AICE Psychology Paper 1 Practice Exam

In Laney's first experiment, the independent variable was the participant's recall of asparagus. This variable reflects the specific manipulation that the researchers implemented to determine its effect on participants' memory and attitudes towards eating asparagus. By affecting how participants remembered or related to the asparagus, the researchers were able to assess whether a false memory could be created through suggestions, which was a central aim of the study.

The focus on recall of asparagus illustrates how the experiment aimed to examine the impact of implanting a false memory on an individual's experiences. In this context, other options, while relevant to various aspects of research, do not directly pertain to the manipulation that was introduced by the researchers to explore the psychological phenomena they studied. Therefore, the recall of asparagus stands out as the independent variable essential to the experimental design.