ExpertHard6 marksExtended Response
AQA GCSE · Question 07 · Cognition and Behaviour
You have been asked to investigate the effect of context on the accuracy of memory.
Describe how you would design an experiment to do this.
You need to include the following information in your answer:
• what you would ask participants to do and what data you would collect
• one extraneous variable that could affect your results and how you could control it
• the results you would expect to find from your experiment.
You have been asked to investigate the effect of context on the accuracy of memory.
Describe how you would design an experiment to do this.
You need to include the following information in your answer:
• what you would ask participants to do and what data you would collect
• one extraneous variable that could affect your results and how you could control it
• the results you would expect to find from your experiment.
How to approach this question
Break down your answer into the three parts requested in the question.
1. **Procedure & Data:** Describe the step-by-step process. What is your independent variable (context: same vs. different)? What is your dependent variable (accuracy of memory)? How will you measure the DV (e.g., number of words recalled)? Mention the experimental design (e.g., independent groups).
2. **Extraneous Variable:** Identify one factor that is not your IV but could influence your DV (e.g., noise, time of day, participant intelligence). Then, state a specific way to control it (e.g., soundproof room, standardised time, random allocation).
3. **Expected Results:** State your hypothesis clearly. Which group do you expect to perform better and why? Refer to the psychological theory (context-dependent memory).
Full Answer
This question requires you to design a simple experiment based on the principle of context-dependent memory. This principle states that we are more likely to recall information if we are in the same environment (context) where we first learned it. A good experimental design will have two conditions to compare: a 'same context' group and a 'different context' group. The independent variable is the context of recall, and the dependent variable is the accuracy of memory, which must be measured quantitatively (e.g., a score). Controlling extraneous variables is crucial for ensuring that any difference between the groups is due to the IV and not other factors. The expected result is that the 'same context' group will have better recall, supporting the theory.
Common mistakes
Describing a study that doesn't actually test the effect of context. Forgetting to operationalise the dependent variable (i.e., not stating how memory accuracy will be measured). Identifying an extraneous variable but not explaining how to control it.
Practice the full AQA GCSE Psychology Paper 1
37 questions · hints · full answers · grading
More questions from this exam
Q01Which is the best example of information that would be stored as procedural memory?EasyQ02Which of the following statements about short-term memory (STM) is true?EasyQ03Evaluate the multi-store model of memory.HardQ04Describe Bartlett's 'War of the Ghosts' study.MediumQ05Read the following information.
A police officer is reading the statements of two eyewitnesses. ...Hard