Summative Assessment Task Answers: Research Methods References Kendall., K. (2011). VCE Psychology Research Methods Workbook. South Melbourne: Nelson Cengage Learning. Instructions to all students: Answer all questions in the spaces provided. Attempt all questions. The marks for each question are indicated, with 25 marks available in total for the test. Questions 1 to 5 refer to the following information: Ms Bowles, a Year 12 Psychology teacher, was interested in whether drawing a map of a location enhances a person’s memory of that location? In order to find the answer to this question she enlisted the help of her two Psychology classes, which consisted of 25 students in her Year 11 class and 22 students in her Year 12 class. She decided that her Year 11 class would be the control group and her Year 12 class would be the experimental group. Both groups were taken to the local park, which was a 5 minute walk from the school. The experimental group were instructed to draw a map of the lay‐out of the park, whilst the control group were instructed to simple observe their surroundings. On their return to school, both groups were given blank pieces of paper and instructed to draw a map of the park, depicting all of the facilities and plants they could recall. The experimental group recalled significantly more of the objects of the park than the control group. Ms Bowles concluded that based upon the results obtained that drawing had enhanced memory and should therefore be used by all students as a technique to enhance recall. 1) Write an operationalised hypothesis for the above research (1 mark) It is hypothesised that VCE Psychology students who use visual aids, in the form of drawing a map, will have greater memory recall of the objects contained in the local park, than VCE Psychology students who simply observe the park. 2) Identify the independent and dependent variables (2 marks) IV: Use of a visual aid DV: Memory recall 3) What are the two main categories of extraneous variables? (2 marks) Participant Effects Experimenter Effects 4) a. Name and describe the type of sampling used in this experiment (2 marks) Convenience sampling A quick and easy way of selecting participants, based upon the researcher’s ability to access them or their availability. b. Outline one advantage of this sampling technique (1 mark) The main advantage of this method is that it is convenient, does not require forward planning and is quick to administer. c. Describe one disadvantage of this type of sampling (1 mark) This technique is highly biased as participants may not be representative of the population, as they are likely to share a particular quality. 5) a. Identify the experimental group in this study (1 mark) The Year 12 Psychology students who were required to draw a map, of the park b. What is the defining characteristic of an experimental group within the research study? (1 mark) They are exposed to the independent variable, which allows for measurement of the IV variables effect on the DV c. Identify the control group in this study (1 mark) The Year 11 Psychology students who were required to simply observe the park d. What is the purpose of the control group in an experiment? (1 mark) To compare the effect the IV has on the DV, allowing for a comparison between itself and the experimental group Questions 6 to 8 refer to the following information: A Year 11 Psychology teacher decided to demonstrate to her Unit 2 students that intelligence tests might be culturally biased. In order to convey this disadvantage of intelligence assessment in a practical manner, she decided to administer the ‘Dove Counterbalance Intelligence Test’. This test was constructed in the 1960’s by an African‐American sociologist and contained 15 questions that were purposefully slanted in favour of urban African‐
American culture. This is because it was believed that conventional IQ tests at that time were biased towards middle‐class Caucasian Americans, resulting in this group scoring an average of 15 points higher than their African‐American counterparts. Rather than fully disclosing its true purpose, she told her class that they would be evaluating construct validity of intelligence tests as part of a learning outcome, and informed the students that they had to complete the test under exam conditions as part of the requirement. The teacher also advised the students that they should not worry about what score they got as no names would be attached to any of the results. During the test many students became concerned when they could not answer the questions and protested, “This test is unfair!” A sample of student scores from the class are listed in the table below. The score chart on the test stated that a score of 14 indicated an average IQ of 100, whereas scoring 11 or less would indicate mental retardation. Many students were concerned that they were mentally retarded and voiced this anxiety to the teacher. Student Student Student Student Student Student Student Student Student Student 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Score 5 6 5 7 5 3 4 8 6 1 6) What is the purpose of having ethical guidelines to govern professional conduct in the application of psychological research? (1 mark) It acts as a code for the moral principles and codes of behaviour that apply to all psychologists, and the way they must treat participants when conducting psychological research. 7) From your knowledge of ethical considerations regarding psychological demonstrations involving students, comment on whether the following principles were applied by the teacher: (1+1+1+1+1+1 = 6 marks) a. Confidentiality Yes, as no names were attached to the intelligence tests b. Voluntary Participation No, as participants were required to participate as part of their Psychology class c. Right to withdraw No, students were not informed that they could stop doing the intelligence test at any time d. Informed consent No, students were not given a description of the task they were performing, nor did they sign an informed consent document e. Deception No, as students were tricked about the underlying purpose of completing the intelligence test f. Debriefing No, given deception was used in the experiment/class, students should have been debriefed about the reason for this, as well as explaining to students that they were not “mentally retarded” 8) a. Calculate the mean of student results (1 mark) 5 + 6 + 5 + 7 + 5 + 3 + 4 + 8 + 6 + 1 = 50 Mean = Total of Scores/Number of Scores Mean = 50/10 Mean = 5 b. What are the median and mode of student results? (2 marks) Median = 5 Mode = 5