Table 1 Situation-specific skills and according evidences of dimension 1 and dimension 2

DIM1: research-methodological conceptual competencies:

 1.1 The student can understand and differentiate basic research methodological terms, concepts, and models

The common quality criteria for tests—objectivity, reliability, and validity—are explained correctly (including different kinds of these criteria)

 1.2 The student can scrutinize studies’ structure, rigor, and relevance

The research questions/hypotheses of a study are identified appropriately

 1.3 The student can assess the appropriateness of research designs critically

The justification provided for the data collection method selected by the author(s) of a study is convincing related to the research question

 1.4 The student can make and work with interpretations, causal explanations, and predictions

A scientific paper’s results and conclusions are analyzed critically regarding their practical and scientific significance

DIM2: research-methodological statistical competencies

 2.1 The student can justify the selection of statistical routines

The author’s decision to apply a correlation and a regression analysis respectively related to the scientific question is assessed correctly

 2.2 The student can express the relevance of central quality criteria for procedures of statistical testing

Quality criteria for factor analyses—eigenvalue, explained proportion of total variance, and specificity—are identified correctly

 2.3 The student can judge outputs from relevant statistical software

The important impact factors based on a presented output of a regression analysis are identified and interpreted correctly (based on significant β-values)