Question
(a) Describe the study by North et al. (2003) on musical style and restaurant customers’ spending.
[6]
(b) Evaluate this study by North et al., including a discussion about ecological validity.
Evaluation in your answer can include strengths, weaknesses and a discussion of issues and debates. [10]
Section C: Health Psychology
Answer all questions.
Mark scheme
8(a) Describe the study by North et al. (2003) on musical style and restaurant 6 For full marks has to include:
customers’ spending. Sample or detail of the restaurant
3 Conditions
Use Table A: AO1 Knowledge and understanding to mark candidate responses to Result about customer spending
this question. with reference to type of music.
The response must describe the key study.
Details may include:
Aim: To investigate the effect different types of music might have on restaurant
customer spending.
Sample: Opportunity sampling – 393 people, approximately equal numbers of
male and female. 142 were exposed to the pop music condition, 120 to the
classical and 131 to no music.
Method – Field experiment in upmarket/expensive British restaurant with
independent measures design.
Procedure – Classical, pop and no music were played over 3 weeks/18 evenings
(closed on Sundays). Each conditioned counter-balanced by the day of the week.
Each type of music played on six different days over the 3 weeks. Mean spend per
table was calculated and compared as well as the total time spent in the
restaurant. Time spent in restaurant was taken into account/controlled for when
calculating the results for the three conditions as the longer the customer is in the
restaurant, it is likely their spend will increase.
8(a) Results: total spend: classical music £32.51; pop music £29.46; no music £29.73.
Therefore, playing background classical music leads to increased spending on
food and drink.
Additionally: (i) There was very little difference in the amount spent on main course
or dessert. (ii) The no music condition resulted in greatest spending on wine alone
(not what was expected) but if ‘bar’ (all drinks) and ‘wine’ are put together, then
spending is the greatest for classical music. (iii) The greatest difference was
spending on coffee: classical £1.06, pop £0.80 and no music £0.53. (iv) Also,
significant difference in spending on starters: classical £4.92, pop £4.04 and no
music £3.93.
Conclusion: the playing of background music influences customer spending in a
restaurant with classical music resulting in the greatest amount spent per person.
Example:
Opportunity sample (393)
3 conditions (pop, classical, no music)
3 weeks at upmarket British restaurant
Measured amount spent and time in restaurant
Classical music had higher spend than pop music/no music
Greatest spend in classical for all drinks
Greatest spend in classical for coffee
Other appropriate responses should also be credited.
8(b) Evaluate this study by North et al., including a discussion about ecological 10
validity.
Evaluation in your answer can include strengths, weaknesses and a
discussion of issues and debates.
Use Table B: AO3 Analysis and evaluation to mark candidate responses to this
question.
A range of issues could be used for evaluation.
These include:
Named issue – ecological validity
The North et al. study has good ecological validity as it is conducted in the natural
environment as a field experiment in a restaurant so the purchasing behaviour by
the customers would be natural and it is typical to have music being played when
you are eating dinner. In addition, classical/pop music/no music are played in
restaurants, so this is an everyday life experience. However, this does mean it has
less control of extraneous variables (e.g. whether the restaurant is busy on one
day and relatively quiet on another). If the restaurant is very busy, service may be
slower and therefore diners might not order dessert. Also they did not appear to
get consent or debrief the participants. However, this is not a harmful study as the
participants are just being monitored on how much they have spent, and
confidentiality is maintained.
Individual and situational explanations
The findings would suggest the specific situation the person is in (classical music
resulting in more spending than pop music or no music) rather than something that
is ‘individual’. However, each individual diner will choose the food based on their
preferences, budget for the meal, whether it is a special occasion, etc. Therefore,
the study does show the situational factor (music) that is influencing the
participant, but it is not suggesting that individual factors are irrelevant.
8(b) Reductionism versus holism
The study/conclusions reached can be considered to be holistic as North et al.
outlines three explanations for the behaviour of the diners (synergy, classical
music preferred, classical music promoting upmarket atmosphere – this third
conclusion is considered to be the most likely based on previous research). It
could also be considered somewhat reductionist as very little qualitative data
which could have shed some light on the conclusions reached by North et al. (e.g.
if classical music was preferred).
Determinism versus free-will
The findings of the study suggest that increased spending behaviour determined
by the music playing in the background in the environment (environmental
determinism). The findings of this study suggest that it is. However, clearly the
diners have free-will as they choose their food based on preferences, budget, etc.
It is likely that music influenced consumer spending but was not at the exclusion of
free-will (i.e. soft, not hard determinism).
Generalisations from findings
A large number of participants with a mix of genders means the results can be
generalised. However, as it was an expensive restaurant it is likely the diners have
a high disposable income. It was one restaurant in one city in the UK which limits
generalisability of the findings.
Validity
Good validity as the participants were unaware they were in a study, so their
spending was natural. The data collected was mainly quantitative (amount spent)
which is objective and improves validity. However, very little qualitative data was
collected which lowers validity due to the lack of depth in the results to find out
other reasons for the participants spending.
8(b) Additional issues candidates may include:
Reliability
Ethics
Quantitative and qualitative data
Controls
Objective data
Note – only credit these evaluation points if not discussed elsewhere in the
response.
Other appropriate responses should also be credited.