A Level Psychology OCR Practice Exam

What aspect of the Raine et al. study contributes to its high generalisability?

1. Standardised procedures

2. Use of common psychological assessments

3. Small sample size

4. High ecological validity

The correct answer is: Standardised procedures

The aspect that contributes to the high generalisability of the Raine et al. study is the use of standardised procedures. Standardised procedures ensure that the study can be replicated in a consistent manner across different populations and settings, allowing for findings to be more broadly applicable beyond the specific sample used in the research. This uniformity helps researchers draw reliable conclusions about the effects being studied and supports the ability to generalise the results to a wider population. In addition, the use of common psychological assessments, while relevant, does not inherently enhance generalisability to the same extent as standardised procedures. Small sample sizes often limit the ability to generalise findings, as results may not represent a larger group effectively. High ecological validity, while beneficial for reflecting real-world scenarios, also does not directly relate to the ability to generalise findings across different contexts or populations as robustly as standardised procedures do.