PSYCHOLOGY WIZARD
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INTRODUCING METHODS

At the start of the 20th century, Psychology became more rigorous and scientific. Several leading thinkers realised that, if Psychology was ever to achieve respect as a discipline, it needed to imitate the rigour of the natural sciences (biology, chemistry, physics). Some psychologists, like the Behaviourists (Thorndike, Watson, Skinner), demanded that Psychology should be very scientific indeed. A century later, not all psychologists agree on just how far we should go in imitating the natural sciences, but all of them agree that the key to good psychological research is rigorous methodology - going about things in a clear, unbiased and replicable way.

The most powerful method available to psychologists - and the most scientific - is the Lab Experiment. However, there's a lot of debate about how appropriate lab experiments are for studying humans. Other types of experiment, such a Natural and Field Experiments, are less robustly scientific but better suited to studying human experience.

​Other strongly scientific methods include the Self Report and the Observation. However, these can also be carried out in a less structured way, sacrificing some scientific rigour but gaining more depth and detail.

The Edexcel Specification expects you to be able to (AO1) know and understand, (AO2) apply, (AO3) analyse and evaluate the following:

BIOLOGICAL METHODS

  • Correlational methods, including scattergraphs
  • Levels of data and inferential tests such as Spearman's Rho
  • Brain imaging techniques
  • ​Twin and adoption studies

LEARNING METHODS

  • Types of observations, including observational sampling and content analysis
  • Inferential tests such as Chi Squared
  • Qualitative data including thematic analysis
  • Animal research, including ethical issues with animals
  • The scientific status of Psychology

COGNITIVE METHODS

  • Different types of experiments, including hypotheses, research designs and types of variables
  • Quantitative data, including descriptive data analysis and graphs
  • Inferential tests such as the Mann Whitney U and the Wilcoxon
  • Case studies, including the case study of H.M.

SOCIAL METHODS

  • Self report data, including different types of questionnaires and interviews
  • Population sampling techniques
  • Quantitative and qualitative data
  • Ethical issues, including BPS Code of Conduct

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PSYCHOLOGYWIZARD.NET
  • Home
  • Unit 1 FOUNDATIONS
    • Biological >
      • Adoption & Twin Studies AO1 AO2 AO3 >
        • Gottesman & Shields AO1 AO3
        • Kety AO1 AO3
      • Aggression AO1 AO2 AO3 >
        • Evolutionary Psychology AO1 AO2 AO3
      • The Brain AO1 AO2 >
        • Drugs & the Brain AO1 AO2 AO3
      • Brendgen AO1 AO3
      • Development (Maturation) AO1 AO2 AO3
      • Freud's Psychodynamic Theory AO1 AO3 >
        • Aggression & Freud AO1 AO2 AO3
        • Development & Freud AO1 AO2 AO3
        • Individual Differences & Freud AO1 AO2 AO3
      • Raine AO1 AO3
      • Biological Key Question AO1 AO2
    • Cognitive >
      • Baddeley AO1 AO3
      • Multi Store Model AO1 AO2 AO3
      • Reconstructive Memory AO1 AO2 AO3
      • Schmolck AO1 AO3
      • Tulving's Long Term Memory AO1 AO2 AO3
      • Working Memory AO1 AO2 AO3
      • Cognitive Key Question AO1 AO2
    • Learning >
      • Bandura AO1 >
        • Bandura AO3
      • Becker AO1 AO3
      • Classical Conditioning AO1 AO2 AO3
      • Operant Conditioning AO1 AO2 AO3
      • Pavlov AO1 AO3
      • Social Learning AO1 AO2 AO3
      • Therapies for Phobias >
        • Flooding
        • Systematic Desensitisation
      • Watson & Rayner AO1 AO3
      • Learning Key Question AO1 AO2
    • Social >
      • Agency Theory AO1 AO2 AO3
      • Burger AO1 AO3
      • Situational Factors AO1 AO2 AO3
      • Milgram AO1 >
        • Milgram AO3
      • Realistic Conflict Theory AO1 AO2 AO3
      • Sherif AO1 >
        • Sherif AO3
      • Social Impact Theory AO1 AO2 AO3
      • Social Identity Theory AO1 AO2 AO3
      • Social Key Question AO1 AO2
  • Unit 2 APPLICATIONS
    • Clinical >
      • Depression AO1 AO2 >
        • Biological Explanation AO1 AO2
        • Non-Biological Explanation AO1 AO2
        • Biological Treatment AO1 AO2
        • Psychological Treatment AO1 AO2
      • Diagnosing Abnormality AO1 AO2 AO3
      • Diagnostic Manuals AO1 AO2 AO3
      • Carlsson AO1 AO3
      • Kroenke AO1 AO3
      • HCPC Guidelines AO1 AO2 AO3
      • Rosenhan AO1 AO3
      • Schizophrenia AO1 AO2 >
        • Biological Explanation AO1 AO2
        • Non-biological Explanation AO1 AO2
        • Biological Treatments AO1 AO2
        • Psychological Treatment AO1 AO2
      • Clinical Key Question AO1 AO2
      • Issues & Debates >
        • Social Control AO2 AO3
  • Evaluation
    • Ethics AO1 AO2 AO3
    • Individual Differences AO1 AO2 AO3 >
      • Brain Differences AO1 AO2 AO3 >
        • Personality AO1 AO2 AO3
      • Mental Health Differences AO1 AO2 AO3
      • Differences in Obedience & Prejudice AO1 AO2 AO3
      • Memory Differences AO1 AO2 AO3 >
        • Loftus study AO1 AO2 AO3
    • Nature vs Nurture AO1 AO2 AO3
    • Scientific Status AO1 AO2
  • Methods
    • Animal Studies AO1 AO2 AO3
    • Case Studies AO1 AO2 AO3 >
      • Bradshaw AO1 AO3
      • Scoville & Milner AO1 AO3
    • Content Analyses AO1 AO2 AO3
    • Experimental Method AO1 AO2 AO3
    • Experimental Variables AO1 AO2
    • Hypotheses AO1 AO2
    • Inferential Statistics AO1 AO2 >
      • Chi-Squared Test AO1 AO2
      • Mann-Whitney U Test AO1 AO2
      • Spearman's Rho AO1 AO2
      • Wilcoxon Test AO1 AO2
    • Longitudinal Design AO1 AO2 AO3
    • Quantitative Data & Analysis AO1 AO2 AO3
    • Research Design AO1 AO2 AO3
    • Sampling AO1 AO2 AO3
    • Self Report Method AO1 AO2 AO3 >
      • Brown et al. AO1 AO3
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Resources