Lesson 9.1.3

9.1.3 Self-report, observation and additional research methods Quiz: Pearson Edexcel Psychology, Unit 9

20 questions

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Lesson 9.1.3, Self-report, observation and additional research methods: 20 multiple choice questions for the Pearson Edexcel Psychology (9PS0), Unit 9: Psychological skills, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. What is the main difference between a structured and an unstructured interview?

    • A structured interview uses a fixed set of questions, whereas an unstructured interview allows open conversation with few set questions
    • A structured interview produces only qualitative data, whereas unstructured produces only quantitative data
    • There is no difference between the two methods
    • A structured interview is always conducted online, whereas an unstructured interview is always face-to-face

  2. Which problem is most associated with self-report methods such as questionnaires?

    • Random allocation error
    • Counterbalancing failure
    • Social desirability bias, where respondents answer in ways that make them look good
    • Order effect in a repeated measures design

  3. Which type of observation involves the observer being part of the group being observed?

    • Structured observation
    • Participant observation
    • Covert observation
    • Non-participant observation

  4. What is covert observation?

    • Observation carried out using a fixed checklist only
    • Observation in which participants do not know they are being observed
    • Observation carried out in a laboratory with video
    • Observation in which the observer is part of the group

  5. A researcher counts how many times children hit each other during 10-minute sessions. Which observation method is this?

    • Case study
    • Content analysis
    • Tallying (behavioural counting)
    • Longitudinal survey

  6. What is the key feature of event sampling in observation?

    • Participants are asked to report their behaviour afterwards
    • Every instance of a specific behaviour is recorded whenever it occurs
    • Behaviour is recorded only at fixed intervals of time
    • Only the first behaviour in each session is recorded

  7. In time sampling, a researcher records behaviour every 30 seconds for an hour. What is the main risk of this method?

    • Behaviours occurring between the intervals may be missed
    • Participants always know the researcher is present
    • The method only produces qualitative data
    • Every behaviour is recorded, which takes too long

  8. Which research method is best for gaining a detailed, in-depth account of one individual's experiences?

    • Meta-analysis
    • Large-scale questionnaire
    • Case study
    • Cross-cultural survey

  9. What does content analysis involve?

    • Asking participants to rate their feelings on a scale
    • Observing animals in their natural habitat
    • Systematically analysing the content of texts, media or images to identify patterns and categories
    • Recording participants' brain activity during tasks

  10. Which scanning technique is most useful for showing the structure of the brain in detail?

    • Observation of behaviour in a classroom
    • A questionnaire on brain health
    • Electroencephalography used to measure a single response
    • Computerised axial tomography (CAT) or magnetic resonance based scans

  11. Which scanning technique measures brain activity by detecting changes in blood oxygenation?

    • Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)
    • Computerised axial tomography (CAT)
    • Tallying
    • Questionnaire scoring

  12. A researcher studies the same children at ages 5, 10 and 15. Which research design is this?

    • Cross-sectional design
    • Matched pairs design
    • Longitudinal design
    • Repeated observation in a single session

  13. A researcher compares 5-year-olds, 10-year-olds and 15-year-olds at one point in time. Which design is this?

    • Cross-sectional design
    • Longitudinal design
    • Case study
    • Field experiment

  14. What is the main limitation of a cross-sectional design compared with a longitudinal design?

    • It always requires animal participants
    • It cannot be carried out with more than one participant
    • It cannot show individual change over time, and cohort differences may be confused with age differences
    • It cannot collect any quantitative data

  15. A researcher combines the results of 25 studies on caffeine and reaction time to estimate an overall effect. Which method is this?

    • Case study
    • Content analysis
    • Meta-analysis
    • Participant observation

  16. Twin studies compare monozygotic and dizygotic twins. What is the aim of this method?

    • To observe the social behaviour of twins in a school
    • To measure the speed of reaction in identical twins only
    • To estimate the relative contributions of genetic and environmental factors to a trait
    • To test the effects of a single drug on both twins

  17. Which research method is most appropriate for studying the effects of a drug on the behaviour of animals in controlled conditions?

    • Meta-analysis of questionnaires
    • Content analysis of newspapers
    • Animal laboratory experiment
    • Participant observation in a school

  18. A researcher carries out a correlational study of hours of sleep and exam scores. What can the researcher conclude?

    • That no relationship exists between the variables
    • That the two variables are associated, but not that one causes the other
    • That exam scores cause sleep
    • That sleep causes higher exam scores

  19. A researcher observes children's play in a classroom without interfering. Which description best fits this approach?

    • Laboratory experiment
    • Case study with a control group
    • Random allocation
    • Naturalistic observation

  20. Which method is most likely to produce a richer understanding of motivation than a closed questionnaire?

    • A fixed checklist in a laboratory
    • An unstructured or semi-structured interview with open questions
    • A closed questionnaire with yes or no answers
    • A tally of frequencies

All Pearson Edexcel Psychology quizzes