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AS & A Level · AS/A Level

Psychology

Experimental design and ethics

Name: ____________________Date: October 10, 2026
  1. 1.

    Fictional study: adults are randomly assigned to study words in silence or with instrumental music, then complete the same recall test, scored as the number of words correctly recalled. Identify the independent and dependent variables.

    [2 marks] · no calculator
  2. 2.

    Fictional study: volunteers choose whether to join the music or silence condition. Explain why this is not random allocation and one threat it creates.

    [2 marks] · no calculator
  3. 3.

    Fictional study: the same participants solve puzzles once rested and once after a long workday, always in that order. Analyse an order effect and propose a design improvement while addressing time-of-day confounding.

    [4 marks] · no calculator
  4. 4.

    Fictional study: researchers observe adults in a café and record identifiable conversations about personal relationships without consent. Analyse two ethical concerns and suggest a safer alternative.

    [4 marks] · no calculator
  5. 5.

    Fictional proposal: a researcher wants to study helping by staging an alarming collapse in a busy station without telling bystanders. Evaluate whether deception is justified and propose an ethical alternative.

    [4 marks] · no calculator
  6. 6.

    Fictional case: a laboratory experiment finds better puzzle scores with a visible countdown. Evaluate generalising this result to workplace deadlines.

    [4 marks] · no calculator

Original, unofficial practice questions from SubjectScout — not official past-paper questions.

Marking points are indicative, not an official mark scheme. Accept equivalent valid methods and supported interpretations that address the task; award each mark once without requiring the model wording.