Skip to content

Course home

Research methods and skills

Research methods and skills

EasyMedium
12345678910111213141516171819202122232425
Question 14

Dr. Aris conducted an observational study to investigate whether the type of reinforcement used during maze navigation training in rats affected the learning strategy they developed. He recorded whether rats relied on a place strategy (using environmental landmarks) or a response strategy (using habit-based motor turns) after training with either a positive food reward or a negative thermal escape (getting out of cold water).

Table 1 shows the observed frequencies of Dr. Aris's study.

Table 1: Observed frequencies of learning strategies

Reinforcement TypePlace StrategyResponse Strategy
Food Reward187
Thermal Escape619

Complete Table 2 to calculate the chi-squared (χ2\chi^2χ2) statistic for Dr. Aris's observation. You must show your calculations and give your final answer to two decimal places.

Table 2: Chi-squared calculation table

ReinforcementStrategyObserved (OOO)Expected (EEE)O−EO-EO−E(O−E)2(O-E)^2(O−E)2(O−E)2E\displaystyle \frac{(O-E)^2}{E}E(O−E)2​
Food RewardPlace1812.00
Response713.00
Thermal EscapePlace612.00
Response1913.00
Chi-squared (χ2\chi^2χ2) =
[4]
Markscheme

Research methods and skills Questions

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

36 exam-style questions on Edexcel A Level Psychology Research methods and skills, covering Research methods and skills. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.

Question bank