1. Maguire (Taxi Drivers)
1.1. Aims
1.1.1. Describe two aims from the study by Maguire et al on taxi drivers. [4]
1.2. Sample
1.2.1. Describe the participants in the sample. [2]
1.2.1.1. To what extent could Maguire et al. generalise from this sample? [2]
1.2.2. What was known about the medical history of the taxi drivers? [2]
1.2.3. Describe one way in which experienced taxi drivers are unusual in their way-finding. [2]
1.2.3.1. Describe one way in which experienced taxi drivers are similar to other people in their way-finding. [2]
1.3. Research Methods
1.3.1. Identify and outline one independent variable from the study. [2]
1.3.2. Identify and outline one dependent variable from the study. [2]
1.3.3. Explain what is meant by a ‘repeated measures design’ using Maguire et al as an example. [2]
1.3.3.1. Outline one advantage of using a repeated measures design. [2]
1.3.4. The study by Maguire et al. (taxi drivers) used positron emission tomography (PET) scans. Outline what a PET scan can discover. [2]
1.3.4.1. Why were magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans also used in the study? [2]
1.3.4.2. Describe the PET scanning technique used in this study. [2]
1.3.4.2.1. Describe one advantage of PET scanning. [2]
1.4. Procedure
1.4.1. State two pieces of information relevant to the experimental tasks collected from the questionnaire. [2]
1.4.2. Describe the sequential non-topographical task. [2]
1.4.2.1. Why was it important to do this task as well as the sequential topographical one? [2]
1.4.3. In the study by Maguire et al. (taxi drivers), PET scans were taken during a baseline task for comparison with the PET scans taken during experimental tasks. Describe the baseline task. [2]
1.5. Controls
1.5.1. State four controls from the study by Maguire et al. (taxi drivers). [4]
1.5.2. Explain how the baseline task acted as a control. [2]
1.6. Ethics
1.6.1. In the study by Maguire et al. (taxi drivers), ethical guidelines were followed. Identify two ethical guidelines and describe how they were followed in the study. [4]
1.7. Results
1.7.1. Identify two brain areas activated in the topographical tasks. [2]
1.8. Conclusion
1.8.1. Evidence from the PET scans showed that a network of brain regions which includes the right hippocampus serves two different spatial functions. Outline these two functions. [2]
1.9. Evaluation
1.9.1. Discuss Maguire et al (taxi drivers) in terms of two weaknesses. [10]
1.9.2. Evaluate Maguire et al. (taxi drivers) in terms of its contribution to the debate about reductionism in psychology. [10]
1.9.3. Evaluate the laboratory experiment as a research method using Maguire et al. (taxi drivers) [10]