Summary of some Methodological Issues

• Research method (correlations, observations, self-reports, experiments).
• Research length (snapshot, longitudinal).
• Experimental design (repeated, independent, matched pairs).
• Collection of data (quantitative / qualitative / what measures were used).
• Sampling method (random, opportunity, self-selecting, snowball).
• Sample size and features (nomothetic, idiographic, androcentric, ethnocentric).
• Reliability (consistency, use of controls and standardised procedures, replicability).
• Validity (internal – face / construct / content / concurrent; external – population / ecological / criterion / temporal). 

Methodological Issues appears in Paper 3 
There are a greater number of methodological issues and debates to be applied in paper 3. 
Nature/nurture
Freewill/determinism
Reductionism/holism
Individual/situational explanations
Usefulness of research
Ethical considerations
Conducting socially
sensitive research
Psychology as a science
Ethnocentrism
Validity
Reliability
Sampling bias

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Methodological Issues of the topic area in GENERAL
These are issues with HOW the research is done on the topic area in general NOT just the Key Study.

General Research Methods for Paper 3 Options: Child 

• Child topic 1. Intelligence (Biological) = Self-reports, family (case) studies, correlations
• Child topic 2. Pre-adult brain development (Biological) = Brain scans, post-mortems
• Child topic 3. Perceptual development (Cognitive) = lab experiments, animal studies
• Child topic 4. Cognitive development & education (Cognitive) =lab experiments / controlled observations
• Child topic 5. Development of Attachment (Social) = lab experiments / controlled observations, correlations
• Child topic 6. Impact of advertising on children (Social) = content analyses, case studies

General Research Methods for Paper 3 Options: Crime

• Crime topic 1. What makes a criminal? (Biological) = Family and case studies, correlations, brain scans
• Crime topic 2. The collection and processing of forensic evidence (Biological) = lab experiments, self-reports (for showing the motivational factors)
• Crime topic 3. Collection of evidence (Cognitive) = Lab experiments, self-reports
• Crime topic 4. Psychology and the courtroom (Cognitive) = Lab experiments (not legally allowed to ask jury, so natural experiments and self-reports cannot be done in real life)
• Crime topic 5. Crime prevention (Social) = correlations, anecdotal self-reports
• Crime topic 6. Effect of imprisonment (Social) = correlations on real prisoners, lab experiments like Zimbardo / Haney

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