PSYB1 Research Method Questions 2 (Methods)

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Research Method Questions 2
Experimental Design
1. A psychologist conducted an experiment to investigate the effect of the environment on learning.
In one condition of the experiment, the psychologist raised ten rats in a stimulating environment. The cage contained lots of toys and ramps
(Group 1).
In the other condition of the experiment, the psychologist raised ten rats in an impoverished environment. The cage contained only food and
water (Group 2).
After six weeks, the psychologist timed how long (in seconds) it took each rat to find its way through a maze (a series of tunnels) from start to
finish. Each rat was timed on five separate trials.
(i) What type of experimental design did the psychologist use in this study? (1 mark)
(ii) Explain one advantage and one disadvantage of using the experimental design that you have identified in your answer to (e)(i). (4 marks)
2 A psychologist conducted an experiment to investigate whether participants performed a sensorimotor task better or worse in the presence of
an audience.
In the experiment, participants were required to move a metal ring along a curved wire from
“start” to “finish”. If they touched the wire, a buzzer sounded and an error was recorded by an electronic counter attached to the wire and loop.
An opportunity sample of forty 16-year-old participants was selected from a school sixth form.
The audience consisted of sixth form students from the same school who were instructed to remain silent throughout the experiment.
The psychologist conducted the experiment in two different ways:
• in one condition, twenty participants were asked to perform the sensori-motor task, one at a time, in the presence of the audience;
• in the control condition, the remaining twenty participants were asked to perform the same
task, one at a time, but without the audience.
The psychologist observed each participant’s performance and recorded the number of errors.
The results are given in Table 1.
Explain one problem that might have arisen if the psychologist had chosen to use a repeated measures design in this study. (3 marks) Jan 05
3. A psychologist conducted an experiment to investigate whether participants performed a sensorimotor task better or worse in the presence of
an audience.
In the experiment, participants were required to move a metal ring along a curved wire from “start” to “finish”. If they touched the wire, a buzzer
sounded and an error was recorded by an electronic counter attached to the wire and loop.
An opportunity sample of forty 16-year-old participants was selected from a school sixth form.
The audience consisted of sixth form students from the same school who were instructed to remain silent throughout the experiment.
The psychologist conducted the experiment in two different ways:
• in one condition, twenty participants were asked to perform the sensori-motor task, one at a time, in the presence of the audience;
• in the control condition, the remaining twenty participants were asked to perform the same task, one at a time, but without the audience.
The psychologist observed each participant’s performance and recorded the number of errors.
(i) Outline the type of experimental design used in this study. (2 marks) Jan 04
(ii) With reference to the study, state one advantage of using the design you have identified in (i). (2 marks)
Experiments
4. Explain one difference between a laboratory experiment and a field experiment. (2 marks) Jan 09
5. Identify one strength and one limitation of the experimental method in psychology. (2 marks) Jan 05
6. Explain one difference between an experiment and a correlation study. (4 marks) June 03
Questionnaires
7. Explain why the item in Figure 1 is an example of a closed question. (2 marks)
8. State three advantages of the use of questionnaires in psychological research. (3 marks) Jan 03
9. A psychologist wanted to investigate whether mood had an effect on the recall of information.
She expected that participants who rated themselves as ‘happy’ would recall more words from a list than participants who rated themselves as
‘unhappy’.
Fifty people, selected by opportunity sampling, were asked to complete a mood state questionnaire. From these 50 people, the psychologist
selected ten participants who had rated themselves as ‘happy’ and ten participants who had rated themselves as ‘unhappy’.
The questionnaire used to measure mood state contained both closed and open questions.
(i) Write one closed question that might be used to obtain information about a person’s mood state. (1 mark)
(ii) Write one open question that might be used to obtain information about a person’s mood state. (1 mark)
(iii) Outline one disadvantage of using questionnaires in psychological research. (2 marks) June 06
10. The questionnaire used to measure Janet’s anxiety contained both open and closed questions.
(i) Write one open question that might have been used to obtain information about Janet’s anxiety. (1 mark) June 08
Content analysis
11. Outline what is meant by the term content analysis. (2 marks) Jan 05
12. What is meant by the term content analysis? Outline how this method is used by psychologists to study gender. (3 marks) June 05
Observations
13. The psychologist decided to conduct a case study by observing and interviewing one of the participants who reported a very high level of
stress.
(i) State one advantage of observational studies. (1 mark) June 05
14. Identify and briefly explain one methodological problem that might have arisen because only one psychologist observed Janet’s behaviour.
(3 marks) June 08
15 a. Outline one methodological problem that might arise when just one psychologist observes a person’s behaviour. (2 marks) June 07
15 b. Explain how the problem you have identified in (d) (ii) can be overcome. (2 marks)
Overt / Covert
16 The psychologist conducted a number of overt observations of the offender’s behaviour in various prison situations. What is meant by overt
observation? (1 mark) June 07
17. A psychologist conducted an experiment to investigate whether participants performed a sensorimotor task better or worse in the presence of
an audience.
In the experiment, participants were required to move a metal ring along a curved wire from “start” to “finish”. If they touched the wire, a buzzer
sounded and an error was recorded by an electronic counter attached to the wire and loop.
An opportunity sample of forty 16-year-old participants was selected from a school sixth form.
The audience consisted of sixth form students from the same school who were instructed to remain silent throughout the experiment.
The psychologist used a one-way mirror to observe each participant’s performance without him or her knowing.
Explain why the psychologist did not want to be seen by the participants. (2 marks) Jan 05
18. The psychologist carried out a participant observation, rather than a non-participant observation, of the pupils’ behaviour in the classroom.
State one advantage and one disadvantage of participant observation. (2 marks) Jan 08
19. A psychologist conducted an experiment to investigate whether participants performed a sensorimotor task better or worse in the presence of
an audience.
In the experiment, participants were required to move a metal ring along a curved wire from “start” to “finish”. If they touched the wire, a buzzer
sounded and an error was recorded by an electronic counter attached to the wire and loop.
An opportunity sample of forty 16-year-old participants was selected from a school sixth form.
The audience consisted of sixth form students from the same school who were instructed to remain silent throughout the experiment.
The psychologist conducted the experiment in two different ways:
• in one condition, twenty participants were asked to perform the sensori-motor task, one at a time, in the presence of the audience;
• in the control condition, the remaining twenty participants were asked to perform the same task, one at a time, but without the audience.
The psychologist observed each participant’s performance and recorded the number of errors.
Identify and briefly discuss one ethical issue raised by this method of observation. (3 marks) Jan 04
Participant / Non-participant
20. Following the investigation, the psychologist conducted a non-participant observation at the primary school.
Outline what is meant by non-participant observation. (2 marks) Jan 06 & June 08
21. The psychologist carried out a participant observation, rather than a non-participant observation, of the pupils’ behaviour in the classroom.
State one advantage and one disadvantage of participant observation. (2 marks) Jan 08
Naturalistic / Laboratory
22. Briefly describe one strength of conducting an observation in a natural setting. (2 marks) June 08
23. Explain one advantage of conducting an observation in a natural setting compared with an observation in a laboratory setting. (3 marks)
June 07
Interview
24 (i) What is meant by the term unstructured interview? (1 mark)
(ii) Explain one advantage of an unstructured interview. (2 marks) Jan 03
25. To discover what the participants thought about their performance in the presence or absence of an audience, the psychologist conducted an
interview with each of them. She decided to use a structured interview rather than an unstructured interview.
Discuss one advantage of the structured interview technique. (3 marks) Jan 04
26. The psychologist decided to conduct an unstructured interview with one child who achieved a high score on the language test.
State one strength and one limitation of an unstructured interview. (2 marks) Jan 06
27. The psychologist decided to conduct an interview with one of the participants who showed a high level of anxiety.
Distinguish between a structured and an unstructured interview. (3 marks) Jan 07 & June 05
28 The psychologist interviewed PE teachers at the school in order to assess pupils’ attitudes towards exercise.
(i) Write one open question that might be used to obtain information about a pupil’s attitude towards exercise. (1 mark) Jan 08
(ii) Write one closed question that might be used to obtain information about a pupil’s attitude towards exercise. (1 mark)
Correlations
29. What does the scattergram suggest about the relationship between the two abilities tested by the psychologist? (2 marks)
30. Identify the type of correlation shown in Figure 1 and state what it shows about the relationship between fat consumption and GCSE results.
(2 marks)
31. Explain the difference between an experiment and a correlational study. (4 marks)
32. A newspaper report claimed that the study showed a relationship between fat consumption and GCSE results.
Suggest one other possible explanation for the relationship shown in the scattergram
(Figure 1). Justify your answer. (2 marks) Jan 08
Case Study
33. What is meant by a case study? (1 mark)
34. Explain one limitation of the case study method. (2 marks) June 08
35. Explain one strength of the case study method. (2 marks)
General Question
36. A psychologist was interested in conducting a case study of an individual who had been convicted of a criminal offence.
To investigate why the offender committed the crime, the psychologist used various methods of data collection, including:
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The psychologist used the offender’s family as a source of information about the offender’s childhood.
Apart from ethical issues, identify and explain one problem of using this source of information. (3 marks) June 07
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