Introducing Research Methods: 3 New Films

This new 3-part series of films is designed to introduce A-level / High School students to research methods in a way that explains their importance to our general understanding of Psychology.

1. Why Study Research Methods? (3 mins)

Surveys have shown that research methods is students least favourite topic.

So why do we have to study them? This short film answers that question.

All psychological research uses research methods, so we can’t ‘know’ a study, until we also know about the research that produced it. This is why research methods are so important. Investing time learning about research methods pays great dividends.

It provides greater understanding of the studies we read about and, as we illustrate with Albert Bandura’s famous Bobo doll experiments, it helps evaluate a study, a skill examiners want to see in tests.

2. What Are Research Methods? (5 mins)

Research is a journey from subjective to objective knowledge: from how we personally understand something to knowledge that is independent of our opinions, prejudices & personal beliefs.

Methods are the tools and techniques used to collect, analyse, and interpret data, that take psychologists from subjectivity to objectivity: from what they think to what they now know and can support with evidence.

The final part of the film introduces and illustrates three major methods in psychology: experimental, observational and self-report.

3. Applying Research Methods (6 mins)

As well as knowledge of research methods, students have to evaluate them and explain how and why a particular method is applied in a research study. 

Using the key criteria of reliability, validity, representativeness and ethics, this film builds on the previous films to explain and illustrate the strengths, limitations and application of experimental, observational and self-report methods.