GCSEPsychologyAQAExam QuestionsResearch MethodsHypotheses, Variables & Research Procedures

Hypotheses, Variables & Research Procedures (AQA GCSE Psychology): Exam Questions

Exam code: 8182

13 mins6 questions
11 mark

Read the following information.

A researcher investigated whether participants found it easier to perceive distance if the objects used in the study were familiar to them.

The researcher placed objects at various distances away from the participants. The researcher then asked the participants to estimate how far away from them each object was in metres.

Some objects were familiar to the participants and other objects were unfamiliar to the participants.

Each participant saw an identical set of objects.

The researcher counted up how many times the participants correctly estimated the distance within one metre.

Table 2 shows the results from the study.

Table 2 The number of times the distance was correctly estimated within one metre by participants viewing familiar and unfamiliar objects

Familiar objects

Unfamiliar objects

Number of times the distance was correctly estimated within one metre

57

12

Identify the dependent variable in this study

How did you do?

2a2 marks

Read the following box information

Watch out – dinosaurs about!

Watch out – dinosaurs about! A mobile phone company produced an app called DinoCatch to encourage people to exercise and enjoy more time outdoors. Someone playing DinoCatch would ‘catch’ digital dinosaurs on their mobile phone. These dinosaurs appeared on their screen when the player arrived at outdoor locations such as parks.

A researcher wanted to assess the impact of DinoCatch in the town of Waterlake. She counted the number of visitors to Waterlake Park between 1–2 pm during each of the 7 days before DinoCatch was introduced and at the same time during each of the 7 days afterwards.

Write a suitable alternative hypothesis for this study.

How did you do?

2b1 mark

Identify one extraneous variable that might affect the results of this experiment.

How did you do?

31 mark

A psychologist carried out a study to see if there was any variation in the recall of events between people who speak different languages.

The psychologist used an opportunity sample to gather participants who were either English speakers or non-English speakers. The participants were shown video clips of people breaking a window. Sometimes they broke it on purpose and sometimes it was an accident.

When the participants were asked to write down what they had seen, the non-English speakers were less accurate in their recall of the clips that showed accidental behaviour.

Identify the independent variable in the described study.

How did you do?

42 marks

Read the following information,

You have been asked to design an experiment to investigate whether having a fixed mindset or a growth mindset will affect students’ performance in their end of year exams.

Identify what the independent variable and dependent variable would be in your experiment.

Write your answers in the correct spaces provided.

Independent variable ____________________________________________

Dependent variable______________________________________________

How did you do?

52 marks

Write a suitable alternative hypothesis for Yuki’s study of emoticons.

How did you do?

6a1 mark

Read the item and then answer the questions that follow.

A psychologist conducted a memory experiment, showing people sets of numbers and then taking the numbers away and asking them to write down what they had seen.

  • In Condition A, participants saw nine numbers written in groups of three for 10 seconds, for example, 746 826 392. They were then given 10 seconds to write down the numbers they had seen. This was repeated 10 times with different sets of numbers.

  • In Condition B, the same participants saw nine numbers written in one group of nine for 10 seconds; for example, 746826392. The participants were given ten seconds to write down the numbers they had seen. This was repeated 10 times with different sets of numbers.

The psychologist recorded the total number of recall errors made by each participant.

What is an independent variable?

How did you do?

6b1 mark

What is a dependent variable?

How did you do?

6c2 marks

Write a suitable hypothesis for this experiment.

How did you do?