Numbers
WJEC AS-Level Psychology 601-5719-7
Psychology Past to Present — The Five Approaches
Topic overviewThe Biological Approach: assumptions of the approach and applying the assumptions to the formation of relationshipsThe Biological Approach: love chemicals, strengths and weaknessesBiological Therapy: Drug Therapy or Psychosurgery — how the approach is used in therapyBiological Therapy: Drug Therapy or Psychosurgery — effectiveness of the therapyClassic Evidence (Biological): Raine, Buchsbaum and LaCasse (1997) — methodology and findingsClassic Evidence (Biological): Raine, Buchsbaum and LaCasse (1997) — conclusionsThe Psychodynamic Approach: assumptions of the approachThe Psychodynamic Approach: personality, defence mechanisms and the formation of relationshipsThe Psychodynamic Approach: strengths and weaknesses of the approachPsychodynamic Therapy: Dream Analysis or Group Analysis Psychotherapy — how the approach is usedPsychodynamic Therapy: Dream Analysis or Group Analysis Psychotherapy — effectiveness of the therapyClassic Evidence (Psychodynamic): Bowlby (1944) — methodology, procedures and findingsClassic Evidence (Psychodynamic): Bowlby (1944) — conclusions, ethical issues and social implicationsThe Behaviourist Approach: assumptions of the approachThe Behaviourist Approach: applying the assumptions to relationships, strengths and weaknessesBehaviourist Therapy: Aversion Therapy or Systematic Desensitisation — how the approach is usedBehaviourist Therapy: Aversion Therapy or Systematic Desensitisation — effectiveness of the therapyClassic Evidence (Behaviourist): Watson and Rayner (1920) — methodology, procedures and findingsClassic Evidence (Behaviourist): Watson and Rayner (1920) — conclusionsThe Cognitive Approach: assumptions of the approach and applying the assumptions to the formation of relationshipsThe Cognitive Approach: strengths and weaknesses of the approachCognitive Therapy: Cognitive Behavioural Therapy or Rational Emotive Behaviour TherapyCognitive Therapy: Cognitive Behavioural Therapy or Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (2)Classic Evidence (Cognitive): Loftus and Palmer (1974) — methodology, procedures and findingsClassic Evidence (Cognitive): Loftus and Palmer (1974) — conclusionsThe Positive Approach: assumptions of the approachThe Positive Approach: applying the assumptions to the formation of relationshipsThe Positive Approach: strengths and weaknesses of the approachPositive Therapy: Mindfulness or Quality of Life Therapy — how the approach is used in therapyPositive Therapy: Mindfulness or Quality of Life Therapy — assumptions in practice, effectiveness and ethicsClassic Evidence (Positive): Myers and Diener (1995) — methodology, procedures and findingsClassic Evidence (Positive): Myers and Diener (1995) — conclusionsComparison of the Five Approaches: biological approach and psychodynamic approachComparison of the Five Approaches: behaviourist approach, cognitive approach and positive approach
Contemporary Debates
Topic overviewHow to Explore a Contemporary DebateDebate: The Ethics of Neuroscience — what is at the core of the debateDebate: The Ethics of Neuroscience — arguments on each side of itDebate: The Mother as Primary Care-Giver of an Infant — what is at the core of the debateDebate: The Mother as Primary Care-Giver of an Infant — arguments on each side of itDebate: Using Conditioning Techniques to Control the Behaviour of ChildrenDebate: Using Conditioning Techniques to Control the Behaviour of Children — arguments on each sideDebate: Reliability of Eye-Witness Testimony (Including Children) — what is at the core of the debateDebate: Reliability of Eye-Witness Testimony (Including Children) — arguments on each side of itDebate: Relevance of Positive Psychology in Today's Society — what is at the core of the debateDebate: Relevance of Positive Psychology in Today's Society — arguments on each side of it
Principles of Research and Application of Research Methods
Topic overviewSocial Psychology Context Study: Milgram (1963) — methodology and proceduresSocial Psychology Context Study: Milgram (1963) — findings, ethical issues and social implicationsDevelopmental Psychology Context Study: Kohlberg (1968) — methodology, procedures and findingsDevelopmental Psychology Context Study: Kohlberg (1968) — conclusionsDeciding on a Research Question: aim of the research and null hypothesesDeciding on a Research Question: variables, operationalisation and extraneous variablesMethodologies: experiments, quasi-experiments and participant observationsMethodologies: non-participant observation, content analysis and interviewsMethodologies: correlational studies, case studies and self-reportsLocation of Research: conducting research in a laboratory and in the fieldLocation of Research: conducting research on-lineParticipants and Sampling: target populations, sampling frames and opportunity samplingParticipants and Sampling: systematic sampling, stratified sampling and quota samplingParticipants and Sampling: self-selected sampling and observational sampling techniquesExperimental Design: independent groups and repeated measuresExperimental Design: matched pairsLevels of Measurement: nominal data and ordinal dataLevels of Measurement: interval data and ratio dataGraphical Representation: bar charts and histogramsGraphical Representation: scatter diagrams and choosing a display for the level of measurementDescriptive Statistics: the mean, the median and the modeDescriptive Statistics: the range, the standard deviation and choosing a measureReliabilityValidity: internal validity and external validityValidity: specific validity issues and ways of dealing with issues of validityEthics in Psychological Research: confidentiality, deception, protection from harm and risk to valuesEthics in Psychological Research: valid consent, working with vulnerable individuals and ways of dealing with ethical issuesApplication of Research Methods to a Novel Scenario (AS): identifying the method and the variablesApplication of Research Methods to a Novel Scenario (AS): judging the reliability, validity and ethics
Mathematical Requirements for Psychology (Appendix A: AS Unit 2 and A2 Unit 4)
Topic overviewArithmetic and Numerical Computation: standard form and significant figuresArithmetic and Numerical Computation: estimating and checking a resultHandling Data: means, medians, modes and ranges, percentages and percentage changeHandling Data: reading a table of data and orders of magnitudeAlgebraGraphs: plotting and labelling a graph, gradients and interceptsGraphs: reading a value off a curve and choosing the right form of graph
Principles of Research and Application of Research Methods
- 29 subtopics
- 84 things to know
- AS Unit 2
What Principles of Research and Application of Research Methods covers
Principles of Research and Application of Research Methods is examined on AS Unit 2 of WJEC Psychology, Psychology: Using Psychological Concepts. 335 recall questions across 29 subtopics.
Where it is assessed
AS Unit 2
Psychology: Using Psychological Concepts.
Check the WJEC specification ↗The 29 subtopics
Each one has its own page. WJEC AS Psychology students sit this topic in the first year.
- Social Psychology Context Study: Milgram (1963) — methodology and proceduresRecall questions on Milgram — methodology and procedures.Open →
- Social Psychology Context Study: Milgram (1963) — findings, ethical issues and social implicationsRecall questions on Milgram — findings, ethical issues and social implications.Open →
- Developmental Psychology Context Study: Kohlberg (1968) — methodology, procedures and findingsRecall questions on Kohlberg — methodology, procedures and findings.Open →
- Developmental Psychology Context Study: Kohlberg (1968) — conclusionsRecall questions on main criticism of using hypothetical dilemmas.Open →
- Deciding on a Research Question: aim of the research and null hypothesesRecall questions on aim of a piece of research, directional hypothesis and non-directional hypothesis.Open →
- Deciding on a Research Question: variables, operationalisation and extraneous variablesIndependent, dependent and co-variables, operationalising a variable such as playground aggression, the difference between extraneous and confounding variables, and why instructions to participants are standardised.Open →
- Methodologies: experiments, quasi-experiments and participant observationsRecall questions on quasi-experiment, natural experiment and participant observation.Open →
- Methodologies: non-participant observation, content analysis and interviewsNon-participant observation and its trade-off, content analysis and the data it produces, and the strengths and weaknesses of structured and semi-structured interviews.Open →
- Methodologies: correlational studies, case studies and self-reportsRecall questions on correlational study, case study and self-report.Open →
- Location of Research: conducting research in a laboratory and in the fieldRecall questions on main criticism made of laboratory research and conducting research in the field.Open →
- Location of Research: conducting research on-lineRecall questions on conducting research on-line and main sampling weakness of on-line research.Open →
- Participants and Sampling: target populations, sampling frames and opportunity samplingRecall questions on target population, sampling frame, random sampling and opportunity sampling.Open →
- Participants and Sampling: systematic sampling, stratified sampling and quota samplingRecall questions on systematic sampling, main weakness of systematic sampling and stratified sampling.Open →
- Participants and Sampling: self-selected sampling and observational sampling techniquesRecall questions on self-selected sampling, snowball sampling, event sampling and time sampling.Open →
- Experimental Design: independent groups and repeated measuresRecall questions on experimental design, independent groups design, repeated measures design, order effects and name two kinds, counterbalancing.Open →
- Experimental Design: matched pairsRecall questions on matched pairs design.Open →
- Levels of Measurement: nominal data and ordinal dataRecall questions on nominal data and ordinal data.Open →
- Levels of Measurement: interval data and ratio dataRecall questions on interval data and ratio data.Open →
- Graphical Representation: bar charts and histogramsRecall questions on bar charts and histograms.Open →
- Graphical Representation: scatter diagrams and choosing a display for the level of measurementRecall questions on scatter diagrams and choosing a display for the level of measurement.Open →
- Descriptive Statistics: the mean, the median and the modeRecall questions on measure of central tendency, main weakness of the mean, main disadvantage of the median and mode.Open →
- Descriptive Statistics: the range, the standard deviation and choosing a measureWhen the mode is the only measure available, the range and the standard deviation calculated and compared, and choosing a measure to suit the level of measurement.Open →
- ReliabilityRecall questions on internal reliability and external reliability.Open →
- Validity: internal validity and external validityRecall questions on validity, internal validity, external validity, ecological validity and population validity.Open →
- Validity: specific validity issues and ways of dealing with issues of validityRecall questions on researcher bias, demand characteristics and social desirability.Open →
- Ethics in Psychological Research: confidentiality, deception, protection from harm and risk to valuesConfidentiality and how it differs from anonymity and privacy, deception and when it may be acceptable, protection from physical and psychological harm, and risks to participants' values and relationships.Open →
- Ethics in Psychological Research: valid consent, working with vulnerable individuals and ways of dealing with ethical issuesRecall questions on valid consent, prior general consent, role of an ethics committee and purpose of a debrief.Open →
- Application of Research Methods to a Novel Scenario (AS): identifying the method and the variablesRecall questions on identifying the method and the variables.Open →
- Application of Research Methods to a Novel Scenario (AS): judging the reliability, validity and ethicsRecall questions on judging the reliability, validity and ethics.Open →
What you need to know
Answer each one before you reveal it.
Your recallNot started
Evaluation
Give the ethical criticisms of Milgram's study, and criticisms of its validity and generalisability.
Key term
What ethical considerations arise from Kohlberg's use of children?
Study
Define the independent and dependent variables, and identify them in a study of whether caffeine speeds up reaction time.
Study
Define operationalisation and an extraneous variable, and explain why poor operationalisation weakens a study.
Evaluation
Give one strength and one weakness of content analysis.
Evaluation
What is quantitative data, and what is its chief advantage?
Key term
Distinguish between a primary source and a secondary source, and give one drawback of the latter.
Key term
Define a target population and a sampling frame, and explain what goes wrong if the sampling frame is incomplete.
Evaluation
Define random sampling and opportunity sampling, and give a strength of random sampling.
Evaluation
What is meant by experimental design, how should participants be allocated in an independent groups design, and what is its main strength?
Key term
Why is it a mistake to calculate a mean from ordinal data?
Key term
When should a histogram be used rather than a bar chart, and why do its bars touch?
Numbers
When is the mode the only measure available, what is the mode of 2, 3, 3, 5, 7, 7, 7 and 9, and what problem can the mode have?
Evaluation
What does reliability mean in psychological research?
Evaluation
Define validity and external validity.
Evaluation
Define demand characteristics and researcher bias, and explain how a double blind procedure counters both.
Study
Define social desirability, and explain how a single blind procedure and an independent groups design reduce demand characteristics.
Key term
When might deception be regarded as acceptable?
Key term
What is presumptive consent, and when is it used?
Key term
Why does the researcher's choice of setting change what a study can show?
Process
Why does the choice of Yale University as the setting matter to the interpretation of the results?
Study
Why was the teacher given a 45 V shock before the procedure began?
Evaluation
Why is the scoring of Kohlberg's interviews a methodological weakness?
Key term
When is a non-directional hypothesis the safer choice?
Key term
What is a structured interview or questionnaire?
Evaluation
Why does laboratory research usually have high internal validity?
Study
What verification problem does on-line research face?
Evaluation
Which location would suit a study of whether a brief delay affects reaction time, and why?
Study
Give two weaknesses of a matched pairs design.
Study
Which design would best compare a new therapy with a control condition while allowing for how ill participants already are?
Study
Define ordinal data.
Key term
Define ratio data.
Study
Why is a line graph a good choice for comparing two conditions across several trials?
Key term
What is the drawback of a pie chart when several categories are similar in size?
Key term
What does a measure of dispersion tell you?
Evaluation
Explain why an unreliable measure cannot be a valid one.
Key term
What extra care is needed when working with vulnerable individuals?
Key term
When you meet an unfamiliar piece of research, what should you establish first before judging it?
Study
Why should approval be obtained before any data are collected rather than afterwards?
Key term
What is the aim of a piece of research?
Key term
What makes a study an experiment?
Evaluation
Besides high internal validity, what is an advantage of working in a laboratory?
Key term
A researcher has a sampling frame of 400 names and wants a systematic sample of 20. What is the sampling interval?
Evaluation
What is the main weakness of systematic sampling?
Key term
What is self-selected sampling?
Key term
What is snowball sampling?
Key term
What is meant by experimental design?
Key term
Name the four levels of measurement in order of how much information they carry, from least to most.
Key term
Why are the bars of a bar chart drawn with gaps between them?
Key term
What is a measure of central tendency?
Key term
State the formula for the mean in words.
Key term
Define external validity.
Key term
What is meant by confidentiality?
Key term
Why does participants' awareness of being studied limit what research can establish?
Key term
Name the sampling technique Milgram's recruitment method produced.
Key term
State the headline obedience figures Milgram obtained.
Key term
What was Kohlberg (1968) investigating?
Key term
Which level do most adults reach?
Key term
How does a hypothesis differ from an aim?
Key term
What is the independent variable?
Key term
Why can a quasi-experiment not establish cause and effect with confidence?
Key term
What is content analysis?
Key term
What is a correlational study?
Key term
Why are demand characteristics especially likely in a laboratory?
Key term
What is meant by conducting research on-line?
Key term
What is a target population?
Key term
Why is stratified sampling usually the most representative technique?
Evaluation
Give one strength and one weakness of event sampling.
Key term
What is an independent groups design?
Key term
Which participants make the ideal matched pair, and why?
Key term
What kind of data is nominal data?
Key term
What property does interval data have that ordinal data lacks?
Key term
Which figure goes on the vertical axis of a bar chart comparing two conditions of an experiment?
Key term
What is a line graph used to show?
Numbers
Calculate the mean of the scores 4, 7, 9, 12 and 8.
Key term
Give one problem with using the mode.
Key term
A stress questionnaire contains three items about sleep quality and one asking about political views. Which kind of reliability is threatened?
Key term
Name three things findings must generalise to for a study to have external validity.
Key term
Define researcher bias.
Process
State two practical steps that protect confidentiality.
Key term
Why is the right to withdraw part of consent rather than a separate matter?
Key term
How does the choice of sample limit the conclusions that can be drawn?
Key term
State two reasons why psychological findings are harder to generalise than findings in the physical sciences.
Take Principles of Research and Application of Research Methods further
The same content, four other ways.
Commonly confused
Pairs that lose marks when they are blurred together.
Stratified sampling vs Quota sampling
Stratified sampling: selecting randomly within each stratum. Quota sampling: filling each stratum by opportunity sampling.
Event sampling vs Time sampling
Event sampling: counting every instance of a behaviour. Time sampling: recording whatever is happening at set moments.
Anonymity vs Confidentiality
Anonymity: that identifying details are never collected. Confidentiality: they are collected but never disclosed.
Questions from this topic
Each one with the model answer underneath.
- 1
What was the aim of Milgram's (1963) study?
Model answer
To investigate how far ordinary people would obey an authority figure who instructed them to give increasingly severe electric shocks to another person.
- 2
What historical question prompted Milgram's research?
Model answer
Whether the atrocities of the Holocaust could be explained by something distinctive about German obedience, or whether ordinary people anywhere would behave in the same way.
- 3
How did Milgram recruit his participants?
Model answer
Through a newspaper advertisement and direct mail invitations asking for men to take part in a paid study of memory and learning.
- 4
Name the sampling technique Milgram's recruitment method produced.
Model answer
A self-selected, or volunteer, sample.
- 5
Describe the sample Milgram used.
Model answer
Forty men aged between 20 and 50 from New Haven and the surrounding area, in occupations ranging from unskilled work to the professions.
- 6
How much were the participants paid, and when did they receive it?
Model answer
They were given $4.50 on arrival and told the money was theirs simply for coming, whatever happened afterwards.
What is inside Levo
Six ways to work the same material.
Principles of Research and Application of Research Methods revision questions
- Is Principles of Research and Application of Research Methods examined at AS in WJEC Psychology?
- Yes. It sits in AS Unit 2, which you take in the first year, so it is on the AS paper as well as counting towards the full A level.
- What does Principles of Research and Application of Research Methods cover in WJEC AS-Level Psychology?
- 29 subtopics: social psychology context study: milgram (1963) — methodology and procedures, social psychology context study: milgram (1963) — findings, ethical issues and social implications, developmental psychology context study: kohlberg (1968) — methodology, procedures and findings, developmental psychology context study: kohlberg (1968) — conclusions, deciding on a research question: aim of the research and null hypotheses, deciding on a research question: variables, operationalisation and extraneous variables, methodologies: experiments, quasi-experiments and participant observations, methodologies: non-participant observation, content analysis and interviews, methodologies: correlational studies, case studies and self-reports, location of research: conducting research in a laboratory and in the field, location of research: conducting research on-line, participants and sampling: target populations, sampling frames and opportunity sampling, participants and sampling: systematic sampling, stratified sampling and quota sampling, participants and sampling: self-selected sampling and observational sampling techniques, experimental design: independent groups and repeated measures, experimental design: matched pairs, levels of measurement: nominal data and ordinal data, levels of measurement: interval data and ratio data, graphical representation: bar charts and histograms, graphical representation: scatter diagrams and choosing a display for the level of measurement, descriptive statistics: the mean, the median and the mode, descriptive statistics: the range, the standard deviation and choosing a measure, reliability, validity: internal validity and external validity, validity: specific validity issues and ways of dealing with issues of validity, ethics in psychological research: confidentiality, deception, protection from harm and risk to values, ethics in psychological research: valid consent, working with vulnerable individuals and ways of dealing with ethical issues, application of research methods to a novel scenario (as): identifying the method and the variables and application of research methods to a novel scenario (as): judging the reliability, validity and ethics. Each one has its own page with questions and model answers.
- How is Principles of Research and Application of Research Methods organised?
- By the WJEC 601-5719-7 specification, subtopic by subtopic, so it matches the order you are taught it in.
Every question in Principles of Research and Application of Research Methods, on a schedule.
Attempt a question from memory, write the correct version, then attempt it again. Levo records the jump between your first attempt and your last, and brings each question back on the day you are due to forget it.
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