Researchers investigated different psychological interventions for managing social anxiety. They assessed the anxiety levels of two groups of participants before they underwent their respective interventions. The same participants were assessed again after six weeks of receiving the interventions.
The anxiety levels were measured using a standardised social anxiety questionnaire. On this scale, a low score indicated low anxiety (positive outcome) and a high score indicated high anxiety. Scores ranged from 0 to 80. The lowest recorded score was 15 and the highest was 76.
Table 2: Mean anxiety scores for Group A (Standard CBT group) and Group B (Combined treatment group) after six weeks of treatment
| Group A (Standard CBT group) | Group B (Combined treatment group) | |
|---|---|---|
| Mean anxiety score | 42.1 | 28.3 |
Explain why the data in Table 2 does not enable the researchers to draw proper conclusions about the effectiveness of the treatments for the two groups. State what the researchers should do to address this issue.
Practise AQA A Level Psychology Data handling and analysis with exam-style questions for A Level Psychology. 263 questions, matched to the AQA A Level Psychology (7182) specification and written in Paper 1, Paper 2 and Paper 3 style. Every question includes a full worked solution and mark scheme, so you can see where marks are awarded rather than just whether you got the answer right.
