A Level Psychology OCR Practice Exam

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Prepare effectively for the A Level Psychology OCR Exam with our comprehensive quiz featuring interactive questions, formative feedback, and more. Boost your confidence and knowledge in key psychological concepts and theories to excel on test day.

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What was one limitation of Grant et al.'s study regarding ecological validity?

Participants were not familiar with the research topic
Wearing headphones is not realistic for classroom settings
Participants had to read a scientific article under constrained conditions
Background noise had no impact on memory recall

The correct answer is: Wearing headphones is not realistic for classroom settings

The reasoning behind the chosen answer highlights a significant aspect of ecological validity in research. Wearing headphones during the study does not mirror the typical classroom experience, where students do not usually engage with material in a noisy and controlled environment. This discrepancy can limit the extent to which the findings can be generalized to real-life educational settings. In everyday classroom scenarios, students experience a variety of environmental factors, such as varying levels of background noise or group dynamics, which differ from the artificial settings created in the study. Therefore, the use of headphones may hinder the study’s applicability to actual learning and recall situations in schools, suggesting that the study’s ecological validity is compromised to some extent.