Skip to content
MathsGenie logo
Open app

Course home

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

Research methods and skills

EasyMediumHard
123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930313233343536373839404142434445464748495051525354555657585960616263646566676869707172737475767778798081828384858687888990919293949596979899100101102103104105106107108109110111112113114115116117118119120121122123124125126127128129130131132133134135136137138139140141142143144145146147148149150151152153154155156157158159160161162163164165166167168169170171172173174175176177178179180181182183184185186187188189190191192193194195196197198199200201202203204205206207208209210211212213214215216217218219220221222223224225226227228229230231232233234235236237238239240241242243244245246247248249250251252253254255256257258259260261262263264265266267268269270271272273274275276277278279280281282283284285286287288289290291292293294295296297298299300301302303304305306307308309310311312313314315316317318319320321322323324325326327328329330331
Question 109

Feathered Focus study description

Researchers investigated operant conditioning and discrimination learning in domestic pigeons (Columba livia).

Pigeons were placed in a custom operant chamber containing two keylights (one green, one red).

The pigeons experienced one of the following conditions:

  • Condition W: A high-grade mixed seed reward was delivered immediately every time the pigeon pecked the illuminated green key.
  • Condition X: A mixed seed reward was provided on a variable interval schedule (averaging every 45 seconds for pecks on the green key).
  • Condition Y: A mixed seed reward was provided on a fixed ratio schedule (delivered only after every 6th consecutive peck on the green key).
  • Condition Z: A sudden, high-intensity blast of cold air (pressure 65 PSI) was directed at the pigeon for 5 seconds whenever it pecked the incorrect red key.

The mean session time to reach a criterion of 20 correct responses (in minutes) and the mean number of incorrect pecks on the red key during a 30-minute training session were recorded.

Table 1: Performance of pigeons across the four reinforcement conditions

ConditionMean session time (minutes)Mean number of incorrect pecks
Condition W12.52.8
Condition X28.48.3
Condition Y15.14.1
Condition Z35.611.2

Using the study description, explain one ethical consideration that the researchers of the "Feathered Focus" study would have had to consider when conducting their investigation.

[2]

Research methods and skills Questions

  1. A Level
  2. /Psychology
  3. /Research methods and skills

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.

Question bank