← Psychology syllabus

EnglandPsychology

Component 1: Research methods - Conducting and reporting research

4 dot points across 4 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

How do psychologists plan, carry out, report and critique a piece of research scientifically?

Planning and conducting research, report writing and sections of a report, peer review, the features of science, and evaluating research for reliability, validity and ethics.
An OCR A-Level Psychology answer to conducting and reporting research, covering the sections of a psychological report, the use of peer review and replication, the features of science (objectivity, falsifiability, paradigms), pilot studies, and evaluating studies for reliability, validity and ethics for Component 1.
15 min answer →

How do psychologists summarise data and decide whether a result is statistically significant?

Descriptive statistics (central tendency, dispersion, graphs) and inferential statistics: choosing and interpreting the sign test, Mann-Whitney U, Wilcoxon, Spearman's rho and chi-square.
An OCR A-Level Psychology answer to statistics, covering mean, median, mode, range and standard deviation, choosing the correct inferential test (sign test, Mann-Whitney, Wilcoxon, Spearman, chi-square) from level of measurement and design, significance, critical values and Type 1 and Type 2 errors for Component 1.
16 min answer →

How do psychologists choose a research method, design a study and frame testable hypotheses?

Research methods and techniques: experiments, self-report, observation and correlation; variables and operationalisation; experimental designs; hypotheses; and the strengths and weaknesses of each method.
An OCR A-Level Psychology answer to research methods and design, covering laboratory, field and quasi-experiments, self-report, observation and correlation, independent and dependent variables, operationalisation, experimental designs, directional and non-directional hypotheses, and the strengths and weaknesses of each technique for Component 1.
15 min answer →

How do psychologists select participants, work ethically and turn raw observations into usable data?

Sampling methods, ethical considerations, reliability and validity, levels of measurement, and recording, analysing and presenting data.
An OCR A-Level Psychology answer to sampling and data handling, covering random, stratified, systematic, opportunity and self-selected sampling, BPS ethics, reliability and validity, levels of measurement, and how to record, analyse and present qualitative and quantitative data for Component 1.
15 min answer →