Researchers were interested in evaluating the interpersonal communication skills of final-year medical students. They wanted to investigate whether a relationship exists between written test performance and real-world practical application of empathy. Medical students who had completed their Core Clinical Training were selected to participate in two tasks:
The results compiled by the researchers are displayed in Table 1 below:
Table 1: Written empathy scores and clinical consultation ratings of medical students
| Student | Written Empathy Score (Max 30) | Practical Consultation Rating (Max 15) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 26 | 13 |
| 2 | 12 | 7 |
| 3 | 22 | 11 |
| 4 | 18 | 9 |
| 5 | 6 | 4 |
| 6 | 9 | 5 |
| 7 | 11 | 12 |
| 8 | 20 | 10 |
| 9 | 29 | 14 |
Using your knowledge of research methods and the context of the study:
Briefly outline one problem of using a single trained examiner to rate the students' practical consultation skills.
Briefly discuss how this data collection method could be modified to improve the reliability of the data collected.
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.
