paper 2 2020 Flashcards
Describe the process of peer review. (6)
Credit could be given for:
Process of peer review is likely to have the following stages:
1. Researcher submits article to journal.
2. Journal assessed by editor of journal.
3. If accepted by editor, article is sent to reviewers (who is also an expert in the
field).
4. Reviewers are normally kept anonymous from the article’s author.
5. Reviewers submit their comments to the editor.
6. Editor may reject the article or return it to the author to make revisions.
7. Revised article is re-submitted to editor for publication.
* Any other appropriate content.
N.B. A definition of peer review can receive only superficial credit (1-2 marks).
Identify what the following symbols mean: < (with a line under) (1)
Less than or equal to
Identify what the following symbols mean: > (1)
greater than
Define the following techniques that are used to assess the reliability in research: Test re-test reliability (2)
Credit could be given for:
* Involves testing and retesting the same participants over time, with the
same test, and comparing their scores. If the scores are the same the
test has external reliability.
* Any other appropriate content.
Define the following techniques that are used to assess the reliability in research: Inter-rater reliability (2)
Credit could be given for:
* Where two or more psychologists produce consistent results by using a
standardised procedure, agreed coding system, or correlation of their
data.
* Any other appropriate content.
Define the following techniques that are used to assess the reliability in research: Split-half reliability (2)
Credit could be given for:
* Involves splitting a participant’s test answers in half and seeing whether
s/he got the same or similar scores on the two halves. If so, internal
reliability is high; if not, it is low and individual questions would need to
be redesigned.
* Any other appropriate content
Explain how psychologists use ethics committees to manage the risk posed
by ethical issues. (3)
Example answers:
Ethics committees are normally found in Universities or any places that do
research. Their role is to approve the design of research before the
researcher completes the research, they are likely to use ethical guidelines
like those published by the BPS to assess if the research proposal is ethical
or not. If they don’t approve first time, they may ask the psychologist to
make amendments to their research design, or it may not allow them to
conduct their research if their proposal has too many ethical issues. Ethics
committees are normally made up of researchers and lay people. [3 marks]
These are groups of people that judge whether a piece of research can be
done or not. [1 mark].
Explain how psychologists use ethical guidelines to manage the risk posed by
ethical issues. (3)
Example answers:
Ethical guidelines are published by organisations such as the BPS and
everyone who is a member of the BPS has to follow the guidelines or they
may risk being censured by the BPS. The guidelines provide a set of
recommendations about how psychologists should and should not conduct
research. Current BPS guidelines emphasise the need to respect the
autonomy, privacy and dignity of individuals and communities involved in
psychological research. [3 marks]
Psychologists design their research to make sure it meets the guidelines,
such as making sure the participants give valid consent. [1 mark].
Evaluate the issues of validity and ethics raised by Milgram’s (1963) research
‘Behavioural study of Obedience’. (12)
Credit could be given for:
Validity issues:
* The obedience task completed in the research isn’t typical of obedience in
everyday life, it is more typical of ‘extreme obedience’ situations such as
genocide.
* The sample in the original study is 40 males so these results may not be
applicable to females.
* The sample had a variety of ages, occupations and educational backgrounds,
so may be quite representative of males in the local area.
* Milgram’s family experiences may have led to researcher bias in his
interpretation of behaviours.
Ethical issues:
* Deception: Milgram informed the participants the research was about memory
and learning; the use of a confederate; the lack of actual electric shocks; the
use of pre-recorded responses from the Teacher.
* Risk of stress, anxiety, humiliation or pain: Signs of extreme tension were
observed, participants “were observed to sweat, tremble, stutter, bite their lips,
groan, and dig their finger nails into their flesh”.
* Risk to the participants’ values, beliefs, relationships, status or privacy: the
teachers may have left this research with a negative opinion of their own
capabilities which may have had a long-term impact on their own values and
beliefs.
* Any other appropriate content.
N.B. This question requires evaluation, so where candidates only describe ethical
and validity issues, the answer will be limited to the 1-3 marks band.
Evaluate the use of primary sources in psychological research. (4)
Credit could be given for:
* The researcher can control the format in exactly how data is collected.
* It will specifically relate to the aims of the research.
* Data collected may lack validity due to social desirability or demand
characteristics.
* Research from primary sources takes time and effort to prepare, administer and
analyse.
* Research from primary sources may contain methodological problems that
corrupt the findings they produce.
* May take a single point of view arguing in support of a particular theory.
* Any other appropriate content.
Explain one strength and one weakness of the use of brain scans in psychological
research. (2+2)
Credit could be given for:
Strengths
* Allows for objective assessment of brain structure/function.
* Allows investigation of live brains, rather than waiting for post mortem.
* MRI is best suited for cases when a patient is to undergo the examination
several times successively in the short term, because, unlike PET, it does not
expose the patient to the hazards of radiation.
* PET scans reveal chemical information that is not available with other imaging
techniques.
Weaknesses
* Scans take a long time and can be uncomfortable for patients, not good for
those with claustrophobia.
* These are extremely costly techniques and therefore not easily available for
research.
* With PET, the patient has to be injected with a radioactive substance, the
technique can be used only a few times.
* Only a range of activities can be investigated, due to limitations of being stuck
in a machine.
* Any other appropriate content.
N.B. Candidates may present evaluative material more relevant to other types of
brain scans used in psychological research, such as EEG’s, and this should be
credited appropriately.
(p2 2020) An Occupational Psychologist investigated if working patterns could affect wellbeing.
Research was undertaken in an office with 120 workers; each worker completed an
eight-hour shift, each day from Monday to Friday.
In the first month of the research, the psychologist asked a sample of 20 workers to
maintain strict working hours of 09:00 to 17:00, every day for one month. The
wellbeing of the workers was assessed using a wellbeing scale (0-50, where the
higher the score the better the wellbeing).
In the second month, the same sample of 20 workers were given more flexible
working hours where they could choose the time that they would start their eight-hour
shift. The workers wellbeing was assessed again using the same wellbeing scale.
The Occupational Psychologist calculated the mean, median and modal wellbeing
scores for each month. Identify the experimental design used by the Occupational
Psychologist in this research (1)
Repeated Measures.
* Repeated Groups.
(p2 2020) An Occupational Psychologist investigated if working patterns could affect wellbeing.
Research was undertaken in an office with 120 workers; each worker completed an
eight-hour shift, each day from Monday to Friday.
In the first month of the research, the psychologist asked a sample of 20 workers to
maintain strict working hours of 09:00 to 17:00, every day for one month. The
wellbeing of the workers was assessed using a wellbeing scale (0-50, where the
higher the score the better the wellbeing).
In the second month, the same sample of 20 workers were given more flexible
working hours where they could choose the time that they would start their eight-hour
shift. The workers wellbeing was assessed again using the same wellbeing scale.
The Occupational Psychologist calculated the mean, median and modal wellbeing
scores for each month. Explain one advantage of using this experimental design in this
research. (2)
Exemplar answers:
Research using a repeated measures design requires fewer
workers to act as participants than an independent groups design
would to produce the same amount of results. (2 marks)
There will be less chance of participant variables between the two
types of working conditions. (2 marks)
There is no chance that any difference detected is due to intergroup
differences. (1 mark)
* Any other appropriate content.
(p2 2020) An Occupational Psychologist investigated if working patterns could affect wellbeing.
Research was undertaken in an office with 120 workers; each worker completed an
eight-hour shift, each day from Monday to Friday.
In the first month of the research, the psychologist asked a sample of 20 workers to
maintain strict working hours of 09:00 to 17:00, every day for one month. The
wellbeing of the workers was assessed using a wellbeing scale (0-50, where the
higher the score the better the wellbeing).
In the second month, the same sample of 20 workers were given more flexible
working hours where they could choose the time that they would start their eight-hour
shift. The workers wellbeing was assessed again using the same wellbeing scale.
The Occupational Psychologist calculated the mean, median and modal wellbeing
scores for each month. Explain one disadvantage of using this experimental design in this
research. (2)
Exemplar answers:
Demand characteristics might mean that the office workers may
realise what the research is about and so give a higher wellbeing
rating in the second month. (2 marks)
The participants’ performance may suffer from order effects, such
as practice or fatigue. (1 mark)
* Any other appropriate content.
(p2 2020) An Occupational Psychologist investigated if working patterns could affect wellbeing.
Research was undertaken in an office with 120 workers; each worker completed an
eight-hour shift, each day from Monday to Friday.
In the first month of the research, the psychologist asked a sample of 20 workers to
maintain strict working hours of 09:00 to 17:00, every day for one month. The
wellbeing of the workers was assessed using a wellbeing scale (0-50, where the
higher the score the better the wellbeing).
In the second month, the same sample of 20 workers were given more flexible
working hours where they could choose the time that they would start their eight-hour
shift. The workers wellbeing was assessed again using the same wellbeing scale.
The Occupational Psychologist calculated the mean, median and modal wellbeing
scores for each month. State one conclusion that can be drawn from the median scores in this
research. (2)
Example answers:
The median wellbeing score of office workers for the month with strict
working hours (24) was lower than the median wellbeing score for the
office workers for the month with flexible working hours (29). [2 marks]
The median wellbeing score of office workers for the month with flexible
working hours (29) was higher than the median wellbeing score for the
office workers for the month with strict working hours (24). [2 marks]
The median wellbeing score of for the month with flexible working hours
(29) was higher. [1 mark]
Office workers were happier when they had flexible office hours than when
they had strict office hours. [1 mark]
* Any other appropriate conclusion.
(p2 2020) An Occupational Psychologist investigated if working patterns could affect wellbeing.
Research was undertaken in an office with 120 workers; each worker completed an
eight-hour shift, each day from Monday to Friday.
In the first month of the research, the psychologist asked a sample of 20 workers to
maintain strict working hours of 09:00 to 17:00, every day for one month. The
wellbeing of the workers was assessed using a wellbeing scale (0-50, where the
higher the score the better the wellbeing).
In the second month, the same sample of 20 workers were given more flexible
working hours where they could choose the time that they would start their eight-hour
shift. The workers wellbeing was assessed again using the same wellbeing scale.
The Occupational Psychologist calculated the mean, median and modal wellbeing
scores for each month. Explain how content validity could have been used to assess the validity of
this research. (2)
Example answers:
The Occupational Psychologist could ask an expert in the field of wellbeing
in the workplace if the research was designed appropriately to measure
whether working hours could improve the wellbeing of workers, and if they
agreed it did their research would have content validity. [2 marks]
Content validity is where you ask an expert in that specific area of
behaviour to check the test is valid. [1 mark]
* Any other appropriate explanation.
(p2 2020) An Occupational Psychologist investigated if working patterns could affect wellbeing.
Research was undertaken in an office with 120 workers; each worker completed an
eight-hour shift, each day from Monday to Friday.
In the first month of the research, the psychologist asked a sample of 20 workers to
maintain strict working hours of 09:00 to 17:00, every day for one month. The
wellbeing of the workers was assessed using a wellbeing scale (0-50, where the
higher the score the better the wellbeing).
In the second month, the same sample of 20 workers were given more flexible
working hours where they could choose the time that they would start their eight-hour
shift. The workers wellbeing was assessed again using the same wellbeing scale.
The Occupational Psychologist calculated the mean, median and modal wellbeing
scores for each month. The Occupational Psychologist analysed their data using a Wilcoxon test.
Fully justify why this inferential test was appropriate for this research. (3)
Example answers:
A Wilcoxon was appropriate as the wellbeing data is at least ordinal level
data; the occupational psychologist was looking for a difference between
strict and flexible working hours; all office workers completed both strict
and flexible working hours conditions, so the data is related. [3 marks]
Test of difference between strict and flexible hours; wellbeing score is
ordinal level data and is related. [2 marks]
You use it when you have a test of correlation between flexible and strict
working hours, when the data is related and the wellbeing scores were at
least ordinal. [1 mark]
Ø Test of difference;
Ø Related data;
Ø Data is ordinal level or above. [0 marks]
(p2 2020) An Occupational Psychologist investigated if working patterns could affect wellbeing.
Research was undertaken in an office with 120 workers; each worker completed an
eight-hour shift, each day from Monday to Friday.
In the first month of the research, the psychologist asked a sample of 20 workers to
maintain strict working hours of 09:00 to 17:00, every day for one month. The
wellbeing of the workers was assessed using a wellbeing scale (0-50, where the
higher the score the better the wellbeing).
In the second month, the same sample of 20 workers were given more flexible
working hours where they could choose the time that they would start their eight-hour
shift. The workers wellbeing was assessed again using the same wellbeing scale.
The Occupational Psychologist calculated the mean, median and modal wellbeing
scores for each month. The Occupational Psychologist found that after analysing the data with a
Wilcoxon test, the observed (calculated) value was 43.
(i) Identify if the Occupational Psychologist should accept or reject their
null hypothesis using the information from the critical value table
below: (1)
Reject the null hypothesis.
* Reject.
(p2 2020) An Occupational Psychologist investigated if working patterns could affect wellbeing.
Research was undertaken in an office with 120 workers; each worker completed an
eight-hour shift, each day from Monday to Friday.
In the first month of the research, the psychologist asked a sample of 20 workers to
maintain strict working hours of 09:00 to 17:00, every day for one month. The
wellbeing of the workers was assessed using a wellbeing scale (0-50, where the
higher the score the better the wellbeing).
In the second month, the same sample of 20 workers were given more flexible
working hours where they could choose the time that they would start their eight-hour
shift. The workers wellbeing was assessed again using the same wellbeing scale.
The Occupational Psychologist calculated the mean, median and modal wellbeing
scores for each month. Justify the answer you gave in (e) (i). (2)
Example answers:
The null hypothesis can be rejected as the observed value (43) was
less than the critical value (52) when p=0.05, which is the usual
level of significance used by psychologists. [2 marks]
The Ho can be rejected as the observed value is less than the
critical value. [1 mark]
The null hypothesis should be accepted as the observed value (43)
is more than the critical value of 52. [0 marks]
It can be rejected as the result was not supported. [0 marks]
* Any other appropriate explanation.
(p2 2020) An Occupational Psychologist investigated if working patterns could affect wellbeing.
Research was undertaken in an office with 120 workers; each worker completed an
eight-hour shift, each day from Monday to Friday.
In the first month of the research, the psychologist asked a sample of 20 workers to
maintain strict working hours of 09:00 to 17:00, every day for one month. The
wellbeing of the workers was assessed using a wellbeing scale (0-50, where the
higher the score the better the wellbeing).
In the second month, the same sample of 20 workers were given more flexible
working hours where they could choose the time that they would start their eight-hour
shift. The workers wellbeing was assessed again using the same wellbeing scale.
The Occupational Psychologist calculated the mean, median and modal wellbeing
scores for each month. Explain one strength and one weakness of conducting research in the field. (2+2)
Credit could be given for:
Strengths:
* By conducting research in a more natural environment, you may see
more natural behaviour, which may mean the research is more valid.
* Some research can’t be done in a laboratory, because of the nature of
the behaviour.
Weaknesses:
* It is more difficult for the researcher to control for confounding or
extraneous variables in the field, than it might be in a laboratory.
* It makes it more difficult for researchers to utilise large or delicate
equipment, such as brain scanners.
* Any other appropriate content.
(p2 2020) A waiter had noticed that there had been an increase in the number of customers
buying vegetarian options at the restaurant where he worked. He was asked by the
owner of the restaurant to briefly interview customers who chose a vegetarian dish
about their choice.
The owner wanted the waiter to ask: “Are you a vegetarian?”
However, the waiter thought it would be better to ask: “Why have you chosen this
vegetarian option?” Which of the above questions is more likely to produce qualitative data? (1)
The waiter’s question.
* The waiter’s.
* Waiter’s.
* “Why have you chosen this vegetarian option?”
(p2 2020) A waiter had noticed that there had been an increase in the number of customers
buying vegetarian options at the restaurant where he worked. He was asked by the
owner of the restaurant to briefly interview customers who chose a vegetarian dish
about their choice.
The owner wanted the waiter to ask: “Are you a vegetarian?”
However, the waiter thought it would be better to ask: “Why have you chosen this
vegetarian option?” Having discussed the two questions the owner insisted that the waiter ask the
question ‘Are you a vegetarian?” to every customer who ordered a vegetarian
meal. After collecting data from customers for the week, the waiter produced
a frequency table.
(b) Using the information from the frequency table, construct a bar chart to
represent the data. (4)
Credit could be given for:
Features:
* Appropriate title.
* Appropriate label and scale of x-axis.
* Appropriate label and scale of y-axis.
* Appropriate plotting of data.
(p2 2020) A waiter had noticed that there had been an increase in the number of customers
buying vegetarian options at the restaurant where he worked. He was asked by the
owner of the restaurant to briefly interview customers who chose a vegetarian dish
about their choice.
The owner wanted the waiter to ask: “Are you a vegetarian?”
However, the waiter thought it would be better to ask: “Why have you chosen this
vegetarian option?” Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of using semi-structured interviews (6)
Credit could be given for:
Strengths:
* More detailed information can be obtained from each respondent than
in a structured interview as the interviewer can tailor the questions to
the respondent’s responses, get deeper insights into the respondent’s
feelings and thoughts.
* Can avoid asking irrelevant questions.
* Allows the researcher to investigate topics which may vary greatly
amongst participants with more sensitivity.
Weaknesses:
* Semi-structured interviews require interviewers with more skill than a
structured interview because the interviewer must develop new
questions on the spot. The requirement for well-trained interviewers
makes semi-structured interviews more expensive to produce.
* Questions developed on the spot may lack objectivity more than
predetermined ones because of their instantaneous nature, as the
interviewer has little time to reflect on what to say.
* Any other appropriate content.
