Inferential Testing | AQA A-Level Psychology (7182)
Inferential Testing
- 79 questions
- 3 subtopics
- Paper 2: Psychology in context
- Paper 2
Inferential Testing covers how psychologists decide whether a result is likely to be genuine: the sign test as the calculation on the specification, the meaning of probability and significance, and the factors that determine which statistical test applies.
It sits within research methods and can be assessed on any of the three papers.
Sample questions from Inferential Testing
Answer each one closed book first, then open the answer.
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The sign test
In the sign test calculation, what sign is assigned if a participant's score increased from condition A to condition B?
Show the answer
A plus sign. -
The sign test
Calculate the S value when number of positive signs = 17, number of negative signs = 13.
Show the answer
S value = min(17, 13) = 13. -
Probability and significance
Why does using a lenient significance level such as p ≤ 0.10 increase the risk of Type I errors?
Show the answer
Because a lenient level makes it easier to reject the null hypothesis, increasing the chance of claiming an effect exists when it does not. -
Probability and significance
Why must you determine whether your hypothesis is one-tailed or two-tailed before consulting a statistical table?
Show the answer
Because statistical tables have different critical values for one-tailed and two-tailed tests, affecting the threshold for significance. -
Factors affecting the choice of statistical test
What characterises ordinal data?
Show the answer
Data that can be ranked or ordered, but the intervals between ranks are not equal. -
Factors affecting the choice of statistical test
When should an unrelated t-test be used?
Show the answer
For an independent groups design with interval/ratio data when testing for a difference.
The 3 subtopics
One subtopic is one session. Work down the list.
| Subtopic | What it covers | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| The sign test | When the sign test is used, how the calculated value of S is worked out from the data, and how the hypothesis determines the comparison made. | 16 |
| Probability and significance | What the significance level represents, Type I and Type II errors, and what fixes the critical value a result is compared against. | 23 |
| Factors affecting the choice of statistical test | The three levels of measurement, the difference between related and unrelated designs, and which test fits each combination of the two. | 40 |
How the guide is worked
Answering a question from memory stores it far better than reading the answer again. The guide runs that as a fixed procedure on one subtopic at a time, about twenty minutes a session.
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Step 1 · Closed book
Cover the answers. Work through one subtopic and write down what you can. Leave blanks where you have nothing.
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Step 2 · Open book
Go back to the top. Read each printed answer and write it out in full, including the ones you had right.
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Step 3 · Closed book again
Same questions, same order, from memory. The gap between pass one and pass three is the session result.
Read the full method, the return schedule and the research behind it.
Nearby topics
AQA A-Level Psychology Active Recall Guide
Every topic, not just this one. 2,999 questions with their answers.