Dr. Carter conducted a cognitive psychology experiment investigating levels of processing. He recruited 20 participants and randomly allocated them to one of two independent groups. Group 1 (Structural processing) was asked to count the number of vowels in a list of 20 target words. Group 2 (Semantic processing) was asked to rate how useful each word would be on a desert island. Both groups were then given a surprise free-recall test.
Table 1 shows the performance results of Dr. Carter's experiment.
| Participant (Group 1) | Words recalled (Structural processing) | Participant (Group 2) | Words recalled (Semantic processing) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | 11 | 12 |
| 2 | 8 | 12 | 15 |
| 3 | 4 | 13 | 11 |
| 4 | 7 | 14 | 14 |
| 5 | 6 | 15 | 13 |
| 6 | 9 | 16 | 16 |
| 7 | 5 | 17 | 12 |
| 8 | 8 | 18 | 15 |
| 9 | 6 | 19 | 11 |
| 10 | 7 | 20 | 14 |
Using the data in Table 1:
Calculate the mean score for both conditions to two decimal places. Show your workings.
Explain what these mean values suggest about the effect of depth of processing on memory recall.
Practise Edexcel A Level Psychology Research methods and skills with exam-style questions for A Level Psychology. 657 questions covering Research methods and skills, matched to the Edexcel A Level Psychology (9PS0) 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.
