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What do you need to and not need to memorise for Research Methods in psych?

There's critical value tables, whether the calculated value needs to be more or less than the critical value for each statistical test, how to calculate degrees of freedom, how to get the calculated value for each test. There's probably other stuff too.

What details are given in the exams for these questions and what do I need to memorise myself?
(edited 1 year ago)
Original post by TeaOnRice
There's critical value tables, whether the calculated value needs to be more or less than the critical value for each statistical test, how to calculate degrees of freedom, how to get the calculated value for each test. There's probably other stuff too.

What details are given in the exams for these questions and what do I need to memorise myself?


Hey :smile:

DON'T NEED TO LEARN:

You do not need to learn critical value tables or whether the calculated value needs to be more/less than the critical value for each stats test, they will provide a specific table with a statement underneath it referring to whether the value has to be more/less than the critical value as it is dependant on the question. You don't need to know how to calculate degrees of freedom either, we get taught it as a precaution but they usually give you the degrees of freedom in the exam - if they don't then they will give you the equation to calculate degrees of freedom.

DO NEED TO LEARN:

You do need to learn how to calculate the value for the sign test but I think that is the only one.

You need to memorise the stats tests and be able to assign them to a scenario. E.g. they'll provide an AO2 extract and you'll have to determine if the data is parametric/nominal/ordinal, then a test of difference/correlation, then independent groups/repeated measures, and then name the test spearman's rho/pearson's r/wilcoxon/sign test/chi squared/unrelated t test/related t test/mann whitney u.

I hope that helps, and any other questions let me know! :smile:
Reply 2
Original post by mai0may
Hey :smile:

DON'T NEED TO LEARN:

You do not need to learn critical value tables or whether the calculated value needs to be more/less than the critical value for each stats test, they will provide a specific table with a statement underneath it referring to whether the value has to be more/less than the critical value as it is dependant on the question. You don't need to know how to calculate degrees of freedom either, we get taught it as a precaution but they usually give you the degrees of freedom in the exam - if they don't then they will give you the equation to calculate degrees of freedom.

DO NEED TO LEARN:

You do need to learn how to calculate the value for the sign test but I think that is the only one.

You need to memorise the stats tests and be able to assign them to a scenario. E.g. they'll provide an AO2 extract and you'll have to determine if the data is parametric/nominal/ordinal, then a test of difference/correlation, then independent groups/repeated measures, and then name the test spearman's rho/pearson's r/wilcoxon/sign test/chi squared/unrelated t test/related t test/mann whitney u.

I hope that helps, and any other questions let me know! :smile:

Late but thanks so much for this 🙂 I was panicking about missing something so I appreciate the detailed explanation!
look at the specification for ur exam board! i did psyc for AS Level got an A by revising what’s on the spec!

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