A psychologist teaches two matched groups of nine-year-olds 12 unfamiliar symbol-word pairs. Both groups complete the same recall test at the beginning and after eight weeks.
| Group | Practice sessions each week | Mean pairs recalled at the beginning | Mean pairs recalled after eight weeks |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 5 | 4 | 11 |
| B | 1 | 4 | 6 |
Using your knowledge of neurons and synapses, explain the difference in the groups' improvement.
The children then stop practising all the symbol-word pairs for a long time. Suggest what is likely to happen to the synaptic connections involved and predict how this may affect recall.
30 exam-style questions on OCR GCSE Psychology 2.1 Key Concepts, covering 2.1.1 Stages of development, 2.1.2 Brain development and the nervous system, and 2.1.3 IQ tests as a measure of intelligence. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.