Exam PPQ's

Question 1

What percentage of the population falls within 1 standard deviation either side of the mean in a normal distribution? (1)

Answer 1

68%.

Question 2

Researchers studying stress used a questionnaire to rate participants on the daily hassles they experienced in the previous week. The mean daily hassles score was 65, the median daily hassles was 67 and the mode was 78.
What kind of distribution is this? (1)

Answer 2

Negative skew.

Question 3

200 participants filled in a questionnaire to find aggression ratings. The mean aggression score was 29, the median was 20 and the mode was 19.
What type of distribution is shown here? (1)

Answer 3

Positive skew.

Question 4

Participants in a memory study were tested on their recall of a list of 15 words. The mean number of words recalled was 10, the median was 11 and the mode was 13.
What type of distribution does this data show?

Answer 4

Negative skew.

Question 5

A psychologist conducted a study to look at whether watching certain films made children more helpful, (one film was about being helpful the other was a neutral film). Helpfulness was measured on a questionnaire, the mean score of children who watched the helpful film was 30.25 whereas the mean score for the neutral film was 24.64.
Give the mean score for each to two significant figures. (2 marks)

Answer 5

Helpful film = 30.

Neutral film = 25.

Question 6

Which type of graphical display would be most appropriate to represent the following:
The change in a person’s body temperature over the course of a day, (2 marks).

Answer 6

A line graph, the data is continuous over time, the line shows changes throughout the day.

Question 7

Which type of graphical display would be most appropriate to represent the following:
The difference in average rainfall between Manchester and Paris, (2 marks).

Answer 7

A bar chart, the data is categorical (discrete).

Question 8

What type of correlation is this:

The more aggressive the parents, the more aggressive the children are, (1 mark).

Answer 8

Positive correlation.

Question 9

What type of correlation is this:

The hotter the temperature, the fewer clothes people wear, (1 mark).

Answer 9

Negative correlation.

Question 10

What type of correlation is this:

The fewer sweets eaten, the fewer fillings needed, (1 mark).

Answer 10

Positive correlation.

Question 11

What type of correlation is this:

The colder the weather, the higher people’s fuel bills, (1 mark).

Answer 11

Negative correlation.

Question 12

What type of correlation is this:

The more people exercise, the less their risk of heart disease, (1 mark).

Answer 12

Negative correlation.

Question 13

What type of correlation is this:

More sociable people have more friends, (1 mark).

Answer 13

Positive correlation.

Question 14

What type of correlation is this:

The fewer hours of daylight, the more depressed people there are, (1 mark).

Answer 14

Negative correlation.

Question 15

What type of correlation is this:

The more films you watch, the more interesting you are, (1 mark).

Answer 15

Positive correlation.

Question 16

What is the key word we associate with correlations? (1 mark).

Answer 16

Relationship.

Question 17

Consider a magazine you have read:

In what ways are these likely to be peer reviewed? (2 marks)

Answer 17

They will have experts in the fields read over the content and make sure all information is correct and credible prior to publication.

Question 18

Which of the following does reliability refer to? (1 mark)
A) The accuracy of the data
B) The consistency of the data
C) The levels of the data
D) The validity of the data

Answer 18

B - The consistency of the data.

Question 19

Which of the following is not a role of peer review in the scientific process? (1 mark)
A) To determine whether to award research funding
B) To ensure only significant results are published
C) To make sure research has high validity and reliability
D) To retain the integrity of psychological research

Answer 19

B - To ensure only significant results are published.

Question 20

Give one reason why it is important for scientific reports to include a reference section. (1 mark)

Answer 20

• To credit the researcher who originally found the information.
• So someone else can check the validity.
• To avoid plagiarism.

Question 21

Explain one strength in using a matched-pairs design rather than a repeated-measures design. (2 marks)

Answer 21

No order effects in matched-pairs design mean that participants don’t suffer fatigue or practise like they would in repeated-measures.

Question 22

Explain one limitation of a self-report technique. (2 marks)

Answer 22

They are not an objective measurement; because the participant is reporting on themselves and may suffer from social desirability bias.

Question 23

Outline what is involved in self-report. (3 marks)

Answer 23

The participant provides their own thoughts, feelings or behaviours;
Through questionnaires or interviews using a range of open and closed questions.

Question 24

Outline one weakness of using a case study as a method of investigation. (2 marks)

Answer 24

The results are subjective;
one researcher may interpret the study one way whilst another may interpret it a different way;
this means results have lowered reliability.

Question 25

Psychologists sometimes use questionnaires to find out about stress levels. Explain two strengths of using questionnaires in research. (4 marks)

Answer 25

1) Respondents can answer when it is convenient to them; meaning they can think properly about their answer which increases the accuracy of results.
2) Respondents are less likely to conform to social desirability bias; as their answers are anonymous and they will not feel judged for their answers.

Question 26

Explain what is meant by ‘overt observation’. (2 marks)

Answer 26

An overt observation is where the participants are aware their behaviour is being studied and they have given informed consent to this prior to the experiment.

Question 27

Explain how a median score is calculated. (1 mark)

Answer 27

All numbers are placed in order from lowest to highest, then the middle number of the set is found.

Question 28

This psychologist did not conduct a pilot study. Explain one reason why psychologists sometimes conduct pilot studies. (2 marks)

Answer 28

To identify and possible flaws in the design of the study;

to provide an opportunity to amend these before the study is conducted on a larger-scale.

Question 29

The researcher decided to interview the participants whose psychological health score was below 25. He chose to use a structured interview. Outline one limitation of this type of interview. (2 marks)

Answer 29

• The researcher cannot ask a supplementary question; so any unexpected issues cannot be investigated further.
• The respondent might become frustrated with the fixed questions as they cannot elaborate their answers.
• The respondent cannot expand on any issues because all the questions are fixed prior to the start.

Question 30

Explain one reason why a researcher may conduct a pilot study. (2 marks)

Answer 30

• To ensure that aspects of hte design are tested.
• So that time is not wasted in the final investigation.
• Check the wording of the questions.
• Checking ptps can understand instructions.

Question 31

Apart from the issues of anonymity, explain one other advantage of using questionnaires. (2 marks)

Answer 31

• Data could be collected relatively quickly in bulk numbers as researcher doesn’t need to be present when they are completed.
• May be a reduction in investigator effects / social desirability because the researcher’s reactions would not be visible.

Question 32

Explain how not requiring students to put their names on the questionnaires might have affected the results. (2 marks)

Answer 32

• Ptps feel less pressure to answer in a socially desirable way and their answers might be more honest.
• This would increase the validity (and reliability) of the data collected as their answers would be more honest as answers could not be traced back to them.
• The results may be less valid (and reliable) because the responses could be less honest.

Question 33

What is a pilot study and why is it useful to conduct pilot studies? (3 marks)

Answer 33

Definition - a small scale study / practice run / trail conducted before the full investigation takes place.

• Allows researcher to test material.
• Doing the check could highlight any problems in the materials or procedures.
• Allows the researcher to modify design before its carried out.

Question 34

Explain why it might be useful to interview students as well as analysing the questionnaire responses. (2 marks)

Answer 34

• After the questionnaire the researcher can target specific areas and ask for information they would have not known about before the questionnaire.
• Interviews allow the researcher to question the thoughts of the students and extract more specifics.

Question 35

The researcher decided to conduct a structured interview. Explain one advantage of conducting this type of interview rather than an unstructured interview. (2 marks)

Answer 35

Structured interviews are designed to only collect data that related to the aims of the study and not accommodate for ‘waffling’ answers which could arise in an unstructured interview.