A Level Psychology OCR Practice Exam

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Which design was utilized in Baron-Cohen et al's study?

Independent groups design
Matched pairs design
Repeated measures design
Single subject design

The correct answer is: Matched pairs design

Baron-Cohen et al.'s study employed a matched pairs design to control for variables that could affect the outcome of the research. In this type of design, participants are paired based on certain characteristics that are relevant to the study, such as age, sex, or IQ, ensuring that each pair is comparable. This method helps to minimize the potential confounding variables that could influence the results, thus enhancing the validity of the findings. The matched pairs design is particularly advantageous in studies where individual differences between participants may pose significant risks to the outcomes. By creating pairs, researchers can accurately assess the differences in response to the variables being investigated—such as the performance on tasks related to theory of mind in individuals with or without autism—without the variability introduced by differing characteristics of the participants themselves. Utilizing matched pairs ensures that the groups being compared are as similar as possible in relevant aspects, leading to more reliable and valid conclusions regarding the specific effects being tested in the study.