Dissertation Project in Systemic Clinical and Health Psychology

Recommended Prerequisites

The student must have good knowledge of English (reading) since many bibliographic references are in English.

Teaching Methods

Theoretical/practical teaching using expositive and active methodologies and tutorial guidance.

Active methodologies include, for example, bibliographical search (exploration exercises in the library and databases), and critical analysis and discussion of research projects. From a set of themes proposed by the teachers of the master the students will, with tutorial guidance, prepare the research project of their master's degree dissertation, following the model of project submission to FCT. 

Learning Outcomes

The student should begin the process of developing a researcher and specialist identity in the area, namely: i) to acquire knowledge about the specificities of research within the systemic approach, in the clinical and health fields; ii) to develop skills to critically evaluate scientific production, and to understand the importance of supporting their professional practice in empirically validated knowledge; iii) to be able to identify problems and research objectives about specific themes of the area; iv) to incorporate methodological and research skills in the elaboration of research projects with reference to the systemic perspective.

Work Placement(s)

No

Syllabus

1. Introduction: a) specificities of research in the context of the systemic approach; b) dilemmas and controversies; c) ethical norms and principles.

2. The research project: a) stages of preparation of a research project; b) elements of the project according to the FCT submission model (title, keywords, summary, state of the art, objectives, detailed description, annexes, references); c) themes of research in Systemic Clinical and Health Psychology for framing the dissertations.

3. Science communication strategies and skills (development and presentation of a pitch).

4. Specificities of scientific writing according to the APA style. 

Head Lecturer(s)

Maria João Rama Seabra Santos

Assessment Methods

Assessment
Resolution Problems: 10.0%
Laboratory work or Field work: 10.0%
Pitch: 10.0%
Project: 70.0%

Bibliography

Heatherington, L., Friedlander, M. L. Diamond, G. M., Escudero, V., & Pinsof, W. M. (2015). 25 Years of systemic therapies research: Progress and promise. Psychotherapy Research, 25(3), 348-364.

Lorås, L., Whittaker, K., Stokkebekk, J., & Tilden, T. (2023). Researching what we practice – The paradigm of systemic family research: Part 1. Family Process, 62(3), 947-960.

Miller, R. B., & Johnson, L. N. (2014). Advanced methods in family therapy research: A focus on validity and change. Routledge Press.

Ochs, M., Borcsa, M., & Schweitzer, J. (2020). Systemic research in individual, couple, and family therapy and counseling. Springer.

Sprenkle, D. H., & Piercy, F. P. (2005). Research methods in family therapy. Guildford.

Sternberg, R. J. (Ed.) (2019).Guide to publishing in psychology journals (2nd. ed.).Cambridge UP.  

Whittaker, K., Stokkebekk, J., Lorås, L., Tilden, T. (2023).Researching what we practice – The paradigm of systemic family research: Part 2. Family Process, 62(3), 961-975.