A psychologist conducted a survey to investigate whether there is a difference in self-reported anxiety levels during exam preparation depending on the study strategy used. They compared two groups of students: the first group followed a spaced study schedule over several weeks (Distributed), while the second group did all of their preparation in the final 48 hours (Massed).
Participants rated their perceived anxiety on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 indicating extremely high anxiety.
Table 1: Frequency of anxiety ratings, median ratings, and ranges for Distributed and Massed study groups
| Anxiety Rating | Frequency for Distributed group | Frequency for Massed group |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 2 | 5 | 1 |
| 3 | 8 | 2 |
| 4 | 12 | 4 |
| 5 | 10 | 8 |
| 6 | 6 | 14 |
| 7 | 4 | 7 |
| 8 | 2 | 3 |
| 9 | 1 | 1 |
| 10 | 0 | 0 |
| Median Rating | 4 | 6 |
| Range | 8 | 7 |
State which group of students had a greater dispersion of scores. Justify your answer.
513 exam-style questions on OCR A Level Psychology Data recording, analysis and presentation. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.