A Level Psychology OCR Practice Exam

What is one disadvantage regarding the demographic makeup of the participants in Baron-Cohen et al.'s study?

1. Too many participants over the age of 60

2. Gender bias with a majority of male participants

3. Lack of neurotypical participants

4. All participants were from the same socio-economic background

The correct answer is: Gender bias with a majority of male participants

Baron-Cohen et al.'s study primarily involved a specific demographic that skewed towards a majority of male participants, which introduces gender bias into the research findings. This is significant because it limits the generalizability of the results across different genders. A predominantly male participant group could mean that the behaviors and characteristics measured in the study may not accurately reflect those of females. Therefore, the bias could potentially skew the understanding of the condition being studied, such as autism spectrum conditions, and its manifestations in a more diverse population. By highlighting this particular demographic limitation, researchers can reflect on how findings might differ if a more balanced gender representation was included in the study. In contrast, factors like the age of the participants, socio-economic background, and presence of neurotypical individuals are less central to the issue of how gender distribution affects the validity and applicability of the findings.