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Alexei conducted an investigation into whether the use of high fear tactics influenced the amount of drugs that addicts took - AQA - A-Level Psychology - Question 15 - 2022 - Paper 2
Question 15
Alexei conducted an investigation into whether the use of high fear tactics influenced the amount of drugs that addicts took. Alexei used an opportunity sampling tec... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:Alexei conducted an investigation into whether the use of high fear tactics influenced the amount of drugs that addicts took - AQA - A-Level Psychology - Question 15 - 2022 - Paper 2
Step 1
Explain one strength and one weakness of the sampling technique used by Alexei in his investigation on the use of high fear tactics on drug taking.
Answer
One strength of the sampling technique is that Alexei used an opportunity sample, which allowed him to quickly gather participants for his study. The participants were readily available as they were at a local clinic for alcoholics, making the recruitment process efficient.
One weakness of this method is that the participants may not be representative of the broader population of drug addicts. Since they were chosen from a single source, the local clinic, their responses may be influenced by specific characteristics of that group, which might not reflect the general attitudes or behaviors of all drug addicts.
Step 2
Calculate the mean number of alcohol units consumed in the past week by participants in condition A.
Answer
To calculate the mean for condition A, add all the alcohol units consumed:
Then, divide by the number of participants:
So, the mean number of alcohol units consumed in condition A is approximately 3.33.
Step 3
Calculate the median number of alcohol units consumed in the past week by participants in condition B.
Answer
For condition B, the amounts of alcohol consumed are: 7, 5, 9, 6, 8, 9. First, we sort these values in ascending order:
5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 9.
The median is the average of the two middle numbers (7 and 8):
Thus, the median number of alcohol units consumed in condition B is 7.5.
Step 4
Determine whether Alexei’s results were significant or not at p < 0.05 for a two-tailed (non-directional) hypothesis.
Answer
Alexei's calculated/observed value was 4.5. To assess significance, we compare this value with the critical value. If the calculated value is less than the critical value (which is 5), we conclude that the results are significant. Since 4.5 < 5, we can confirm that Alexei's results are statistically significant at the 0.05 level.
Step 5
Explain one improvement that Alexei could make to his investigation.
Answer
One improvement Alexei could make is to include a wider range of participants by selecting them not only from the local alcohol clinic but also from other treatment facilities or community organizations. This would ensure a more diverse sample, enhancing the generalizability of his findings regarding the effectiveness of high fear tactics on drug taking.