EXAMPLE RESEARCH QUESTION
Total for this question: 35 marks
Research investigated the effect of exam question practice on performance in exam conditions in
comparison to more general forms of revision. A non-directional prediction was made because there is
insufficient research to predict a direction. To test this hypothesis one group of psychology students was led
through a one-day revision programme that consisted mainly of practising exam questions. The other group
revised using mind maps and cue cards. The target population was AS-level psychology students at a sixthform centre and the participants were randomly allocated to one of the two groups. They were given a
Psychology AS exam paper to sit in exam conditions at the end of the revision day.
A statistical analysis was used to test if the results did show a significant difference. The p = 0.05 level of
significance was checked first and this was achieved, as a significant difference was found at the 2.5% level
for a two-tailed test (p = 0.025).
Table 1: Average exam score for the group who revised with exam questions and the group who revised
with mind maps and cue cards
Exam question
Mind maps and cue cards
Mean exam result
76
58
Standard deviation
1.76
1.54
1. (a) Identify the IV and DV in this study.
(2 marks)
Remember the IV is the suggested cause and the DV is the effect.
The IV is the type of revision technique: exam questions versus cue cards and mind maps.
(b) Identify the experimental design used in this study. (1 mark)
Note the question tells you that there were two groups of participants, so which design uses two groups of
different participants?
Independent measures.
(c) Give one weakness of this design.
(2 marks)
Think about the fact that there are different participants in each group and how this might affect the
results.
Participant variables: There may be consistent individual differences between the two groups of
participants. For example, if one group was more intelligent than the other this would systematically distort
results as it would make the revision technique for that group seem more effective when really the results
were due to the higher intelligence of the group.
(d) Identify one extraneous variable that the research design has resolved and explain
how this was done.
(4 marks)
Note the question mentions random allocation was used. What is this and why is it used?
A weakness of the independent measures design is participant variables. However, this has been controlled
in this study as the researcher has used random allocation, which means every participant has an equal
chance of ending up in either condition. As with the random sample it is best if every participant has an
equal chance of being allocated to the condition. This reduces bias in the allocation of participants to
groups because it ensures that they are randomly distributed, and so participants are not allocated in a
biased manner, e.g. all the more intelligent into one group. The random allocation means individual
differences should be better balanced across the two groups.
(e) Which measure of central tendency was used and why was this appropriate? (2
marks)
Remember measures of central tendency are averages.
The mean has been used and this is appropriate because it is the most sophisticated measure of central
tendency because it uses all of the data in the score distribution.
(f) Explain what is meant by “p = 0.025”. (2 marks)
Remember this is a level of significance and refers to the probability of the results being due to chance.
The probability of the results being due to chance is equal to or less than 2.5%.
(g) Name an appropriate test of statistical significance for analysing this data. Why is this
a suitable test to use?
(4 marks)
Remember the purpose of the test, experimental design, and level of data should be used to justify the test.
The Mann–Whitney U test is appropriate because a difference is being tested using an independent
measures design, which means the data is unrelated, and because it achieves an ordinal level of
measurement.
(h) Discuss the findings of this investigation presented in Table 1. (6 marks)
“Discuss” requires explanation and commentary of the results so do make sure you critically consider the
findings rather than just explaining them.
The mean scores show a difference as the mean score in the exam question group is higher than in the mind
map and cue card group, which suggests that the exam question technique was more effective than the
general revision techniques. The standard deviations are quite similar and both show a moderate level of
variability as scores are between one and two standard deviations away from the mean. This means there is
a range of scores within each group and there is slightly more variability in the exam question group than
the general revision group. This lack of consistency means there is not such a clear-cut difference between
the two groups. However, we have to question the validity of the exam as a measure of the revision
techniques as this does not account for participants’ prior learning, which may have affected their
performance on the exam. On the other hand, the task has good mundane realism because an exam to
measure revision is a usual activity for AS-level students so the findings should have some generalisability.
(i) Explain how the validity of the exam could be checked. (4 marks)
Consider internal validity, i.e. the truth of the measure.
Validity refers to how true the test is as a measure of the students’ learning from the revision technique.
Concurrent validity could be used to assess the test because this involves the scores from the test being
compared against those of another measure to check for concurrent validity between the measures; in this
case the test scores could be compared against teacher assessments of how well the students had used the
revision techniques. If the scores are similar then the new test is probably valid, i.e. a true measure.
(j) The psychologist who conducted the study wanted to follow-up on the research to
gain qualitative data to gain more understanding of what students thought about the
revision techniques. Identify the best method to collect such data and what design
issues need to be addressed.
(8 marks)
Qualitative data is in the form of words so some form of survey would need to be conducted. Why might an
interview gain more data than a questionnaire? What are the key design issues of a questionnaire?
An interview would provide the researcher with qualitative data and may be a better way to survey
students’ views on the revision techniques because an interview usually gains more in-depth data than a
written questionnaire. If a participant-led format is used this allows the participants to direct the flow of the
interview, which can put them at their ease and allow a rapport to build between the interviewer and
interviewee, and this may result in more in-depth responses and so more valid data. However, a key issue is
the construction of good questions.
This is complex because it is important that the questions are clear and unambiguous—as if they
communicate different meanings to different participants then the answers will not be comparable. For
example, asking participants how long they used the techniques is ambiguous and would need to be
clarified as it is not clear if this refers to how long they spent revising using the techniques per session or
how long they have revised for overall using the techniques. The questions should also be free from bias
and subjectivity, to avoid leading the participant. For example, they must not suggest that one technique is
better than the other as this would cue the participant, who may respond to the demand characteristics and
give the researcher the answers being sought; alternatively, they might respond in a negativistic way, i.e.
deliberately give the opposite answer to what is being looked for.