2011 VN'ers Psychology U3 Questions Thread

[T3l3port]

It would be safer to go by the book but realistically 20% as it decreases from infancy to elderly.

[iNerd]

...ok


edit: ok i'll clarify my response. ATAR asked for another source, I gave him his teacher's figure (what he can use for SACs). That is another source (where the first sources are book + friends).

Ah then it's my bad for lack of phrasing.
Clearly I would have asked Crocket....same school LOL...any other sources from any other book/person/teacher ??

[burbs]

Psych Notes has it as 22% for ages  19-30, getting gradually less to about 13.8% at 90yrs

[iNerd]

Divided attention is most likely to be successful if
A the two tasks are very similar.
B the two tasks are very different.
C the two tasks are new.
D the two tasks are difficult.

Common sense says A but answer says B.

[burbs]

I agree with B, here is why:

If they are similar it becomes difficult as you become confused. i.e. if you had to push buttons for two different machines all day, simultaneously, it could get difficult. Pushing a singular machine is no issue but both at the same time is difficult.

Whereas, if you were talking on the phone and pushing buttons all day that can be done much easier as they are different.

[Slumdawg]

Divided attention is most likely to be successful if
A the two tasks are very similar.
B the two tasks are very different.
C the two tasks are new.
D the two tasks are difficult.

Common sense says A but answer says B.

It's definitely B. When you learn about interference theory later in memory you'll see that "similar" info or tasks can make it harder to remember the info, and you can relate this back to divided attention because your memory of how to complete two tasks might be impaired when the tasks are similar because you get the two mixed up.

[iNerd]

Is being paid a breach of voluntary participation? ('coerced', 'under pressure')

[burbs]

Wouldn't say so. Being paid =/= duress.

[Liuy]

Being paid is just an extra incentive, participant still has full control of whether or not to participate

[totaled]

Is being paid a breach of voluntary participation? ('coerced', 'under pressure')

yeah it is a breach..
if you look carefully at the definition of voluntary participation
'the participant should nto be coerced or pressured in any way etc.'
so this incentive may cause readers that have a certain characteristic such as greediness, or stingyness to take part in the experiment, so then the sample is biased.

[Russ]

Payment for participation is the eternal debate of ethics, because in offering money you might be affecting autonomy but in not offering it you're affecting the people likely to participate.

Ethics boards generally okay it though, under the guise of "compensation" for lost income/opportunity costs

[Glockmeister]

Is being paid a breach of voluntary participation? ('coerced', 'under pressure')

If ever you get to go to university campuses, have a look around some of the notice boards around. Some will pay you to participate in the experiment but the amount of money is small, tiny (it's not like you'd get the 'hours' worth of pay that you would if you work at Safeway or something). Also, you get the money regardless of whether you actually choose to do the experiment or not (i.e. the money is only really for showing up).

So it's not a breach of voluntary participation.

[iNerd]

Too many conflicting answers above

I'll ask my teacher tomorrow and get back to you guys.

[Russ]

There is no flat out correct answer, the best response would be one that acknowledges the problems inherent in offering people money to be part of your experiment

[Glockmeister]

Too many conflicting answers above

I'll ask my teacher tomorrow and get back to you guys.

This is why in every exam, any ethics question would have a follow up question saying why experiment x is in breach of ethical principle y, unless the experiment in question is in clear, categorical breach of a particular ethical principle.