Exam feedback

Question 17 2 marks – non-directional, fully operationalised 1 mark – non-directional, not fully operationalised 0 marks – directional/difference There will be a significant correlation between happiness scores on a questionnaire and intelligence test scores.

Question 18 1 mark for identifying method 3 marks for explanation of why it is better than a questionnaire Advice: make at least 2 points and elaborate each one in comparison to questionnaire

Question 18 Interview Pts would have the chance to clarify questions if they didn’t understand, leading to more valid data Pts may be more likely to be honest when speaking to an interviewer as they can form a relationship to talk about personal issues such as happiness Analysis of diaries Overcome social desirability bias as Pts would not know they are being directly judged on happiness Overcome demand characteristics as Pts would not be aware of the full aim of the study through reading the questions

Question 19 1 mark for clear definition Validity refers to how accurately a test or measuring instrument measures what it intends to measure

Question 20 1 mark for identifying one or more method, 2 marks for elaboration Advice: state 2 methods and elaborate on each one Content validity: ask experts is in field to check content of questionnaire to see if it measures happiness Concurrent validity: match scores from current questionnaire with different measure of happiness (i.e. family report) using same Pts Face validity: analyse questions on questionnaire to see if they are genuinely assessing level of happiness

Question 21 1 mark for each reason provided: Test of relationship/correlation Data is at least ordinal/interval Suitable for pairs of scores Looking for linear relationship between scores

Question 22 1 mark for stating results are significant 2 marks for explanation The correlation was significant because the calculated value of is greater than the critical value of for a two-tailed test for 30 Pts at the 5% significance level.

Question 23 Need to cover 2 points in detail to get full marks: At age 11, there is a significant positive correlation between happiness and intelligence, showing intelligent children tend to be happier At age 16 this correlation is not significant, but there may be a tendency for 16 year olds who are intelligent to be less happy

Question 24 Peer review is the process by which psychological research papers, before publication, are subjected to independent scrutiny by other psychologists working in a similar field who consider the research in terms of its validity, significance and originality. 0 marks – ‘other psychologists look at research’ 1 mark – for brief outline, e.g. ‘other psychologists look at the research report before it is published.’ 1 mark for elaboration

Question 25 Peer review provides a way of checking the validity of the research, making a judgement about the credibility of the research and assessing the quality and appropriateness of the design and methodology. Peers are also in a position to judge the importance or significance of the research in a wider context. They can also assess how original the work is and whether it refers to relevant research by other psychologists. They can then make a recommendation as to whether the research paper should be published in its original form, rejected or revised in some way. This peer review process helps to ensure that any research paper published in a well-respected journal has integrity and can, therefore, be taken seriously by fellow researchers and nonprofessional people.

Question 26 IV is not operationalised DV is measured through an interview Possible investigator effects / competence of interviewer Lack of control group Volunteer sample Ethical issues