In a study investigating the impact of auditory distraction on occupational performance, an aviation psychologist obtained a volunteer sample of 10 commercial drone operators. Using a repeated measures design, participants completed a high-precision flight simulation under two different environmental conditions:
The order of the tasks was counterbalanced across participants, and the reaction time (in milliseconds) to successfully log the hazard was recorded.
Table 1: Reaction times (in milliseconds) for Task A (silence) and Task B (industrial hum)
| Participant | Task A (silence) | Task B (industrial hum) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 210 | 245 |
| 2 | 195 | 210 |
| 3 | 240 | 280 |
| 4 | 180 | 195 |
| 5 | 225 | 230 |
| 6 | 250 | 310 |
| 7 | 205 | 220 |
| 8 | 190 | 215 |
| 9 | 215 | 250 |
| 10 | 235 | 265 |
Identify one possible extraneous variable that the researcher should have controlled in this study. Explain how this variable might have affected the results of the study if it was not controlled.
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.
