Psychology Over Time

Question 1

Social - Link to historical events

Answer 1

• AO1: The Holocaust led to Milgram’s research into obedience
• AO3: Has led to understanding of how an authority figure can change people’s behaviour. Milgram’s research is still relevant today as it can still be applied to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the power Putin has. It has also been used to explain the Abu Ghraib scandal
• AO3: Burger’s (2009) replication shows that Milgram’s results and conclusions regarding obedience are still relevant today

Question 2

Social - Progression in terms of knowledge

Answer 2

• AO1/AO3: Early theories of prejudice focussed on competition causing prejudice. This was backed up by Sherif’s Robber’s Cave experiment, leading to RCT
• AO3: Tajfel later further developed prejudice theories by showing that being part of a group (in-group/out-group) was enough to cause prejudice, helping us to understand racism
• AO1/AO3: Prejudice research has not progressed much further than these two theories. While research still shows that people are prejudiced when in groups (e.g. studies around football fans), nether theory has developed further to fully understand the complexities of prejudice and how much of this now occurs online, for example

Question 3

Social - Change to methods

Answer 3

• AO1: Social psychology has progressed in terms of becoming more ethical in its methods
• AO3: When Burger replicated Milgram’s obedience study, he ensured that ppts were protected from harm (volts stopped at 150V) and ppts were screened for mental health disorders before the study took place. This shows how far psychology has progressed in terms of caring for the welfare of ppts

Question 4

Cognitive - Link to historical events

Answer 4

• AO1: Rise of computing technology has led to the comparison of the brain with a computer processing system
• AO3: Started to understand cognitions such as memory in terms of processes and memory models

Question 5

Cognitive - Progression in terms of knowledge

Answer 5

• AO1/AO3: MSM was starting point for understanding memory split into sensory, STM, LTM. This is still used today to teach students the importance of rehearsal/revision (could suggest not developed so far)
• AO1/AO3: However, the model is now seen as too simplistic and STM has been replaced by WMM and LTM by Tulving’s model. Both of these models are now accepted as the most current and useable models of memory and help explain disorders such as dementia and dyslexia
• AO1/AO3: However, both models are still not completely developed. WMM doesn’t explain the role of CE and how blind people have good spatial awareness (Lieberman). LTM doesn’t yet explain the link between semantic and episodic

Question 6

Cognitive - Change to methods

Answer 6

• AO1/AO3: Lab experiments have improved over time, e.g. Bartlett’s War of the Ghosts has led to controlled studies into schmas, such as those of Loftus. Dual processing studies are also now used to understand working memory
• AO3: Brain scanning techniques are also used to add further evidence that memory is in separate stores

Question 7

Biological - Link to historical events

Answer 7

• AO1/AO3: DNA understanding from 1990s onwards led to research around twins and genetic causes for behaviour such as aggression, e.g. Brendegen
• AO1/AO3: Most recent research has become more interactionist - developed understanding of genes and the environment interacting (e.g. Raine and Brendegen)

Question 8

Biological - Progression in terms of knowledge

Answer 8

• AO1: Phineas Gage provided early evidence for the importance of the prefrontal cortex. Knowledge has progressed as brain scanning techniques have now improved since Gage, and we are now able to ‘map’ Gage’s injury
• AO1/AO3: Research such as Raine has progressed brain activity and aggression further by using PET scans. More recent studies also carried out by Raine show similar reduction in activity in the PFC

Question 9

Biological - Changes to methods

Answer 9

• AO1/AO3: Brain scanning techniques have improved considerably since they were first introduced. Images are not clearer which enables specific brain areas and activity to be seen. This makes research more accurate
• AO1/AO3: However, brain imaging has not progressed recently as the technology has still to be developed further. This is currently limiting how much more we can learn about the brain and behaviour

Question 10

Learning Theories - Link to historical events

Answer 10

• AO1/AO3: Behaviourism was a big focus in the early years of study - the belief that we are born a blank slate. This has largely not progressed, as behavioural theories have become cognitive over time

Question 11

Learning Theories - Progression in terms of knowledge

Answer 11

• AO1/AO3: Pavlov’s experiment using dogs showed principles of CC. This was later developed by Watson and Rayner who tested classical conditioning on Little Albert, showing that humans also learn through association
• AO3: However, learning theories have since progressed into cognitive theories so behaviourism itself has not really developed.
• AO1/AO3: Bandura did help to develop knowledge around learnt behaviour further, introducing the concept of learning through observing others, specifically role models. Bandura’s theories are still used today to monitor children’s’ TV content, in age ratings, and for video games

Question 12

Learning Theories - Changes to methods

Answer 12

• AO1: Progressed from using just animals to testing behavioural principles on humans
• AO1/AO3: Biggest progression is the development of treatments for phobias. Flooding was developed to help people face extreme phobias, however this has been improved and systematic desensitisation is now used. This is more ethical and is a more gradual technique to remove phobias. This is still widely used in clinical settings