Research Methods Questions
Data Analysis
Bar Charts
1. What might be the psychologist’s interpretation of the data shown in the bar chart (Figure 1)? (2 marks)
2. An alternative way of displaying the data is in the form of a table.
In your answer book, draw a table of the data presented in the bar chart (Figure 1). Correctly label your table. (3 marks) Jan 07
3. A psychologist wanted to investigate differences between the language development of five-year-old girls and boys.
Ten girls and ten boys were selected from a local primary school.
To assess each child’s language development, the psychologist administered a test.
A high score on the test indicated good language development and a low score indicated poor language development.
The results are given in Table 1 below.
In your answer book, sketch a bar chart of the mean scores presented in Table 1. Provide a suitable title and correctly label your bar chart. (3 marks) Jan 06
4.
In your answer book, sketch a bar chart of the data given in Table 1. Correctly label your bar chart. (3 marks) June 08
Measures of central tendency
1. What do the mean scores indicate about performance of a sensori-motor task in thesample? Justify your answer. (2 marks)Jan 04
2. Using the values given in Table 1,
(i) calculate the mean score for the sleep deprivation condition and for the control condition;
(ii) give the mode for the sleep deprivation condition and for the control condition.
Label your answers clearly. (4 marks)Jan 05
3. What do the mean scores indicate about language development in these girls and boys?
Justify your answer. (2 marks) Jan 06
4. State one limitation of using the mean as a measure of central tendency. (1 mark)Jan 07
5. Apart from the mean, name one other measure of central tendency. (1 mark) Jan 09
Standard Deviation
6. What is meant by the term standard deviation? (1 mark)Jan 09
7. Outline what is meant by the term standard deviation. (2 marks) Jan 06