4.2.3.1.3 Questionnaire and interview design, variables and operationalisation Quiz: AQA Psychology, Unit 2

The 20 questions

1. The independent variable is:

   • The number of participants in the study, which is set before the study starts
   • The variable that the researcher manipulates or changes to observe its effect
   • The variable that is measured as the outcome, which the researcher records afterwards
   • A variable that is kept constant throughout the study so that it cannot change at all

2. The dependent variable is:

   • The population from which the sample is taken, selected to represent a wider group
   • An uncontrolled variable that varies randomly across the participants in the study
   • The variable that is measured to see whether it changes in response to the IV
   • The variable that the researcher manipulates in order to create the conditions tested

3. An extraneous variable is:

   • A variable that is always removed from the study before any data are analysed at all
   • A variable other than the IV that could affect the DV if it is not controlled
   • The variable that the researcher measures as the outcome of the experiment in full
   • The main variable that the study is designed to test, changed on purpose by the researcher

4. Operationalisation of a variable means:

   • Recording the variable in a non-numerical way, using descriptions rather than figures
   • Defining it in precise, measurable terms so it can be tested and replicated
   • Assigning participants to conditions at random so that groups are balanced at the start
   • Making the variable as complicated as possible so that it captures every detail

5. A closed question on a questionnaire:

   • Gives respondents a fixed set of options to choose from
   • Asks the respondent to explain a previous answer in more depth and detail
   • Allows the respondent to write a free answer in their own words with no limit
   • Is answered only by the interviewer, who records the respondent's view for them

6. An open question on a questionnaire:

   • Requires a numerical rating on a fixed scale
   • Is used only in structured observations
   • Offers only two fixed answers, such as yes or no
   • Allows respondents to answer in their own words

7. A confounding variable is one that:

   • Varies systematically with the IV and affects the DV, so it offers an alternative explanation
   • Is controlled by the participants themselves, who decide its level for each session run
   • Is measured as the dependent variable, so it records the outcome the study is designed to explain
   • Is randomly allocated to participants so that its effect is balanced across the conditions

8. A researcher wants to measure how happy participants are. Which operationalisation is most appropriate?

   • A note about the weather on the day of testing
   • A description of participants' facial expressions in general
   • A statement that participants are happy or not
   • A rating from 1 to 10 on a happiness scale

9. A question asks, 'Don't you agree that the new policy is fair?' What is the problem?

   • The question is about a policy that cannot be measured, so it cannot give valid data
   • The question is too short to be useful for the study, so it gives too little information
   • The question uses only open response options, so the answers cannot be compared easily
   • The question is leading, pushing respondents towards a particular answer

10. A question asks, 'Do you enjoy football and tennis?' What is the main problem?

    • It uses an open response that cannot be analysed, because each answer is different
    • It is too complicated to be understood by anyone who reads it for the first time without help from others
    • It is double-barrelled, so a single answer cannot clearly represent two different topics
    • It asks for a number instead of an opinion, so the answer is too narrow to use

11. A question asks, 'How often do you go out?' What is the main problem?

    • It is a closed question with too many options, which makes choosing one hard
    • It is ambiguous, because 'often' and 'go out' can be interpreted in different ways
    • It is leading towards a particular response, so people are pushed to one answer
    • It asks for a qualitative answer that cannot be recorded in any numerical form

12. A researcher measures stress by recording participants' heart rate. What is this an example of?

    • Random allocation of participants to conditions in the study design used
    • Operationalisation of stress as a physiological measure
    • Operationalisation of stress as a self-report opinion, using a single item rating
    • A confounding variable that varies with the independent variable in the study

13. A questionnaire includes technical jargon that many respondents do not understand. What is the best change?

    • Ask respondents to guess what the words mean
    • Remove all questions about the topic
    • Add more jargon to make the questionnaire more formal
    • Rewrite the question using simpler, clearer wording

14. In a study testing the effect of caffeine on reaction time, which is the independent variable?

    • The reaction time measured in milliseconds for each participant in the study
    • The amount of caffeine given to participants
    • The room temperature during testing sessions carried out across the week
    • The age of the participants recruited into the study from the community

15. Why should a questionnaire avoid double-barrelled questions?

    • Because they cannot be used with closed options, which are needed for analysis
    • Because they always produce qualitative data that are too rich to be coded
    • Because they produce ambiguous answers that cannot be interpreted clearly
    • Because they are too easy for respondents to answer, so the data lack challenge

16. Why is operationalisation important for the validity and replicability of a study?

    • It removes the need for a dependent variable, since the measures are already defined by the researcher before the study begins at all
    • It guarantees that all participants will respond identically to the same questions and stimuli in every session of the study
    • Clear, measurable definitions allow other researchers to repeat the study and check that it measures the intended construct
    • It makes every study a correlational design, so no experiment can ever be run with manipulated conditions or random allocation of people

17. In a study on noise and memory, testing takes place in the morning for one group and the afternoon for another. What is the extraneous variable?

    • The level of noise, which is the IV that the researcher deliberately manipulates
    • The memory score, which is the DV that the researcher records for each person
    • Time of day, which could affect alertness and memory performance
    • The sample size, which is always controlled by the researcher before the study

18. Why does a structured interview usually improve replicability compared with an unstructured interview?

    • Because it always produces qualitative data that are rich and full of detail to analyse
    • Because the same questions are asked in the same order each time, which can be repeated exactly
    • Because it removes the need for any questions, so the interview becomes a simple talk
    • Because it allows the interviewer to follow every new idea that comes up in conversation

19. A researcher uses a five-point Likert scale to measure attitudes. Why is this appropriate?

    • It converts attitudes into ordered numerical responses that can be compared
    • It removes all bias from the attitude measurement, so responses are fully objective
    • It records only the participant's open comments, which are then read for themes
    • It measures the attitude directly in the brain, using a scanner placed on the head

20. Poor operationalisation of a concept is most likely to affect which type of validity?

    • Inter-observer reliability, because two observers recorded the behaviour at different times
    • Random sampling, because participants were randomly chosen from a list of the population
    • Construct validity, because the measure may not capture what it claims to measure
    • Temporal validity, because the study took place at a specific time that may have been unusual

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