Research Methods | OCR GCSE Psychology (J203)
Research Methods
- 127 questions
- 7 subtopics
- Component 01
- Component 01 and Component 02
Research Methods is examined in Both components, a section of each paper.
It covers hypotheses, variables and experimental designs, sampling and ethical guidelines, Experiments, interviews and questionnaires, observations, case studies and correlations, descriptive statistics, tables and graphs and reliability, validity and bias.
Sample questions from Research Methods
Answer each one closed book first, then open the answer.
-
Hypotheses, variables and experimental designs
What is an independent variable, and how is it manipulated?
Show the answer
The independent variable is the factor a researcher changes to see its effect. The researcher manipulates it by creating different conditions, such as music versus silence. -
Hypotheses, variables and experimental designs
In a memory experiment, some participants are tested in the morning and others late in the evening. Why is this a problem, and how could it be controlled?
Show the answer
Time of day is an extraneous variable, because tiredness could affect recall. The researcher could control it by testing everyone at the same time of day. -
Sampling and ethical guidelines
How is a random sample selected?
Show the answer
A random sample gives every member of the target population an equal chance of being chosen. Names can be drawn from a hat or picked by a computer. -
Sampling and ethical guidelines
Why is deception an ethical issue, and when might it be acceptable?
Show the answer
Deception means misleading participants about the aim, which prevents fully informed consent. Mild deception may be acceptable if the study could not work otherwise and a full debrief follows. -
Experiments, interviews and questionnaires
Give one strength and one weakness of a natural experiment.
Show the answer
A strength is that variables can be studied that would be unethical or impossible to manipulate. A weakness is that participants cannot be randomly allocated, so other differences may explain the results. -
Experiments, interviews and questionnaires
What is a closed question?
Show the answer
A closed question offers a fixed set of answers to choose from, such as yes or no. Closed questions produce quantitative data that is quick to analyse but lacks detail. -
Observations, case studies and correlations
What type of research objective is observation most suitable for?
Show the answer
Observation is most suitable for studying what people actually do, rather than what they say they do. Observation suits behaviour that people cannot easily report, such as young children's play. -
Observations, case studies and correlations
What is a zero correlation?
Show the answer
A zero correlation means there is no relationship between the two co-variables. An example is shoe size and memory test scores.
The 7 subtopics
One subtopic is one session. Work down the list.
| Subtopic | What it covers | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| Hypotheses, variables and experimental designs | Alternative and null hypotheses, independent, dependent and extraneous variables, co-variables, standardisation, repeated and independent measures designs, and counterbalancing. | 17 |
| Sampling and ethical guidelines | Target populations, representative samples and generalisability, random, opportunity and self-selected sampling, and the British Psychological Society's ethical guidelines. | 18 |
| Experiments, interviews and questionnaires | Laboratory, field and natural experiments, structured and unstructured interviews, open and closed questions and rating scales, and primary and secondary data. | 17 |
| Observations, case studies and correlations | Naturalistic, controlled, overt, covert, participant and non-participant observation, case studies, and positive, negative and zero correlations on scatter diagrams. | 22 |
| Descriptive statistics, tables and graphs | The mode, median, mean and range, percentages, ratios, fractions, standard form, significant figures and estimation, the normal distribution, frequency tables, bar charts, histograms and line graphs. | 24 |
| Reliability, validity and bias | Internal, external and inter-rater reliability, ecological, population and construct validity, demand characteristics, social desirability, and gender, cultural, age, experimenter and observer bias. | 18 |
| The five core areas of psychology | The biological, cognitive, social, developmental and individual differences areas of psychology, which area each theory belongs to, and why the areas are interrelated. | 11 |
How the guide is worked
Answering a question from memory stores it far better than reading the answer again. The guide runs that as a fixed procedure on one subtopic at a time, about twenty minutes a session.
-
Step 1 · Closed book
Cover the answers. Work through one subtopic and write down what you can. Leave blanks where you have nothing.
-
Step 2 · Open book
Go back to the top. Read each printed answer and write it out in full, including the ones you had right.
-
Step 3 · Closed book again
Same questions, same order, from memory. The gap between pass one and pass three is the session result.
Read the full method, the return schedule and the research behind it.
Nearby topics
OCR GCSE Psychology Active Recall Guide
Every topic, not just this one. 577 questions with their answers.