Pscyhology Research Methods

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Scenario: A recent piece of research has suggested that the more time a person spends exercising the happier they are. Lots of gyms have been encouraging their members to visit more often and take part in more exercise to increase their happiness levels. A team of psychologists decided to carry out a study to see whether there is a relationship between exercise and a person’s happiness level. The team selected a volunteer sample of 60 students from a local university. The participants were asked to assess their own happiness levels by rating themselves on a scale of 1-10 with 1 being extremely unhappy and 10 being extremely ecstatic. The participants were given an hour to exercise in a gym with the choice of using a treadmill exercise bike or cross trainer. An hour and a half later the participants were asked to re-rate their happiness on the same scale of 1-10. The scores were then reviewed by the psychologists to see whether the exercise had affected the original happiness levels or not so they would be able to see if there was a relationship between the exercising and the new happiness rating. Questions: 1. Describe the aim of this study? [2] 2. Suggest one control for this study. [1] 3. What are the 2 co-variables for this study? [1+1] 4. Would the researchers have used a directional or non-directional hypothesis for this study and why? [1+1] 5. Write a suitable null hypothesis for this study. [2] 6. Explain an ethical issue of this study. [2] 7. What sampling method was used for this study? Explain one limitation of this method. [1+2] 8. Design an appropriate consent form for this study. [5] 9. Write a suitable debrief for the participants in this study. [4] 10. Explain limitations of this study. [4] 11. What statistical test would the researchers have used to analyse their findings? Justify your answer. [2] 12.

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