2017 paper mistakes

Question 1

In Bocchiaro et al.’s study on disobedience and whistleblowing, eight pilot tests were carried out before the main study: Explain why Bocchiaro carried out these pilot tests.

Answer 1

Possible answers:
- They were conducted to ensure the procedure was credible as a study on sensory deprivation.
- To ensure that the cover story on sensory deprivation given was morally acceptable.
- These tests served to standardise the experimenter-authority behaviour throughout the experimental period.

Question 2

In Levine et al.’s study into cross cultural altruism, four community variables were recorded: Describe how two of the community variables were measured.

Answer 2

Any two of the following:
- Population size. Population size for each of the 23 areas.
- Economic indicator. Wealth of the city/ purchasing power parity (PPP)
- Cultural values. Rating of the 23 countries in the sample on the dimension of individualism-collectivism/ Countries were rated on a 10-point scale
- Pace of Life measured by walking speed (over 60 feet).

Question 3

Explain how Levine et al.’s study into cross-cultural altruism informs our understanding of cultural diversity in helping behaviour.

Answer 3

Levine found cross-cultural differences in helping behaviour (1 mark)
For example, the cities in countries with high simpatia (Brazil, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Mexico and Spain) were more likely to help a stranger in need than non-simpatia countries (New York)/ cities that were more helpful tended to have lower Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) than those with higher PPP (2 Marks/ 1 mark for less detail context).

Question 4

From Loftus and Palmer’s study on eyewitness testimony a laboratory experiment was used. Describe why Loftus and Palmer’s study is considered a laboratory experiment

Answer 4

Loftus and Palmer is considered a laboratory experiment because an IV was manipulated – verb used in critical questions (smashed, collided, bumped, hit, contacted), a DV was measured – mph speed estimates and it was carried out in a highly controlled environment.

Question 5

Bandura et al.’s study on the transmission of aggression is based on the principles of social learning theory. Outline social learning theory.

Answer 5

The Social Learning Theory says that people learn by observing the behaviours (1) of other people around them who serve as role models (1). Once behaviour has been observed it is likely to then be imitated (1).

Question 6

Outline how the results of Bandura et al’s study on the transmission of aggression support social learning theory

Answer 6

SLT is supported by Banduras results because children who observed an aggressive role model did imitate (1) aggressive behaviour, such as hitting the Bobo doll (1). Therefore imitation of aggressive behaviour was shown.

Question 7

Outline how Lee et al.’s study links to the developmental area in psychology

Answer 7

Lee et al.’s study is considered developmental because children at different ages were studied (1) which shows how attitudes towards truth telling and lying telling develop (1)

Question 8

From Sperry’s ‘split brain’ study into the psychological effects of hemisphere deconnection: Outline one way the results may be considered valid.

Answer 8

Possible answer:
- It can be considered valid as participants all had an image flashed to their left or right visual field for 1/10th of a second, therefore they were all tested in the same standardised way increasing internal validity.
- Sperry’s study was high in face validity as it was measuring what it claimed to measure. Sperry was clearly measuring whether each hemisphere possesses an independent stream of conscious awareness.
- There is construct validity in the study as he restricted visual information to each visual field and seeing if the participants could name / drawn / select what they had been shown.

Question 9

Casey et al.’s study on the neural correlates of delay gratification, examined behavioural and neural correlates of delay of gratification using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI): Outline how delay of gratification is linked to regions in the brain.

Answer 9

• The (inferior) frontal gyrus was more active in high delayers. The ventral striatum was more active in low delayers than high delayers.

Question 10

Outline one difference between Blakemore and Cooper’s study on the impact of early visual experience and Maguire’s taxi driver study.

Answer 10

One difference is the sample (1). Blakemore and Cooper’s sample were non-human whereas Maguire’s were human(1).
For example Blakemore studied a sample of kittens to show visual development (1).
Maguire however studied a sample of 16 taxi drivers to see if the volume of their hippocampus was different to a control group(1).

Question 11

From Freud’s study of Little Hans: What is meant by the term Oedipus complex?

Answer 11

A subconscious sexual desire where a boy desires his mother and wants to possess her, this leads the boy to compete with his father in a hostile way but also fear castration because of the sexual desires

Question 12

Outline one piece of evidence that supports Little Hans was experiencing the Oedipus complex.

Answer 12

Little Hans’ fear of horses was considered by Freud as a subconscious fear of his father (1) linked to his Oedipus complex. This is because the dark around the mouth of a horse + the blinkers resembled the moustache and glasses worn by his father (1).

Question 13

Outline the different positions of the “psychology as a science” debate.

Answer 13

One position is that psychology can be considered a science because it does attempt to control variables (1) and research can be replicated in the same way to establish consistent patterns in behaviour(1). The other position is that psychology cannot be considered truly scientific because there are many extraneous variables that cannot be fully controlled (1). Therefore, you cannot measure full cause and effect. (1)

Question 14

Possible features of ‘psychology as a science’?

Answer 14

• the study of cause-and-effect
• falsification
• replicability
• objectivity
• induction
• deduction
• hypothesis testing
• manipulation of variables
• control and standardisation
• quantifiable measurements

Question 15

Outline how one core study challenges the view that psychology can be considered a science. Support your answer with evidence from your chosen study.

Answer 15

Freud’s study of Little Hans challenges the view that psychology can be considered a science because subjective data collection techniques are used. Little Han’s Father is collecting information, often using leading questions, about his behaviour, fantasies and dreams and sending this information to Freud via letter. This means the data is not empirically gathered which is a key feature of being scientific, but also the Father may have been biased and reported information about his son that fits Freud’s theory of psychosexual development which is again not scientific

Question 16

Reasons psychology may not be considered a science:

Answer 16

• Biased data collection techniques - Self-reports
• Secondary data
• Only partial control can be achieved
• Demand characteristics
• Unable to falsify some theories (subconscious desires, thought processes)
• Lack of direct observation
• Lack of empirical data

Question 17

Compare the biological area to the behaviourist perspective. Use examples from appropriate core studies to support your answer.
- What can be refereed to?

Answer 17

• Data collected
• Ethical considerations
• Reductionism
• Determinism
• Ethnocentrism
• Scientific procedures
• Methodology / Designs
• Reliability
• Validity
• Individual/situational explanations - Nature/nurture
• Usefulness of research

Question 18

Compare the biological area to the behaviourist perspective. Use examples from appropriate core studies to support your answer.

Answer 18

One way the biological area and behaviourist perspective are similar is through the use of controlled methodology such as laboratory experiments (1). For example in Bandura’s study from the behaviourist perspective an IV was manipulated – whether or not the children observed an aggressive, non-aggressive or no role model, and the environment was high controlled – all toys in each room were the same for all children (1). Similarly in Blakemore and Coopers study from the biological area, an IV was manipulated - whether the kittens were reared in a horizontal or a vertical environment (1). This means both approaches carry out research which can establish cause and effect because the influence of extraneous variables is minimised (1)

Question 19

Describe how the biological area is reductionist. Support your answer with evidence from one appropriate core study.

Answer 19

(Describe) Reductionism is where you break down a behaviour into its constituent parts and analyse the relative contribution that factor makes – reducing the explanation down to its simplest form (1).
The biological area does not look at all possible causes or explanations for behaviour and reduces the explanation of human behaviour down to a biological cause without considering all contributing factors. (1)(Evidence) For example Sperry did not have a control group of participants with epilepsy but had not had their corpus collosum severed. The explanation of the participants’ inability to name objects shown to their left visual field was reduced down to a biological cause, but without making a comparison it is know whether something else could be contributing to the observed difficulties.

Question 20

Outline one possible reason why it was necessary to divide the students into a superior and inferior group to test for discrimination in this study. Justify your answer in relation to the source.

Answer 20

The teacher had to create two distinct groups where one group was seen/ perceived as superior to the other (1). To see if discrimination would occur between students (1). For example, to see if the blue eyed students would discriminate against the brown eyed group (1)

Question 21

Outline one possible reason the blue eyed students “exceeded their predicted grades”. Support your answer with evidence from the source.

Answer 21

Because the blue-eyed students were receiving praise from their teacher (1). The students were told they were superior and were given support and received praise (1) This praise from a perceived role model may have reinforced their beliefs in their superiority, boosting their self esteem and in turn led to them working harder to achieve (1)

Question 22

Outline one reason the blue-eyed children “went along with the situation even though they knew it was wrong”. Support your answer with evidence from the source.

Answer 22

The teacher has a position of authority and the students are obeying the orders of a teacher who is perceived as a legitimate authority figure. The blue eyed children followed the lead of the teacher who suggested brown eyed children were low in intelligence

Question 23

Explain how the above source is relevant to the social area of psychology. Support your answer with evidence from the source

Answer 23

The social area supports the view that the social setting/social context we are within influences our behaviour as well as the other people around us (family, friends, institutions and wider society). The above source links to the social area because the teacher is clearly influencing the blue-eyed children’s behaviour, by telling them they are superior and then openly affording them privileges and special treatment that the others are denied.

Question 24

Describe two changes you could make to the experiment detailed in the source material.

Answer 24

Possible changes to be made:
- Make it more ethical
- Make is less ethical – by emphasising differences more
- Change of setting
- Change of segregation technique - - Change who was studied
- Allow the study to run for a long period of time

Example of one change:
- One possible change would be to emphasise the group differences more (What).
The teacher could do this by telling the blue-eyed students that they need to place a collar on the browneyed students so it’s clear who they are. The teacher could instruct the blue-eyed students to do this in a lesson. (How).
This would help see if the results were affected by establishing an obvious marker for their inferior group status – would this make the brown-eyed students feel more powerless and angry? (Why)

Question 25

Discuss the implications of the suggestions you made question 10(f).

Answer 25

Possible implications:
- More / less ethical issues raised
- Increase/decrease in representativeness
- Increase/decrease in generalisability of results
- Increase/decrease in standardisation
- Increase/decrease in bias
- Increase/decrease in reliability
- Discussions about the effects of the results
- How changes would enhance understanding/usefulness

Example paragraph:
- An implication of emphasising the group differences between blue-eyed and brown-eyed students is that protection from harm may not be upheld. The blue-eyed and brown-eyed students may both feel demoralised even further. For example, the blue-eyed students upon reflection, may feel like bad people knowing they placed a visible marker upon fellow students and used that marker to treat them differently. An implication of this is that they could leave the study with long-term psychological harm. However, this change may lead to more telling findings about how we often follow immoral orders but also whether or not emphasising differences between groups in a more obvious way leads to more discrimination/prejudice.