Class 11 Psychology Chapter 2 Revision Guide: Methods of Enquiry in Psychology (CBSE)

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Chapter at a glance

This page is a short revision guide for Class 11 Psychology Chapter 2 (Methods of Enquiry in Psychology). Use it to revise the main ideas quickly, then match every point with your NCERT textbook. This unit carries 13 of the 70 marks, so it is worth revising well.

• Goals of psychological enquiry: describe, explain, predict and control or influence behaviour. Learn each goal with one simple example.
• Steps of research: conceptualising the problem, collecting data, drawing conclusions and revising research conclusions.
• Methods: observation, experiment, correlational research, survey, psychological testing and case study. Know what each method does and one strength and one limitation.
• Interview and questionnaire: both collect information from people. Be ready to compare them in a table in the exam.
• Ethics: psychologists must respect the rights of the people they study, so remember the basic ethical guidelines in your textbook.

Important questions with short model answers

Q1. What are the goals of psychological enquiry?
The goals are to describe, explain, predict and control or influence behaviour and mental processes.

Q2. Name the steps of scientific research.
Conceptualising the problem, collecting data, drawing conclusions and revising research conclusions.

Q3. Differentiate between an interview and a questionnaire.
An interview is a face-to-face or spoken exchange where the researcher asks questions, while a questionnaire is a written set of questions that people answer on their own. Add two or three differences from your textbook.

Q4. What is a case study?
A case study is an in-depth study of one person, group or event using several sources of information.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Mixing up the goals of psychology with the steps of research.
• Listing method names without giving a strength and a limitation of each.
• Writing the interview and questionnaire answer as a paragraph instead of a clear comparison.

Practise next

Try our Class 11 Psychology Chapter 1 demo: 3 fixed MCQs. Additional chapter practice and full mock tests are included with eligible paid Notes, Bundle or Pass.

Watch the lesson: Chapter 2 video on The Savvy Humanities YouTube channel.

Need full revision notes with a glossary and board-pattern questions? See the Class 11 Psychology Chapter 2 notes.

Frequently asked questions

How many marks does Chapter 2 carry?
This unit carries 13 of the 70 marks in the theory paper, so it is an important chapter.

What is the best way to revise methods of enquiry?
Make a one-page chart of each method with its meaning, one strength and one limitation, then practise a short test.

Written by Aditi Ojha (Savvy Maam), teacher and creator of The Savvy Humanities, for CBSE Class 11-12 Humanities and CUET students. Always match final answers with your latest NCERT textbook.

Keep going: All Class 11 Psychology notes with chapter-wise marks · All Class 11 subjects