It was recently reported in a lifestyle magazine that daily mindfulness practice reduces stress levels. A researcher was keen to investigate whether this reduction was due to the specific techniques of mindfulness or simply due to having dedicated quiet time, as she found no published research directly comparing these.
The researcher used a matched-pairs design. She approached prospective participants in an office canteen and selected the first 24 employees who agreed to take part.
Participants in Group A were asked to complete 20 minutes of guided mindfulness meditation using an app every evening. Participants in Group B were asked to spend 20 minutes reading a fiction book quietly every evening. All participants were instructed to avoid any other structured relaxation or meditation practices for the 4-week duration of the study.
All participants completed a validated stress questionnaire at the start and at the end of the study. The researcher then calculated the reduction in stress score for each participant.
Identify one variable on which participants should be matched in this matched-pairs design. Explain how the researcher could assign matched participants to either Group A or Group B.
Practise AQA A Level Psychology Scientific processes with exam-style questions for A Level Psychology. 689 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.
