Skip to content
MathsGenie logo
Open app

Course home

  1. A Level
  3. Psychology AQA
  5. Question bank

Scientific processes

EasyMediumHard
123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930313233343536373839404142434445464748495051525354555657585960616263646566676869707172737475767778798081828384858687888990919293949596979899100101102103104105106107108109110111112113114115116117118119120121122123124125126127128129130131132133134135136137138139140141142143144145146147148149150151152153154155156157158159160161162163164165166167168169170171172173174175176177178179180181182183184185186187188189190191192193194195196197198199200201202203204205206207208209210211212213214215216217218219220221222223224225226227228229230231232233234235236237238239240241242243244245246247248249250251252253254255256257258259260261262263264265266267268269270271272273274275276277278279280281282283284285286287288289290291292293294295296297298299300301302303304305306307308309310311312313314315316317318319320321322323324325326327328329330331332333334335336337338339340341342343344345346347348349350351352353354355356357358359360361362363364365
Question 331

Stress-Reduction Intervention Trial

An occupational health psychologist investigated the efficacy of different stress-management interventions on high-stress corporate employees. 150 employees completed a baseline perceived stress questionnaire scoring from 0 (no stress) to 40 (extreme burnout).

60 employees who scored between 28 and 32 (indicating high stress) were selected to take part in the trial. They were randomly allocated to one of three conditions:

  • Condition A (Guided Mindfulness Meditation): This consisted of 8 weekly in-person, 45-minute guided meditation classes with a professional instructor over an 8-week period.
  • Condition B (Mindfulness App): This consisted of using a self-guided meditation smartphone app for 15 minutes daily over a 4-week period.
  • Condition C (Control): Employees were placed on an 8-week waiting list and received no intervention during this time.

One week after completing their respective courses of intervention, participants in Condition A and Condition B had their salivary cortisol levels (a biological marker of stress) measured. Participants in Condition C had their salivary cortisol levels measured at the end of the 8-week waiting list period. The post-intervention cortisol levels were compared to assess the reduction in stress.

Identify one variable which does not appear to have been controlled in this trial. Explain how this may have influenced the outcome.

[3]

Scientific processes Questions

  1. A Level
  2. /Psychology
  3. /Scientific processes

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.

Question bank