Applied Research for the Practicing Psychologist (MPP550)

Research is at the centre of psychology, both from an academic standpoint and from a clinician standpoint. From systematically identifying the need for a new intervention, to the methods used to align intervention development with relevant theories and models, to the formal evaluation of both the effectiveness of the intervention, and the ability for clinicians to accurately implement or conduct the intervention. This unit looks at each of these aspects of the intervention development cycle, focusing on the methodologies and statistics used at each stage, how they are reported, and importantly, how you (as a consumer of research) can interpret these findings in a meaningful way to inform your own practice. Having said this, the unit is not a quantitative study into the aetiology of a psychological disorder, nor do we focus on describing treatment options or treatment planning for specific clients in any great detail. Rather, our attention will be focused on the research around intervention development. This unit contains a major research assessment, labelled the ‘Needs Analysis’. The Needs Analysis affords you the opportunity to apply your newfound knowledge of intervention development to identify an area of need in your MPP placements, review the literature around your identified need, and propose a research- informed solution. This will require you to begin collecting evidence early around your need, which may involve observations, anecdotal reports from stakeholders, administration documentation or procedures, non- confidential statistics such as admission rates, or other detail.