SCI 2GG3 CERTIFICATION PAPER 2026
FULL SOLUTION GRADED A+
● behavioural testing. Answer: observation of actions and responses to a
specific stimuli including mazes, operant conditioning, or observational
studies
-mainly animals
● Observational Method. Answer: animal behaviour research
systematically recording behaviour in its natural setting without
manipulating variables or adding conditions
● what is the goal of the observational method?. Answer: to gather data
on how individuals behave, interact and respond in real-life situations
● describe the hypothesis and prediction of the chimpanzee experiment.
Answer: hypothesis: pregnant and lactating females will consume a diet
that provides higher caloric intake than non-pregnant, non-lactating
prediction: will have a higher percentage of fruit in the diet (higher-
calorie value) when pregnant or lactating vs not
,● external validity. Answer: extent to which the results of a study can be
generalized to other settings, populations, conditions etc
● reactivity. Answer: potential influence of the research process on the
participant's behaviour
- participants may change their behaviour because they know they are
being watched
- can happen w psychological tests too
● social desirability bias. Answer: the tendency for people to say what
they believe is appropriate or acceptable
- more socially acceptable
-combated by anonymous responses
● Hawthorne effect and how it was discovered. Answer: the tendency for
people to improve their performance when they know they are being
studied
discovered through factory worker production (Hawthorne Works
factory or Western Electric Hawthorne Works)
, ● Demand Characteristics (Hawthorne Effect). Answer: when
participants pick up cues from the researcher leading them to change
their behaviour to align with perceived expectations
● 3 Rs of animal research. Answer: Replace: try to use other models like
computer modelling to test instead of using animals
Reduce: promote usage of limited numbers of animals
Refine: improving procedures to minimize pain and discomfort
● anxiety in animals research. Answer: a small amount of anxiety or
stress is evolutionarily good
anxiety can be induced in rats in various mazes/boxes
● what is a knock out gene?. Answer: knockout means to disable a gene
● Reliability vs. Validity. Answer: reliability (consistency with results)
and validity (accuracy of what it is trying to measure)
● what is crucial for tests, reliability or validity?. Answer: validity is
crucial bc a test can be reliable but not valid
● content validity. Answer: the extent to which the test items represent
the content domain of interest
FULL SOLUTION GRADED A+
● behavioural testing. Answer: observation of actions and responses to a
specific stimuli including mazes, operant conditioning, or observational
studies
-mainly animals
● Observational Method. Answer: animal behaviour research
systematically recording behaviour in its natural setting without
manipulating variables or adding conditions
● what is the goal of the observational method?. Answer: to gather data
on how individuals behave, interact and respond in real-life situations
● describe the hypothesis and prediction of the chimpanzee experiment.
Answer: hypothesis: pregnant and lactating females will consume a diet
that provides higher caloric intake than non-pregnant, non-lactating
prediction: will have a higher percentage of fruit in the diet (higher-
calorie value) when pregnant or lactating vs not
,● external validity. Answer: extent to which the results of a study can be
generalized to other settings, populations, conditions etc
● reactivity. Answer: potential influence of the research process on the
participant's behaviour
- participants may change their behaviour because they know they are
being watched
- can happen w psychological tests too
● social desirability bias. Answer: the tendency for people to say what
they believe is appropriate or acceptable
- more socially acceptable
-combated by anonymous responses
● Hawthorne effect and how it was discovered. Answer: the tendency for
people to improve their performance when they know they are being
studied
discovered through factory worker production (Hawthorne Works
factory or Western Electric Hawthorne Works)
, ● Demand Characteristics (Hawthorne Effect). Answer: when
participants pick up cues from the researcher leading them to change
their behaviour to align with perceived expectations
● 3 Rs of animal research. Answer: Replace: try to use other models like
computer modelling to test instead of using animals
Reduce: promote usage of limited numbers of animals
Refine: improving procedures to minimize pain and discomfort
● anxiety in animals research. Answer: a small amount of anxiety or
stress is evolutionarily good
anxiety can be induced in rats in various mazes/boxes
● what is a knock out gene?. Answer: knockout means to disable a gene
● Reliability vs. Validity. Answer: reliability (consistency with results)
and validity (accuracy of what it is trying to measure)
● what is crucial for tests, reliability or validity?. Answer: validity is
crucial bc a test can be reliable but not valid
● content validity. Answer: the extent to which the test items represent
the content domain of interest
