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Mastering research methods

Acrostics anyone?

In this column, Anthony Curtis suggests some strategies for enhancing your knowledge of research methods. Here, he looks at an original way of learning or revising key terms.

Figure 1 Positive correlation

If you work out at the gym, you may soon tire of the rowing machine or running treadmill and want to try something else. The same is true of learning and studying. Your brain enjoys variety, including different topics, tasks and activities, so why not give it a work out? Whether it’s learning a topic for the first time, consolidating previous learning, or revising for an exam, it’s good to challenge yourself in different ways (and your friends) while also building confidence.

Here is a technique for learning some important key terms in psychology: acrostics. This is where you take the individual letters from a particular word or phrase, and use each one as the first letter of a series of lines to help you recall relevant information. When you combine this technique with linking key definitions to practical examples in everyday life, and then using and practising your new terminology with friends, this can be a powerful way of learning and building confidence.

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Psychologists, ethics and Guantanamo Bay

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Obsessive compulsive disorder

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