A researcher placed an advert on a professional networking site asking for self-employed graphic designers to participate in a study on daily productivity.
Each participant downloaded a productivity-tracking app to use on their computer for a two-week period. Every morning before starting work, they opened the app to see a 'Focus Index Score' showing their predicted focus level for the day. Participants were unaware that this score was manipulated by the researcher: for seven random days it predicted 'High Focus Potential' and for the other seven days it predicted 'Low Focus Potential'.
At the end of each working day, participants rated their own productivity on a scale of 1–10. Apart from using the app, participants were asked to continue with their usual working routines.
Suggest one extraneous variable that could have affected the results of this study. Explain why it would have been important to control this extraneous variable and how it could have been controlled in this study.
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.
