A Course to Develop Competence in Critical Reading of Empirical Research in Psychology

Abstract

A course designed to train students to read original empirical articles independently and critically is described. The course, conducted as a seminar, uses a case-study approach to help students develop data-reading skills and habits. Students learn to concentrate on the Method and Results sections of articles and to guard against unquestioning acceptance of authors' biases. They discover that limited statistical competence need not be an impediment to independent examination of results. Above all, they gain confidence in their ability, even as novices, to read critically the contributions of published researchers.