Here are the key sampling methods: Random - every member has an equal chance of being selected. Most representative. Opportunity - use people easily available e.g. students. Convenient but not representative. Volunteer - people choose to take part. May not be typical of population. Systematic - every nth person selected e.g. every 5th. Even coverage but bias if every 5th is atypical. Stratified - divide population into relevant subgroups and sample proportionately from each. Quota - aim to include set numbers from relevant subgroups e.g. equal male/female. Snowball - ask initial participants to recommend others. Builds but limits generalisation

1. • Evidence to support psychological ideas is
gathered through research.
• Validated evidence = scientific progress.
• Scientific knowledge changes when new
evidence provides a better explanation.
Psychology’s foundation in
research is what it shares with
other sciences.

2. So, yes
Psychology is
regarded as the
science of
behaviour
…for the purposes of your AS level. However, this
statement is certainly up for debate.

3. UNIT 1: PSYA1
50% AS Cognitive Psychology With me 3 hours
(25% A2) Developmental Psychology per week.
Research Methods
Why not divide your
UNIT 2: PSYA2 into the 6
folder
With Mrs Gordon-
50% AS sections?
Biological Psychology Smart 2 hours per
(25% A2)
Social Psychology 1
3 for Unit
3 for Unit 2
week.
Individual Differences
- Knowledge of HOW Psychologists gather information is
vital to your success as AS level.
- KNOWLEDGE of and APPLICATION of research
methods.

4. UNIT 1: PSYA1
Cognitive Psychology
Developmental Psychology
Research Methods
- Knowledge of HOW Psychologists gather information is
vital to your success as AS level.
- KNOWLEDGE of and APPLICATION of research
methods.

5. AO1: Knowledge and understanding
- recognise, recall and show understanding.
- Select, organise and communicate relevant information.
AO2: Application of knowledge and understanding
- analyse and evaluate knowledge and processes.
- apply knowledge and processes to unfamiliar situations.
- assess validity, credibility and reliability.
AO3: Psychology as a science
- describe ethical process and select appropriate methods.
- know how to make, record and communicate reliable and
valid observations/measurements, with accuracy and using a
variety of sources.
- analyse, interpret, explain and evaluate methodology, results
and impact of own and others research.

6. Grading
• At AS, Grading is A – E
(U= ungraded).
• For A2, the grading changes to the full A* - E.

7. Content & Exams
The latest Content:
AS results
were 80% • At AS, there is a lot of compulsory content =
A-C less choice.
This is • This prepares you for A2 = more choice.
fantastic!
Examinations:
• The AS course is examined in June – for both
Units 1 and 2.

8. The content is split into three parts:
1. Methods and techniques
2. Investigation design
3. Data analysis and presentation
L/O:
- To be able to explain the purpose of
psychological research.
- To be able to create clear aims and
hypotheses for research.
Research
Methods

9. The content is split into three parts:
1. Methods and techniques
2. Investigation design
3. Data analysis and presentation
But first, let’s establish the first steps for a
Psychologist carrying out research.
Research
Methods

10. Task
In pairs, define the words:
• OBJECTIVE:
• SUBJECTIVE:
Challenge: How might these words
relate to research?

11. • Empirical evidence is information
gathered about human behaviour based on
careful observation and measurement.
• Empirical research assumes that observations
are objective – not influenced by emotions
or personal opinions.
This is
difficult to
achieve, wh
y?
How might a researcher make
their research more objective?

12. AIMS
• Psychologists (particularly Research
Psychologists) have a real desire to seek
out the origins and motives of human
behaviour.
• An AIM is a reasonably precise idea about
the area of study and what the study is
going to try to achieve.
To describe the effects of stress
on our memory.
To look at whether listening to
music while revising helps us
remember things.

13. • The HYPOTHESIS predicts what a
researcher expects to find.
• The idea is that your research will
try to find evidence to support your
hypothesis.
HYPOTHESIS: The more
AIM: To describe the stressed we are, the
effects of stress on worse our memory will
memory. be.
TASK: create a hypothesis for
THE the second example aim: To
look at whether listening to
HYPOTHESIS music while revising helps
us remember things.

14. L/O:
- To be able to explain the purpose of psychological research.
- To be able to create clear aims and hypotheses for research.
Swap notes with someone
near you. Is their aim and
hypothesis clear?
Aim: states purpose, not
detailed.
Hypothesis: predicts what
we expect to find.
Can we?

15. Write down these key terms for hypotheses:
YouExperimentalahypothesis H1because we can never rule out the
must always have NULL HYPOTHESIS
In experiments, researchersresults H1 because it predicts what will
possibility that use a are due to chance.
happen.
Alternative hypothesis HA the null hypothesis
Accept your hypothesis = reject
OR
When collecting opinions or observing behaviour, researchers use
Reject your hypothesis = accept the null hypothesis
a HA because it does not attempt to identify the causes .of
behaviour.
Null hypothesis H0
Predicts that what we find in our research just happened by
chance. It looks like the opposite of our main hypothesis.
L/O: to be able to differentiate between
experimental, alternative, null, directional and non-directional
hypotheses.

16. Date
Task: Which is which?
Experimental hypothesis H1
Alternative hypothesis HA
Null hypothesis H0
1. Channel changing is caused by the
boring content of adverts.
L/O: to be able to differentiate between
experimental, alternative, null, directional and non-directional
hypotheses.

17. Date
Task: Which is which?
Experimental hypothesis H1
Alternative hypothesis HA
Null hypothesis H0
2. Being good at maths means that you will
also be good at chess.
L/O: to be able to differentiate between
experimental, alternative, null, directional and non-directional
hypotheses.

18. Date
Task: Which is which?
Experimental hypothesis H1
Alternative hypothesis HA
Null hypothesis H0
3. Students who use Yahoo for answers are
less likely to complete homework
independently.
L/O: to be able to differentiate between
experimental, alternative, null, directional and non-directional
hypotheses.

19. Date
Task: Which is which?
Experimental hypothesis H1
Alternative hypothesis HA
Null hypothesis H0
4. Children who eat oily fish for six months
do not show a higher IQ increase than
children who do not.
L/O: to be able to differentiate between
experimental, alternative, null, directional and non-directional
hypotheses.

20. Answers: Which is which?
1. Experimental hypothesis H1
2. Experimental hypothesis H1
3. Alternative hypothesis HA
4. Null hypothesis H0
L/O: to be able to differentiate between
experimental, alternative, null, directional and non-directional
hypotheses.

21. N e Children who eat oily fish for six months do not show a
u x higher IQ increase than children who do not.
l p
l e
r
t i
Children who eat oily fish for six months
o m show a higher IQ increase than children
e who do not.
n
t
a
l
What do you notice about this
experimental hypothesis?
Look closely at the words.
HINT: See the L/O.

22. • Variables: The things that change or vary
during the research.
Example:
You decide to see if whether taking a different
journey to the shops makes your journey time
change.
What are the two variables here?

23. • Variables: The things that change or vary during the
research.
Example:
You decide to see if whether taking a different journey
to the shops makes your journey time change.
Route taken = variable under your control
INDEPENDENT variable.
Journey time = variable that varies because of the
route you have taken DEPENDENT variable.

24. L/O: to be able to differentiate between
experimental, alternative, null, directional and non-directional
hypotheses.
1. Define each.
2. What might be the advantages and
disadvantages of directional vs.
non-directional hypotheses?
Can we?

25. • Experimental hypothesis: predicts the cause of the
change you are hypothesising will happen.
• Alternative hypothesis: usually used in surveys or
behavioural observations, does not predict a causal
relationship between the variables.
How did you do?
• Null: opposite of your hypothesis, must be included as w
can never rule out the possibility of something being due
to chance.
• Directional: predicts a direction in the change e.g.
better/worse memory, higher/lower IQ.
• Non-directional: predicts simply a change.

26. REMINDER:
Variables: The things that change or vary during the research.
Matching task
Independent variable IV What the researcher
measures, changes as a result of the
IV.
Dependent variable DV Anything else that influences the
DV, a researcher must predict these
Extraneous variable and try to control them.
The researcher changes
Confounding variable (manipulates) this variable.
An extraneous variable becomes one of
these if it is found to influence the
DV, despite controls by the researcher.

27. Independent variable IV The researcher changes
(manipulates) this variable.
Dependent variable DV What the researcher
measures, changes as a result of the
IV.
Anything else that influences the
Extraneous variable
DV, a researcher must predict these
and try to control them.
Confounding variable An extraneous variable becomes one of
these if it is found to influence the
DV, despite controls by the researcher.

28. In pairs/threes - apply
• Discuss some potential EXTRANEOUS variables in
the different research ideas we came across
yesterday.
• Consider what a researcher might do to try to
control them and prevent them from becoming
CONFOUNDING variables in the research.

29. need to be observable/measureable.
Task:
need to be specified in the hypothesis –
AIM: tothey relate to one and other.
how investigate the relationship
between social class and intelligence.
Putting a variable into a measurable form is called
What are the variables?
OPERATIONALISING the variable.
Which is IV and DV?
Are they operationalised?

30. AIM: to investigate the relationship between social class and intelligence.
You have the variables.
But are they operationalised?
What is the What is the
definition of definition of
social class? intelligence?
Task:
If social class is OPERATIONALISED as ‘annual family income’ and
Intelligence is OPERATIONALISED by ‘score on a standard IQ test’
1. What would our much clearer AIM become?
2. Write the hypotheses for this research. a. directional one,
b. non-directional one,
c. the null.

31. Exam tips
You will be asked to create directional
and non-directional hypotheses.
Within this, you will be expected to
operationalise the variables in the
hypotheses.

32. Operationalise the variables in
the study yesterday:
HYPOTHESIS: The more
AIM: To describe the stressed we are, the
effects of stress on worse our memory will
memory. be.
HELP?
Memory: remember a list of
words, remembering items
revealed earlier and noting
which are missing?

33. • Eating potatoes for dinner makes you
sleep more.
• Eating potatoes for dinner alters the
amount you sleep.
Directional or non – directional?

34. To note:
• Directional hypothesis AKA one-tailed
hypothesis.
• Non-directional hypothesis AKA two-tailed
hypothesis.
Evaluation of directional:
- harder to support, easier to
reject.
+ if support is found it is
regarded highly.

35. To note:
• Directional hypothesis AKA one-tailed
hypothesis.
• Non-directional hypothesis AKA two-tailed
hypothesis.
Evaluation of non-directional:
+ if a researcher thinks something
might happen but not sure what.
- not regarded so highly, easier to
accept.

36. How might a researcher get
an idea of a direction of the
change they might find?
This way, they could have a
directional hypothesis =
optimal.
Pilot
study?

37. SAMPLING
• Participant sampling is important in
psychological research.
Why?
What do you want your participant group to be?
People who take part in
research = participants.

38. • Typical
• Representative
• Cross section of people
= can generalise findings to general population.
IF NOT: Sample bias
Population = the group of people
your participants come from.

39. Pg. 16-17 textbook.
• Read and take notes on one sampling method
for sharing with the group.
• Random
• Opportunity
• Volunteer