GSCE (AQA) PSYCHOLOGY - NAMED
STUDIES QUESTIONS & CORRECT
ELABORATED ANSWERS
Bartlett's War of Ghosts Study - Correct Answer ✔✔ Aim: To observe how memory is
reconstructed when recalling an unfamiliar story.
Method: Story read by one participant and recalled after 15 minutes, then read by
another participant and so on.
Results: Participants changed the story to fit cultural expectations, leaving out unfamiliar
information.
Conclusion: We use our knowledge of social situations to reconstruct memory.
Evaluation: Lacks control - participants uninformed that recall was important - may have
affected results.
Evaluation: Results were biased - collected by Bartlett himself - conclusion cannot be
trusted.
Murdock's Study - Correct Answer ✔✔ Aim: To see if memory of words is affected by
their position in a list.
Method: Participants listened to 20 word lists with 10-40 words in them, recalled words
after each list.
Results: Recall related to position of words. Higher recall for initial words (primacy
effect) and last words (recently effect.)
Conclusion: Serial position effect demonstrated and supports the MSM stores.
Evaluation: Controlled lab study - high level of control - conclusions reliable.
Evaluation: Artificial task - word lists not usually encountered - study lacks validity.
Gilchrist and Nesberg's Study - Correct Answer ✔✔ Aim: To find out if food deprivation
affects the perception of food.
Method: Hungry (food deprived for 20 hours) and non-hungry participants shown a slide
of a meal. Had to adjust to light level shown.
, Results: Perceived food as brighter the longer deprived of food.
Conclusion: Sensitivity greater when food deprived. Hunger is a motivating factor.
Evaluation: Supported by other studies - Sanford's study found similar results -
conclusions valid.
Evaluation: Ethical issues - food deprivation causes discomfort - physical harm.
Bruner and Minturn's Study - Correct Answer ✔✔ Aim: To determine if an ambiguous
figure is seen differently if context is changed.
Method: Participants shown a sequence of letters or numbers with and ambiguous
figure in the middle.
Results: Those who saw letters said B. Those who saw numbers said 13.
Conclusion: Shows expectation is affected by the context the figure is presented in.
Evaluation: Artificial task - ambiguous figures designed to trick perception - study lacks
validity.
Evaluation: Independent groups design - participant variables may have caused the
difference in results - not expectation.
McGarringle and Donaldson's 'Naughty Teddy' Study - Correct Answer ✔✔ Aim: To
observe if a deliberate change in a row of counters would help younger children
conserve.
Method: Children from 4-6 asked if two rows of counters were the same after a 'teddy
messed them up.'
Results: Deliberate change = 41% conserved. Accidental change = 68% conserved.
Older children performed better.
Conclusion: Piaget's method doesn't show what children can do - there are still age
related children.
Evaluation: Sample - one school provided all participants - comparisons between
groups may not be valid.
Evaluation: Change went unnoticed - children may appear to have conserved -
distracted by the 'teddy.'
Hughes' 'Policeman Doll' Study - Correct Answer ✔✔ Aim: To create a more sensible
test than Piaget's.
STUDIES QUESTIONS & CORRECT
ELABORATED ANSWERS
Bartlett's War of Ghosts Study - Correct Answer ✔✔ Aim: To observe how memory is
reconstructed when recalling an unfamiliar story.
Method: Story read by one participant and recalled after 15 minutes, then read by
another participant and so on.
Results: Participants changed the story to fit cultural expectations, leaving out unfamiliar
information.
Conclusion: We use our knowledge of social situations to reconstruct memory.
Evaluation: Lacks control - participants uninformed that recall was important - may have
affected results.
Evaluation: Results were biased - collected by Bartlett himself - conclusion cannot be
trusted.
Murdock's Study - Correct Answer ✔✔ Aim: To see if memory of words is affected by
their position in a list.
Method: Participants listened to 20 word lists with 10-40 words in them, recalled words
after each list.
Results: Recall related to position of words. Higher recall for initial words (primacy
effect) and last words (recently effect.)
Conclusion: Serial position effect demonstrated and supports the MSM stores.
Evaluation: Controlled lab study - high level of control - conclusions reliable.
Evaluation: Artificial task - word lists not usually encountered - study lacks validity.
Gilchrist and Nesberg's Study - Correct Answer ✔✔ Aim: To find out if food deprivation
affects the perception of food.
Method: Hungry (food deprived for 20 hours) and non-hungry participants shown a slide
of a meal. Had to adjust to light level shown.
, Results: Perceived food as brighter the longer deprived of food.
Conclusion: Sensitivity greater when food deprived. Hunger is a motivating factor.
Evaluation: Supported by other studies - Sanford's study found similar results -
conclusions valid.
Evaluation: Ethical issues - food deprivation causes discomfort - physical harm.
Bruner and Minturn's Study - Correct Answer ✔✔ Aim: To determine if an ambiguous
figure is seen differently if context is changed.
Method: Participants shown a sequence of letters or numbers with and ambiguous
figure in the middle.
Results: Those who saw letters said B. Those who saw numbers said 13.
Conclusion: Shows expectation is affected by the context the figure is presented in.
Evaluation: Artificial task - ambiguous figures designed to trick perception - study lacks
validity.
Evaluation: Independent groups design - participant variables may have caused the
difference in results - not expectation.
McGarringle and Donaldson's 'Naughty Teddy' Study - Correct Answer ✔✔ Aim: To
observe if a deliberate change in a row of counters would help younger children
conserve.
Method: Children from 4-6 asked if two rows of counters were the same after a 'teddy
messed them up.'
Results: Deliberate change = 41% conserved. Accidental change = 68% conserved.
Older children performed better.
Conclusion: Piaget's method doesn't show what children can do - there are still age
related children.
Evaluation: Sample - one school provided all participants - comparisons between
groups may not be valid.
Evaluation: Change went unnoticed - children may appear to have conserved -
distracted by the 'teddy.'
Hughes' 'Policeman Doll' Study - Correct Answer ✔✔ Aim: To create a more sensible
test than Piaget's.
