) For the JAMOVI section, the reference text is: Chirumbolo et al. (2026). Psychometrics and Data Analysis with Jamovi. Pearson. CHAPTERS #1, 2, 3, 4 (ONLY 4.1 and 4.2), 6, 7 are to be completed.
c) For the RESEARCH METHODOLOGY section, the reference text is: Chirumbolo A. (2026). Research Methodology. McGraw-Hill Create: ISBN 9798219123962

The course will be delivered in the classroom.

Attendance is optional. However, students who regularly attend classes and study during the semester tendo to pass the exam more likely and with statistically significantly higher grades.

The exam consists of a written test, formed of closed-ended questions with close-ended answers (4 alternatives), to be completed in 60 minutes. Questions regard all topics in the program and are formulated in order to tap and test: a) the basic theoretical knowledge of the discipline; b) the skill to practically solve problems and exercises; c) the understand-ing of the processes (e.g., statistical decision making); d) the critical reasoning skills (e.g., individuate and apply the correct statistical analysis in relation to a specific research question or problem); e) Knowledge of jamovi software (e.g. interpretation of statistical outputs). The exam will be taken via the exam.net platform or on paper.

1) The mean is an index of:
a) central tendency
b) dispersion
c) position
d) none of the alternatives is correct

2) The reliability of a measure refers to:
a) accuracy
b) validity
c) significance
d) applicability

• PSYCHOMETRICS
  • Books: Howitt et al.


• RESEARCH METHODOLOGY IN PSYCHOLOGY
  • Books: Chirumbolo et al.


• PSYCHOMETRICS WITH JAMOVI
  • Books: Chirumbolo et al.