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Descriptive Statistics in Psychology

Study Edexcel Psychology descriptive-statistics questions by calculating, selecting and interpreting averages, spread, graphs and distributions.

Syllabus
2026
Course
Psychology XPS01/YPS01
Level
A2

Exam points

  • Select or calculate an appropriate measure of central tendency from the data and research context.
  • Use measures of dispersion to describe how closely or widely scores are distributed around an average.
  • Interpret tables, graphs and distributions accurately before drawing a conclusion from the data.

9.1.11 - Descriptive statistics question 1

[Maximum number: 3]

Sigmund conducted a laboratory experiment to find out whether obedience to an authority figure changes based on the status of the person giving orders. He used an empty classroom in his local university to conduct his experiment.
He selected 60 participants (30 male and 30 female) from volunteers who answered an advert he placed in a local newspaper. Sigmund allocated 15 males and 15 females to each of the experimental conditions.

- In Condition A participants were instructed to delete the contents of a laptop computer by a man wearing a business suit.
- In Condition B participants were instructed to delete the contents of a laptop computer by a man in casual clothing.

Sigmund recorded how many participants deleted the contents of the laptop computer in each condition.

Question (a)

(a)

The data gathered by Sigmund is shown in Table 2.

Table for Question (a) — Edexcel A-Level Psychology A2

Table 2
10 females obeyed the man wearing a business suit.
Calculate the ratio of males to females obeying the man wearing the business suit.

You must give your answer in the lowest form.

Space for calculations

Ratio

[ 1 ]

Question (b)

(b)

Describe how Sigmund would present the data from Table 2 in an appropriate graph.

[ 2 ]
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