A psychologist wanted to investigate how branding and environmental labeling expectations influence our sensory perception of personal care products. To do this, she conducted an experiment where she presented one group of participants with a bar of soap labeled as 'Organic Botanical Blend: Ultra-Hydrating' in an elegant, green-tinted paper wrapper. A different group of participants were presented with the exact same soap but labeled as 'Utility Cleanser: Standard Bar' in plain grey plastic wrap. After washing their hands with the soap, participants were asked to rate how smooth their skin felt on a scale of 1 ('very rough') to 20 ('silky smooth').
| Ratings of skin smoothness (1–20) | |
|---|---|
| Organic Botanical Brand | Utility Cleanser Brand |
| 15 | 9 |
| 17 | 4 |
| 19 | 11 |
| 9 | 7 |
| 18 | 17 |
| 13 | 15 |
| 11 | 9 |
| 20 | 5 |
| 16 | 8 |
| 17 | 10 |
| 18 | 9 |
| 11 | 3 |
Explain how the use of the independent measures design in this study could have affected the validity of the data collected.
644 exam-style questions on OCR A Level Psychology Research methods and techniques. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.