In an investigation into workplace environment and cognitive productivity, a researcher conducted a study across two regional branches of a software consultancy firm (Branch A and Branch B).
All programmers worked for two weeks in a workspace equipped with active acoustic noise-cancelling panels and ambient pink noise played through overhead speakers. After two weeks, the researcher recorded the daily average number of programming errors made by each programmer.
All programmers worked for two weeks in a workspace that was identical in layout, desk spacing, and equipment, but without noise-cancelling panels or ambient pink noise (relying only on standard office acoustics). After two weeks, the same researcher recorded the daily average number of programming errors made by each programmer.
Identify the experimental design used in this investigation. Explain one reason why this design was a suitable choice in this case.
689 exam-style questions on AQA A Level Psychology Scientific processes. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.