Paper 2 Exam Questions Flashcards
Explain how the findings from Milgram’s study relate to the key theme of responses to people in
authority.
- obey orders to authority figures
- apply highest voltage shock when instructed
- even when hesitant, still obeyed
Piliavin et al. carried out a study into responses to people in need.
(a) Identify two materials used in this study
paper bag with bottle
black cane
Give two ways in which pilliavin may be considered ethnocentric
only conducted in new york america
victims only black white - no other ethnicity
Compare Piliavin et al.’s study with Levine et al.’s study into responses to people in need by
suggesting either one difference or one similarity between them
similarity - both field experiments, both use a disability variable
differences - levine cross-cultural, pilliavin uses only america
pilliavin is ethnocentric, levine is not
Outline one strength of the type of data collected in Moray’s study into attention.
quantitative
easy to make comparisons
Using Simons & Chabris’ study into attention, explain one way in which the procedure would
have increased the reliability of the research.
all participants tested individually
reactions etc had no influence on other participants
participants pay more attention to own video
more accurate data
Explain one way in which Bandura et al.’s study into aggression can be considered unethical.
exposed to aggressive behaviour
encouraged aggressive behaviour
long lasting effects
Discuss to what extent Lee et al.’s contemporary study in developmental psychology changes our
understanding of moral development when compared to Kohlberg’s study from 1968.
lee et al is cross cultural - focussed on how culture effects moral development
kohlburg focussed on just america, western countries - ethnocentric
Describe how one of the core studies relates to the biological area.
Sperry
function of structures in brain
split brain - corpus colosum
left hemisphere - language
right hemisphere - spatial awareness
Describe the background to Gould’s study into intelligence testing.
Yerkes - stanford binet test, WW1 american army
alpha test - white men
beta test - black people
invalid - ethnocentric
intelligence determined and reduced to race
Outline the defining principles and concepts of the cognitive area.
memory process - input and output
process information like computer model
behaviour predictable due to thinking patterns
patterns in thinking can be changed by environment
Describe one application of the principles and concepts of the cognitive area.
eye witness testimony
affected by leading questions
important for crimes, convicting correct person
Compare the cognitive area and the psychodynamic perspective in terms of strengths and
weaknesses
cognitive - too reductionist - patterns and environmental influence
- only describes not explains - cannot see inside the mind
- highly scientific increases reliability
psychodynamic - focuses on case studies not science
- influenced by opinions and feelings, not science
- highly valid due to how it is subjective
Discuss the reductionism/holism debate in psychology. Use examples from appropriate
research to support your answer.
reductionist - definition
- research is focussed in identifying cause and effect
- simplifies explanation
- can over simplify
- no other factors included - lacks validity
example - raine, reduces behaviour to brain abnormality
Holistic - definition
- increases validity
- gives full explanation
- too subjective
example - bandura, includes model influence based on sex and race etc
Compare Blakemore and Cooper’s (1970) study with Maguire et al.’s (2000) study suggesting one
difference OR one similarity between them.
differences
quantitative vs qualitative data
animals vs human participants
similarities
both examine the brain
both use experimental method
Outline one ethical issue raised by Gould in his 1982 review of Yerkes’ study of intelligence testing
in America.
respect:
not respected culture/ ethnicity of people
some could not access education, illiterate not considered
Explain one weakness of the type of data collected in Loftus & Palmer’s (1974) study
into eyewitness testimony.
quantitative data
gave estimates of mean speed
not accurate response from participants
Outline one conclusion that was drawn from Loftus and Palmer
leading question
way question is asked
change of verb
Simons and Chabris (1999) used an independent measures design in their study on
attention.
Explain how the design was used in this study
4 independent variables
umberella or gorilla
opaque or transparent conditions
Outline two weaknesses of using an independent measures design in Simon and chabris
need more particpants
took longer to conduct as different participants took part in different variables
Give two features of the sample used in Bandura et al.’s (1961) study into aggression
all from stanford university nursery
72 children
Outline one way in which Bandura’s sample was biased
all american - cultural bias, ethnocentric
all children - age bias
Kohlberg’s (1968) study of moral development raises a number of issues of validity.
Describe two issues of validity in this study
scenarios were hypothetical - low ecological validity
large sample - high population validity
Explain how Milgram’s (1963) study into obedience
can be related to the social area.
how others may affect behaviour
authoritive figures
Explain the extent to which Bocchiaro et al.’s (2012)
study into disobedience changes our
understanding of individual, social and cultural
diversity.
found similar results
used male and females
generalisable to population
population validity
Outline what is meant by the concept of holism and
how this relates to Freud’s study of Little Hans.
holism - definition
hans’s phobia was a result of many factors
- stage of development
- arrival of new baby
- relationship with mum
Outline the defining principles and concepts of the
behaviourist perspective and briefly discuss its
usefulness as a perspective.
principles
- social learning
- operant and classical conditioning
- nurtured by environment
usefulness
- emphasises nurture over nature debate
- potential to change
- explains how role models in education have large influence on behaviour
Identify the dependent variable in Maguire et al.’s (2000) study into the brains of taxi drivers.
volume of hippocampus
Give two ways in which the taxi drivers and the control group were matched in this study.
all males
all similar age range
Outline one strength of the type of data collected in Maguire
quantitative
easy to make comparisons
Chaney et al. (2004) used a repeated measures design in their Funhaler study.
(i) Explain how this design was used.
used self report method
1 week normal inhaler
1 week funhaler
parents answered questionnaire
Outline one strength of using a repeated measures design in Chaney et al
no participant variables
personality of participant does not affect adherance to use inhlaer
Briefly discuss the extent to which Kohlberg’s (1968) study into moral development may be
considered ethnocentric.
American culture mainly - western bias
Five more countries - cross cultural
stories may apply more to some countries more than others
Explain one way in which the procedure of Grant et al.’s (1998) study into memory
increased the reliability of the research.
headphones and cassette player given
same background noise for everyone
all read the same article
had the same time to read the article
Outline one conclusion that was drawn from Grant et al
studying and testing same conditions, improved memory
students doing exams application
Outline the apparatus used in Moray’s (1959) study into attention.
tape recorder played
through either side of headphones earpieces
Outline one weakness of using an experimental method in Moray
only played certain words
lacks ecological validity
memory is not reduced to singular words to remember
Explain how the procedure from Piliavin et al.’s
(1969) study relates to the key theme of responses
to people in need.
observed time of response to help person in need
drunk or disabled
Levine et al. study (2001) carried out a study into
responses to people in need.
Give two results from this study.
simpatia countries were more helpful than non-simpatia countries
correlation between walking speed and speed of help
Explain why Levine et al can be described as a quasi
experiment.
naturally occurring iv
where participants live (country) cannot be controlled by researchers
Discuss to what extent Hancock et al’s (2011) study into
the language of psychopaths changes our understanding of
individual, social and/or cultural diversity.
only looked at 52 individuals in prison
no social diversity as a whole
reduced to group with similar backgrounds
Outline two defining principles and concepts of the
developmental area.
behaviour can be nurtured to change
behaviour can be continuously changed over a long period of time, lifetime
Describe one application of the developmental area
teaching and learning
cognitive development happens in stages based on age
children supported to develop at correct pace
Consider the strengths and weaknesses of the
developmental area in psychology
strengths -
- considers both nature and nurture and its effects on developmental behaviour
- better understanding into how people develop
weaknesses-
- uses children as participants to research into development over long periods of time
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.
ensure cover-story was morally acceptable
ensure procedure was well-defined before conducting
In Bocchiaro et al.’s study into disobedience and
whistleblowing a sample of 149 students were selected for the
main study: Outline one way this study may be considered
ethnocentric.
all from amsterdam
not applied to other countries or cities
