A-LevelPsychologyResearch methods9990/22 · Feb/Mar 2018 · Q79 Marks

Dipa is studying memory using a brain scanner. She is testing the hypothesis that ‘There will be a positive correlation between level of brain activity and how much a person can recall'. Each participant is asked to describe an event that happened more than one year ago.

(a)Name one brain scan that Dipa could use.[1]
(b)Suggest why data from brain scans is likely to be reliable.[2]
(c)Suggest how Dipa could convert each participant's description into a memory score.[1]
(d)Explain whether Dipa will be able to conclude that greater recall causes more brain activity.[2]
(e)Dipa considered asking her participants to recall a specific event, such as their last birthday, but decided that this could be unethical, so gave them a choice about which event to recall. Explain one reason why this was a better procedure in terms of ethics.[3]

Mark scheme

Marking points from the official mark scheme (Feb/Mar 2018). The mark or mark type is shown in brackets.

[1] (a) 1 mark for identifying a type of brain scan
∞ PET / Positron Emission Tomography
∞ (f)MRI / (functional) Magnetic Resonance Imaging
[2] (b) 1 mark for suggestion about reliability.
2nd mark for detail.
∞ the data is numerical/quantitative
∞ so it does not have to be interpreted
∞ the data is recorded by a machine
∞ so it will be objective / not be subjective
[1] (c) 1 mark for suggestion (i.e. operationalisation of 'memory score')
∞ count the number of words in their description
∞ time how long the description takes them
[2] (d) 1 mark for '(No) because it is a correlation' (it is not possible to conclude that greater recall causes more brain activity).
2nd mark for explanation.
∞ (no) the study is a correlation
∞ so it is not possible to draw a causal conclusion (2nd mark)
∞ it could be that an increase in brain activity causes the better recall (2nd mark)
∞ the increase in brain activity and the better recall could be caused by a third factor (2nd mark)
[3] (e) 1 mark for identifying a relevant guideline (privacy, protection from harm)
1 mark for generic or linked explanation or 1 mark for linked explanation/detail.
privacy (1 identification)
because the participants might not have wanted to talk about that particular event to other people (1 link)
so should not be put in a position where they feel they have to (1 generic)
protection from harm (1 identification)
because the event Dipa chose might have been upsetting for them (1 link)
so they should not feel obliged to describe it (1 generic)