A
S PSYCHOLOGY PAPER 2 Exam Questions
with Answers
1. What is a covert observation?: Participants' behaviour is watched and recorded, and
they're unaware of the observer
2. What's standard deviation (SD)?: variation / dispersion of scores around the mean
3. Disadvantage of conducting a covert observation: - hard to record behaviour
while being disguised bc if ur spotted while taking notes, it'll ruin the purpose
-being covert makes it harder to see all behaviours (eg bad camera angle)
-don't mention ETHICS the question's about 'conducting'
4. Advantages of using the mean as a central tendency: - mean takes all data
points into account
-more representative than median or mode
5. Define extraneous variables: - any variables that can attect the DV (if someone in a study
was hungry and worked faster to finish it)
-lead to biased / error results (one condition was before lunch so they're all hungry vs. after lunch so
they'd work slowly)
6. Define uncontrolled variables: - variables that have not been eliminated
-decrease validity (can attect more than 1 condition) eg weather
-demand characteristics (if purpose of study obvious to one group but not the other)
7. Dan finds that children who play more are more aggressive. Explain
why he cannot conclude that playing causes aggression: - correlation so don't
know which variable was the causal factor
-third factor may be the cause
-correlation only allows u to say that 2 variables are related, not which ones making the other change
8. Explain ethical guidelines in working w animals: Species & strain
-choose species that'll sutter the least
Min. number of animals
-use as little animals as necessary
1/
7
, Pain & distress
-stress, discomfort avoided
Housing
-enough space, but not in solitude
2/
7
S PSYCHOLOGY PAPER 2 Exam Questions
with Answers
1. What is a covert observation?: Participants' behaviour is watched and recorded, and
they're unaware of the observer
2. What's standard deviation (SD)?: variation / dispersion of scores around the mean
3. Disadvantage of conducting a covert observation: - hard to record behaviour
while being disguised bc if ur spotted while taking notes, it'll ruin the purpose
-being covert makes it harder to see all behaviours (eg bad camera angle)
-don't mention ETHICS the question's about 'conducting'
4. Advantages of using the mean as a central tendency: - mean takes all data
points into account
-more representative than median or mode
5. Define extraneous variables: - any variables that can attect the DV (if someone in a study
was hungry and worked faster to finish it)
-lead to biased / error results (one condition was before lunch so they're all hungry vs. after lunch so
they'd work slowly)
6. Define uncontrolled variables: - variables that have not been eliminated
-decrease validity (can attect more than 1 condition) eg weather
-demand characteristics (if purpose of study obvious to one group but not the other)
7. Dan finds that children who play more are more aggressive. Explain
why he cannot conclude that playing causes aggression: - correlation so don't
know which variable was the causal factor
-third factor may be the cause
-correlation only allows u to say that 2 variables are related, not which ones making the other change
8. Explain ethical guidelines in working w animals: Species & strain
-choose species that'll sutter the least
Min. number of animals
-use as little animals as necessary
1/
7
, Pain & distress
-stress, discomfort avoided
Housing
-enough space, but not in solitude
2/
7
