Psychology

1. 1.

   A researcher asks whether background music affects memory. Operationalise the independent and dependent variables and identify one control variable.

   [3 marks] · no calculator

   Answer explanation

   Draft walkthroughs are based on marking guidance, not independently verified derivations.

   1. An operational definition makes an abstract concept measurable and replicable.
   2. 'Music' needs a precise condition and 'memory' needs a scoring rule. Give a delay and recall task rather than simply 'good memory'.
   3. Use the same list and presentation time in both conditions to reduce alternative explanations.

   Marking points

   • Specify the music condition, for example a fixed instrumental track versus silence.
   • Measure memory as the number of words correctly recalled from a specified list after a fixed delay.
   • Control a relevant factor such as list length, exposure time or sound volume.

   Examiner tip: Naming a variable is not the same as operationalising it. State exactly how it changes or is measured.

2. 2.

   In a repeated-measures memory experiment, every participant completes silence first and music second. Explain one threat to validity and how counterbalancing could address it, including one remaining limitation.

   [4 marks] · no calculator

   Answer explanation

   Draft walkthroughs are based on marking guidance, not independently verified derivations.

   1. Repeated measures controls many participant differences, but doing one task can change performance on the next.
   2. AB/BA orders keep each condition from always occupying the same position.
   3. Use matched alternative word lists and a suitable interval as well; learning the exact same list could persist across both orders.

   Marking points

   • Practice or fatigue may affect second-condition scores, confounding music with order.
   • Have some participants complete silence then music and others music then silence.
   • Distribute participants fairly across orders, for example by random allocation.
   • Counterbalancing spreads order effects but may not eliminate persistent carryover or unequal task difficulty.

   Examiner tip: Counterbalancing addresses order effects, not every confounding variable.

3. 3.

   A well-controlled laboratory study with 20 volunteer university students finds a memory benefit. Evaluate the claim that the same benefit will occur for all school pupils in normal classrooms.

   [5 marks] · no calculator

   Answer explanation

   Draft walkthroughs are based on marking guidance, not independently verified derivations.

   1. Separate evidence that a manipulation worked under controlled conditions from evidence about where else it works.
   2. Link each limitation to the target claim: age and sampling matter for school pupils, while task context matters for classrooms.
   3. Do not dismiss the result as worthless. It can motivate further studies without warranting 'all pupils' or promising identical benefits.

   Marking points

   • Control may strengthen internal validity but does not itself establish generalisability.
   • Volunteer university students may differ from school pupils in age, motivation and prior skills.
   • Classroom conditions may differ from the laboratory task, limiting ecological validity.
   • Small-sample uncertainty and replication with relevant populations should be considered.
   • The universal claim is not justified by this study alone; cautiously test the effect in classrooms with appropriate safeguards.

   Examiner tip: Internal validity and external validity answer different questions. Avoid claiming a small sample automatically makes a study invalid.

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