Programming for Psychologists

PSY 1903 Subject & Catalog Number

Description

Programming is an essential skill in psychological research, allowing you to design and run behavioral experiments and surveys, analyze and visualize data, and more. This course will teach you the foundational coding skills needed to achieve these goals using the open-source languages JavaScript and R. 

Throughout the semester, we’ll explore core programming concepts related to code design and troubleshooting as well as creating clear and reproducible approaches to study design and analysis. We’ll begin by establishing a research workflow that is both streamlined and aligned with open science practices, incorporating tools like Git for version control. We will then further explore programming in JavaScript before applying our newly developed coding skills to create online behavioral experiments using the jsPsych library. Finally, we'll continue to strengthen our programming skills as we transition from JavaScript to R and switch our focus to wrangling and exploring datasets. 

This introductory course requires no prior programming or statistical experience beyond what is covered in PSY 1900 or equivalent. While the examples are psychology-focused, the skills you’ll gain are valuable across the social and behavioral sciences. The course may be particularly beneficial for students considering or starting a thesis, those interested in graduate school, and those exploring careers in industry or data science.

Recommended Prep

The Psychology Department requires completion of Science of Living Systems 20 or Psychology 1 or the equivalent of introductory psychology (e.g. Psych AP=5 or IB =7 or Psyc S-1) and PSY 1900 or the equivalent of introductory statistics before enrolling in this course; or permission of instructor.