Organisational work conditions: past paper questions
Real questions on organisational work conditions
The newest 20 of 65 written questions. Open one to see it on the real paper.
- 9990/32 · May/June 2026 · Q16a[6]
Describe the following: • • the impact of physical work conditions on productivity and the Hawthorne effect a study that investigates open plan offices.
See it on the paper → - 9990/32 · May/June 2026 · Q16b[10]
Evaluate the following, including a discussion about longitudinal studies: • • the impact of physical work conditions on productivity and the Hawthorne effect a study that investigates open plan offices. Evaluation in your answer can include strengths, weaknesses and a discussion of issues and debates.
See it on the paper → - 9990/41 · May/June 2026 · Q8a[2]
Outline one way in which rapid rotation shiftwork can be organised.
See it on the paper → - 9990/41 · May/June 2026 · Q8b[2]
Suggest one way in which the design of work can be organised, other than shiftwork.
See it on the paper → - 9990/41 · May/June 2026 · Q8c[4]
Explain one strength and one weakness of a ‘rapid rotation’ design of work. Section B Answer one question from this section. Clinical Psychology
See it on the paper → - 9990/31 · October/November 2025 · Q16a[6]
Describe what psychologists have discovered about temporal conditions of work environments: • rapid rotation and slow rotation shiftwork, and • a study about the effects of shiftwork on health and accidents.
See it on the paper → - 9990/31 · October/November 2025 · Q16b[10]
Evaluate what psychologists have discovered about temporal conditions of work environments: • rapid rotation and slow rotation shiftwork, and • a study about the effects of shiftwork on health and accidents, including a discussion of quantitative and qualitative data. Evaluation in your answer can include strengths, we...
See it on the paper → - 9990/33 · October/November 2025 · Q16a[6]
Describe what psychologists have discovered about temporal conditions of work environments: • rapid rotation and slow rotation shiftwork, and • a study about the effects of shiftwork on health and accidents.
See it on the paper → - 9990/33 · October/November 2025 · Q16b[10]
Evaluate what psychologists have discovered about temporal conditions of work environments: • rapid rotation and slow rotation shiftwork, and • a study about the effects of shiftwork on health and accidents, including a discussion of quantitative and qualitative data. Evaluation in your answer can include strengths, we...
See it on the paper → - 9990/32 · May/June 2025 · Q12a[6]
Describe: • a study on promoting healthy eating in schools, and • a study on promoting health and safety in worksites.
See it on the paper → - 9990/32 · May/June 2025 · Q12b[10]
Evaluate: • a study on promoting healthy eating in schools, and • a study on promoting health and safety in worksites, including a discussion about experiments. Evaluation in your answer can include strengths, weaknesses and a discussion of issues and debates. Section D: Organisational Psychology Answer all questions.
See it on the paper → - 9990/43 · May/June 2025 · Q7a(i)[2]
‘Subjects were told that they should not write their names or any identifying information on the questionnaires.’ Outline why this was necessary in this study.
See it on the paper → - 9990/43 · May/June 2025 · Q7a(ii)[2]
‘Each subject was also advised that the questionnaires were being used for an industrial psychology seminar and that management would not have access to the responses.’ Outline why this was necessary in this study.
See it on the paper → - 9990/43 · May/June 2025 · Q7b[2]
The questionnaires used in the study were constructed by an employee who had recently resigned. Suggest one reason why an employee who had recently resigned was chosen to help construct the questionnaires.
See it on the paper → - 9990/43 · May/June 2025 · Q7c[4]
Explain two reasons why generalisations cannot be made about sabotage from one study.
See it on the paper → - 9990/43 · May/June 2025 · Q8a[2]
Explain what is meant by an ‘error of commission’ when investigating accidents at work.
See it on the paper → - 9990/43 · May/June 2025 · Q8b[2]
Suggest one way in which an error of commission could be reduced.
See it on the paper → - 9990/43 · May/June 2025 · Q8c[4]
Explain two weaknesses when gathering data about accidents at work. Section B Answer one question from this section. Clinical Psychology
See it on the paper → - 9990/41 · October/November 2024 · Q12a[10]
Plan an experiment to investigate the effect of one physical work condition, other than temperature, on the productivity of workers. Your plan must include details about: dependent variable ethical guidelines. • •
See it on the paper → - 9990/41 · October/November 2024 · Q12b(i)[4]
Describe this psychological knowledge.
See it on the paper →
What examiners said
There was a range of responses to this question where the candidate described what psychologists have discovered about physical and psychological work conditions. Stronger responses gave good details of the Hawthorne studies, a summary of Einarsen’s findings from the review article on bullying at work and details of the study on open plan offices by Oldham and Brass. Weaker responses gave fewer de...
— Examiner report, October/November 2023, 9990/32 Q8(a) (Cambridge)
The marks for this question were commonly in Level 1 and Level 2 with some strong responses that achieved either Level 3 or Level 4 by giving detailed examples with analysis present throughout the response. With regards to the named issue of experiments, the strongest responses focused on the strengths and/or weaknesses of carrying out experiments such as the Hawthorne studies and Oldham and Brass...
— Examiner report, October/November 2023, 9990/32 Q8(b) (Cambridge)
There were some very strong responses to this question. IV, DV, controls and experimental design were often included. Candidates needed to ensure that concentration was fully operationalised in their response. Some candidates applied a repeated measures design where the same workers moved from one office to another and some candidates applied an independent measures design comparing different work...
— Examiner report, October/November 2023, 9990/41 Q8(a) (Cambridge)
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