A researcher asked university students aged 18 to 22 years to keep a diary record of how many hours they spent scrolling on social media apps in a week. The researcher also measured each student's sleep latency (the time taken to fall asleep in minutes) using an EEG monitor in a sleep laboratory. For each student, the estimated weekly social media hours were correlated with sleep latency. The findings showed a significant positive correlation. A technology magazine reported the findings under the headline 'Social media apps ruin sleep for young adults'.
Explain one problem with the method used to determine the number of hours spent scrolling on social media apps in the week. Suggest an alternative measure that would overcome this problem.
Practise AQA A Level Psychology Research methods with exam-style questions for A Level Psychology. 100 questions covering Experimental method, Observational techniques, Self-report techniques, Correlations, Content analysis (A-level only), Case studies (A-level only), Scientific processes, Data handling and analysis, and Inferential testing (A-level only), 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.