A Level Psychology OCR Practice Exam

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Prepare for the A Level Psychology OCR Exam. Test your knowledge with multiple-choice questions and interactive quizzes designed to enhance your understanding of key psychological concepts. Ace your exam with confidence!

Each practice test/flash card set has 50 randomly selected questions from a bank of over 500. You'll get a new set of questions each time!

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What issue is associated with longitudinal studies according to Casey et al (2011)?

Participants must be randomly assigned
High reliability of data collection
Participant attrition may lead to bias
Findings can be generalized to all cultural groups

The correct answer is: Participant attrition may lead to bias

Longitudinal studies, such as those conducted by Casey et al. (2011), often face the issue of participant attrition, which refers to the loss of participants over time. This can lead to bias in the results because the individuals who drop out may differ significantly from those who remain in the study. For instance, if participants who are less engaged or who experience negative outcomes are more likely to leave, the final sample may not accurately represent the initial population. This attrition can lead to skewed results and limit the generalizability of the findings, as the characteristics of the remaining participants may not reflect those of the original cohort. Understanding this potential bias is crucial when interpreting the data and conclusions drawn from longitudinal research.