A cognitive psychologist investigated the effect of background noise environment on reading comprehension performance. They conducted a controlled laboratory experiment.
In Condition A (Silent Condition), participants sat in a silent room for 15 minutes to read a text and complete a comprehension test.
In Condition B (Music Condition), the same participants completed an equivalent comprehension test after reading an equivalent text for 15 minutes while upbeat instrumental music played in the background.
The order of the conditions was counterbalanced across the participant group.
The psychologist analyzed the results using a Wilcoxon signed-ranks test and found that reading comprehension scores were significantly higher in the Silent Condition.
What is meant by a causal explanation? Explain why it was appropriate to claim that there was a causal explanation in this study.
Practise AQA A Level Psychology Experimental method with exam-style questions for A Level Psychology. 32 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.