OCR A-level Psychology - Research
Methods (Paper 1) questions with
correct answers
Directional hypothesis (one-tailed) - correct answers✔✔Predicts the nature of the effect
of the independent variable on the dependent variable
Nondirectional hypothesis (two-tailed) - correct answers✔✔Predicts the independent
variable will have an effect on the dependent variable, but the direction of the effect isn't
specified
Null hypothesis - correct answers✔✔States there is no relationship between the 2
variables being studied (one does not affect the other)
What is a sample? - correct answers✔✔The participants you select from a target
population (the group you are interested in) to make generalisations about
Volunteer sampling - correct answers✔✔The sample consists of people who have
volunteered to be in the study.
Strengths: large sample size
Weaknesses: those who respond might all have similar characteristics
(unrepresentative sample), demand characteristics
Random Sampling - correct answers✔✔Gives every member of the target population an
equal chance of being selected for the sample
Strengths: reasonable chance of a representative sample
Weaknesses: Can be impractical, small minority groups may distort results
Opportunity Sampling - correct answers✔✔Participants who are both accessible and
willing to take part are targeted
Strengths: easy and inexpensive to carry out
Weaknesses: sample may not be representative as it could be subject to bias
Snowball Sampling - correct answers✔✔Relies on referrals from initial participants to
generate additional participants
Strengths: enables researchers to locate people who may be hard to access
Weaknesses: isn't likely to be a good cross section from target population
, Independent variable (IV) - correct answers✔✔Characteristic that is manipulated or
changed
Dependent variable (DV) - correct answers✔✔The variable that is measured or tested
in a study
Independent Measures Design - correct answers✔✔Participants are divided into 2
groups, 1 group takes in part in one condition and the other group takes part in the other
condition
Repeated Measures Design - correct answers✔✔All participants take part in both
conditions
Matched Pairs Design - correct answers✔✔Different participants take part in the
different conditions but are matched based on key characteristics (age, gender, IQ)
Lab Experiment - correct answers✔✔Highly controlled environment, standardised
procedure, researcher decides what time, the location and the participants
-Results tend to be reliable, conditions can be replicated, high control over extraneous
variables
- Artificial environment means data lacks ecological validity, risk of demand
characteristics, experimenter bias (researchers' expectations may affect interaction with
ppts)
Field Experiment - correct answers✔✔Conducted in the natural environment of the
participants, some variables can't be controlled but IV can be altered
- Results have high ecological validity, less chance of demand characteristics
- Extraneous variables may cofound results, difficult to replicate (low reliability), more
likely to have sample bias, ethical principles must be considered
Quasi Experiment - correct answers✔✔Contain a naturally occurring IV and is a
different between people that already exists
- Ethical, natural setting
- Extraneous variables cannot be controlled
Correlation - correct answers✔✔The extent to which 2 variables are related
Positive = increase in 1 means an increase in the other
Negative = increase in 1 means decrease in the other
Zero = no relationship between variables
Self Report - Unstructured Interview - correct answers✔✔No set questions, informal,
participant has the opportunity to talk about whatever they like
- Flexible, increased validity as ppts can be probed for deeper understanding, open
questions
- Time consuming, expensive to train interviewers
Methods (Paper 1) questions with
correct answers
Directional hypothesis (one-tailed) - correct answers✔✔Predicts the nature of the effect
of the independent variable on the dependent variable
Nondirectional hypothesis (two-tailed) - correct answers✔✔Predicts the independent
variable will have an effect on the dependent variable, but the direction of the effect isn't
specified
Null hypothesis - correct answers✔✔States there is no relationship between the 2
variables being studied (one does not affect the other)
What is a sample? - correct answers✔✔The participants you select from a target
population (the group you are interested in) to make generalisations about
Volunteer sampling - correct answers✔✔The sample consists of people who have
volunteered to be in the study.
Strengths: large sample size
Weaknesses: those who respond might all have similar characteristics
(unrepresentative sample), demand characteristics
Random Sampling - correct answers✔✔Gives every member of the target population an
equal chance of being selected for the sample
Strengths: reasonable chance of a representative sample
Weaknesses: Can be impractical, small minority groups may distort results
Opportunity Sampling - correct answers✔✔Participants who are both accessible and
willing to take part are targeted
Strengths: easy and inexpensive to carry out
Weaknesses: sample may not be representative as it could be subject to bias
Snowball Sampling - correct answers✔✔Relies on referrals from initial participants to
generate additional participants
Strengths: enables researchers to locate people who may be hard to access
Weaknesses: isn't likely to be a good cross section from target population
, Independent variable (IV) - correct answers✔✔Characteristic that is manipulated or
changed
Dependent variable (DV) - correct answers✔✔The variable that is measured or tested
in a study
Independent Measures Design - correct answers✔✔Participants are divided into 2
groups, 1 group takes in part in one condition and the other group takes part in the other
condition
Repeated Measures Design - correct answers✔✔All participants take part in both
conditions
Matched Pairs Design - correct answers✔✔Different participants take part in the
different conditions but are matched based on key characteristics (age, gender, IQ)
Lab Experiment - correct answers✔✔Highly controlled environment, standardised
procedure, researcher decides what time, the location and the participants
-Results tend to be reliable, conditions can be replicated, high control over extraneous
variables
- Artificial environment means data lacks ecological validity, risk of demand
characteristics, experimenter bias (researchers' expectations may affect interaction with
ppts)
Field Experiment - correct answers✔✔Conducted in the natural environment of the
participants, some variables can't be controlled but IV can be altered
- Results have high ecological validity, less chance of demand characteristics
- Extraneous variables may cofound results, difficult to replicate (low reliability), more
likely to have sample bias, ethical principles must be considered
Quasi Experiment - correct answers✔✔Contain a naturally occurring IV and is a
different between people that already exists
- Ethical, natural setting
- Extraneous variables cannot be controlled
Correlation - correct answers✔✔The extent to which 2 variables are related
Positive = increase in 1 means an increase in the other
Negative = increase in 1 means decrease in the other
Zero = no relationship between variables
Self Report - Unstructured Interview - correct answers✔✔No set questions, informal,
participant has the opportunity to talk about whatever they like
- Flexible, increased validity as ppts can be probed for deeper understanding, open
questions
- Time consuming, expensive to train interviewers
