A forensic psychologist investigated the effectiveness of a restorative justice programme compared to standard custody. A sample of ten offenders in each condition was assessed on an empathy scale (ranging from 10 to 90, where higher scores indicate higher levels of empathy).
| Restorative Justice Group | Empathy rating | Control Group | Empathy rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 38 | 1 | 45 |
| 2 | 46 | 2 | 23 |
| 3 | 24 | 3 | 75 |
| 4 | 18 | 4 | 37 |
| 5 | 42 | 5 | 67 |
| 6 | 33 | 6 | 64 |
| 7 | 28 | 7 | 45 |
| 8 | 27 | 8 | 82 |
| 9 | 39 | 9 | 57 |
| 10 | 53 | 10 | 46 |
| Median | Median |
Complete Table 1 by calculating the median for the two groups. Show your working. Why did the psychologist use the median as a measure of central tendency rather than the mean?
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.
