Medium Priority Topics — MPC-005 Research Methods in Psychology
🟡 Medium Priority Topics (6 topics)
| # | Topic | Papers | Key Questions | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Causal-Comparative Design | 9 (32.1%) | Similarities/differences with correlational | [ ] |
| 2 | Hypothesis | 8 (28.6%) | Types, formulation difficulties, errors | [ ] |
| 3 | Field Experiment | 8 (28.6%) | vs laboratory experiment, strengths/weaknesses | [ ] |
| 4 | Research Design (general) | 7 (25.0%) | Definition, objectives, criteria | [ ] |
| 5 | Content Analysis | 7 (25.0%) | Methods, applications, critical discourse | [ ] |
| 6 | Research Biases | 5 (17.9%) | Types of bias, minimising subjectivity | [ ] |
📖 Topic Summaries
1. Causal-Comparative Design
Most likely as: Section B (6-mark). Questions compare it to correlational design or experimental design. Both lack random assignment but differ in whether the independent variable is a pre-existing grouping factor (causal-comparative) or measured (correlational).
2. Hypothesis
Most likely as: Section B (6-mark). Questions cover: types (null, directional, non-directional), sources of hypotheses, difficulties in formulation, Type I and Type II errors.
3. Field Experiment
Most likely as: Section A or B. Key issue: greater ecological validity than laboratory experiments but lower internal validity due to less control. Steps in conducting a field experiment.
4. Research Design (general)
Most likely as: Section A or B. Definition of research design, its objectives (maximise validity, minimise error), and the general criteria of a good design.
5. Content Analysis
Most likely as: Section C (short note). Define content analysis, distinguish from discourse analysis, mention manifest vs latent content, coding categories, and reliability of coding.
6. Research Biases
Most likely as: Section C (short note) or Section B. Types of bias: experimenter bias, demand characteristics, response bias, sampling bias. Strategies to minimise: double-blind design, standardised procedures, random sampling.
✅ Progress Tracking
Medium Priority Topics Completed: 0/6 Progress: 0%