Research methods

Research methods belongs to Paper 2 Psychology in Context in AQA A-Level Psychology 7182 and should be revised as a set of examinable arguments, not as disconnected definitions. Context: the topic asks students to combine AO1 knowledge, AO2 application and AO3 evaluation across short-answer and extended-writing formats. Key concept: every answer should identify the psychological process, theory, method or debate before applying it to a scenario, data set or evaluative prompt. Named study/example: use a named psychological study, model, method or application example where it fits, then explain the evidence claim, the method used to obtain it and the limitation that affects interpretation. Evaluation: strong responses weigh validity, reliability, ethics, cultural bias, reductionism, determinism, sampling and real-world application instead of adding undeveloped criticism. Exam focus: link each paragraph to the command word, separate description from evaluation, and use AQA terminology from the relevant learning objective. Common mistake: students often describe the whole topic. A stronger answer selects the precise concept, supports it with evidence and makes a direct judgement about what the evidence allows psychologists to conclude.