Caring for the planet and reducing carbon emissions are widely viewed as critical civic duties. However, researchers want to understand how this public expectation translates into individual daily habits. An environmental psychologist used a self-report questionnaire to survey participants about their sustainable lifestyle choices. Some of the data collected is summarized in the tables below.
Table 1: Answers to 'Do you always separate your household waste for recycling?'
| Response | Number of participants |
|---|---|
| Yes | 155 |
| No | 45 |
Table 2: Answers to 'Do you regularly choose public transport or walking over driving specifically to reduce your carbon footprint?' split by age group
| Age Group | 'Yes' | 'No' |
|---|---|---|
| Under 30 | 68 | 12 |
| 30 and Over | 74 | 46 |
Table 3: Primary motivation selected for adopting eco-friendly behaviors
| Motivation Category | Number of people |
|---|---|
| To save money | 12 |
| To combat climate change | 78 |
| To align with friends/family | 18 |
| Personal love for nature | 62 |
| Fear of being judged by others | 8 |
| To follow government regulations | 22 |
Using your knowledge of research methods, suggest two ways that social desirability may have influenced the data collected in this study.
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.