Psychology 9990/22 May/June 2020: question paper and mark scheme

Mark scheme

1(a) State what is meant by the ethical guideline of ‘replacement’ in relation 1 to animals. 1 mark for simple statement 1 mark for detail choosing not to use animals / to use a species that will suffer less = 1 mark e.g. using humans / a simulation / a culture = 1 detail 1(b) Suggest one practical problem with following the ethical guideline of 1 replacement in relation to animals. 1 mark for any practical point It may be harder to interpret the effects of your experiment on a different species; The new choice of animal may suffer less but be a worse model for human behaviour/cognition;

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2 In the study by Canli et al. (brain scans and emotions), participants watched scenes presented to them on a screen. They responded to these scenes by pressing buttons. Their response was one dependent variable. 2(a) Describe how this dependent variable was operationalised in this study. 2 1 mark for identifying DV 1 mark for operationalisation DV = rating of pictures / emotional intensity / valence (identification) Rated 0–3 (Operationalisation) 2(b) Explain one reason why the results of this study may not generalise to 2 everyday life. 1 mark for identifying reason 1 mark for link all female = 1 (identification) and males might experience emotions differently = 1 (link) all right-handed = 1 (identification) and left-handers’ brains may have different activation patterns = 1 (link) the study was conducted in a lab so low ecological validity / task lacks mundane realism = 1 (identification) having brain scanned may make participants behave differently from normal = 1 (link)

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3 Andrade conducted an experiment on doodling. Alternatively, she could have conducted a case study. 3(a) Identify two ways that data could be collected in this case study. 2 Name or description of a method of data collection ×2 Interview; observation; Questionnaire; tests/tasks; 3(b) For one of your answers in 3(a): 2 Explain one advantage of this way of collecting data in this case study. 1 mark for advantage 1 mark link Interview: can ask specific questions = 1 generic So can explore that individual’s doodling in detail = 1 linked Questionnaire: can use closed questions = 1 generic So can explore a range of ideas about the person’s doodling = 1 linked can ask open questions = 1 generic So can collect qualitative data about that individuals doodling = 1 linked Observation: Can watch the individual in action (doodling) = 1 generic So can record different types of doodles / when they doodle / how long they doodle for = 1 linked

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4(a) Name two types of observations. 2 Any two of: Covert; Overt; Participant; Non-participant; Controlled; Naturalistic; 4(b) For one of your answers in 4(a): 2 Explain why this type of observation is a valid way of observing participants. 1 mark for identification of why it is valid 1 mark detail of explanation of why it is valid Covert: Because the participants are unaware that they are being observed; • So are less likely to show socially desirable behaviour (than in overt observations); • So are less likely to be aware of the aim / will be affected less by demand characteristics; Overt: Valid observations may be impossible with a hidden observer; • e.g. in a natural group outdoors, overt observations must be used (otherwise the situation would become artificial); Participant: The observer is well placed to observe behaviour clearly / to experience the intensity of a social event; • So observations are unlikely to be confounded by poor access; • So observations are more likely to represent the situation in a more complete / complex way; Non-participant: The observer is unlikely to become biased by individuals or events; • So observations are likely to be more objective than in participant observation; • So observations are more likely to represent the situation in a more complete / complex way; Controlled: Situation is guaranteed to elicit the target behaviour is a specific way; • So observations are likely to be more objective than in participant observation; • So observations are more likely to represent the situation in a more complete / complex way; Naturalistic: Situation is (like) everyday life so will elicit genuine target behaviour; • So observations are more likely to represent behaviours of people who are not in a study (than a controlled situation);

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5 At the start of the study by Bandura et al. (aggression), the children 2 were scored numerically on their behaviour in the nursery school. Explain one advantage of scoring behavioural data in this way. 1 mark for advantage 1 mark detail (linked or not) objective = 1 (advantage) the researchers could be confident about the aggression categories = 1 link could be analysed statistically = 1 (advantage) the data could be used to calculate mean numbers of aggressive acts in each category = 1 link

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6 Describe ‘participant variables’ and ‘situational variables’ in research, 6 using any examples. 2 marks max in total for 2 definitions. 5 further marks for detail / examples. Participant variable – confounding variable due to individual differences; • (can be temporary) e.g. hunger in a study on motivation to eat; • (or permanent) e.g. culture in a study on attitudes to different animals; • e.g. personality in a study on risk taking; • e.g. participant variable in Andrade could have been how much the individual normally doodled; • these matter because different participants in different levels of the IV / used independent measures design; • also matter in repeated measures designs, overcome by counterbalancing; • e.g. participant variable in Milgram was experience with electricity (made them disobey earlier); Situational variables – confounding variable due to the influence to the environment; • e.g. whether you had been helped recently in a study on helping; • e.g. situational variable in Piliavin et al. was the behaviour / comments of passengers; • Situational variables are reduced through controls on the environment where possible;

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7 Mark is planning a natural experiment to investigate the short-term effect of noise on classroom performance of school children. He has found a school next to a noisy railway. He is going to compare the children before and during a temporary closure of the railway which will stop all trains for two weeks. 7(a) Explain what makes this study a natural experiment. 2 1 mark for explanation 1 mark for link the IV could not be manipulated = 1 (explanation) the noise was due to the trains or not = 1 (link) mark could not control when the repairs happened / noise stopped and started = 1 link so the two conditions of the experiment could not be controlled, they had to be chosen = 1 (explanation) 7(b) Suggest one way that Mark could measure the effect of noise on the 3 children. 2 marks for method of measurement (e.g. 1 for ‘way’, 1 for ‘data’ or detail) 1 mark for link (to effects of noise / concentration) use a questionnaire = 1 ‘way’ asking them if they had been concentrating well = 1 link e.g. using a question like ‘How well did you work today? 1 = well, 5 = badly = 1 detail by giving them a test in class = 1 ‘way’ e.g. testing them on lesson content = 1 detail to measure whether they had paid attention = 1 link 7(c) Identify two extraneous variables that Mark could control. 2 1 mark of a potential confounding variable x2 brightness; interest of lesson; time of day; how hungry the children are; the number of children in the class; 7(d) Write an operationalised directional (one-tailed) hypothesis for Mark’s 2 experiment. 1 mark for a directional hypothesis (not or partly operationalised) 1 mark for operationalisation of both variables Children will perform better without the trains running = 1 (directional, no operationalisation) Children’s performance will be better when the trains are not running than when they are = 1 (one variable operationalised) Children will score more marks on a test during a week with no trains so less noise than in a week with trains and noise = 2 Children’s performance will be affected by the noise of the trains = 0 (non- directional)

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8 Rachel is correlating two variables: helping behaviour and communication skills. 8(a)(i) Suggest one way that Rachel could measure helping behaviour for this 2 study. 1 mark for identifying a way to measure helping that could be correlated 1 mark for operationalisation using that measure that could be correlated E.g. Asking to join the front of a lunch queue and see how people react = 1 (identify) Score if they let you in or not / score how long it takes them to decide to let you in = 1 (operationalisation) 8(a)(ii) For the way you have suggested in (a)(i): 4 Suggest one advantage and one disadvantage of this way of measuring helping behaviour. 1 mark for advantage 1 mark detail (linked or not) E.g. It can be easily observed from a distance = 1 (advantage) E.g. So this won’t disturb the helpfulness = 1 (link) 1 mark for disadvantage 1 mark detail (linked or not) E.g. Difficult to judge reasons for behaviour = 1 (advantage) E.g. Letting someone into a queue might be because of friendships not helpfulness = 1 (link) 8(b) Outline the relationship that Rachel will find if her results indicate a 1 positive correlation. 1 mark for outline of positive correlational relationship As helpfulness increases, communication skills will increase too = 1 Do not credit statements with a causal element

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9 Perry has collected data about intelligence. He has measured the IQ (Intelligence Quotient) of a large sample of participants. 9(a) Describe one way that Perry could obtain a large sample of participants. 2 1 mark for identification / brief description of any sampling method 1 mark detail (linked or not) Volunteer sample = 1 (identification or detail to benefit of candidate) People respond to the researcher’s advert = 1 (detail) It is a self-selected sample = 1 (identification or detail to benefit of candidate) Opportunity sample = 1 (identification) The researcher uses people who are readily available = 1 (identification or detail to benefit of candidate) Random sample = 1 (identification) Participants are selected from the population each with an equal chance of becoming a participant = 1 (detail) e.g. participants chosen by giving members of a population numbers and pulling these from a hat = 1 (detail) 9(b)(i) When Perry plots the IQ results, they show a normal distribution. 3 Draw a graph of the likely results of the IQ scores using the axes below. IQ You must label the axes of your graph. 1 mark for (roughly) symmetrical, bell shaped line 1 mark for x-axis label ‘IQ’ (scores) 1 mark for y-axis label ‘frequency’ 1 mark for x-axis units 100 in the middle 9(b)(ii) Name the most appropriate measure of central tendency for Perry to use 2 with the IQ data. Include a reason for your answer. 1 mark for name: mean 1 mark for reason: because IQ is interval data because it is more informative than the median/mode 9(b)(iii) Label your graph to show the position of the measure of central 1 tendency that you have named in (b)(ii). 1 mark for label and centre point of bell (e.g. vertical line, cross or arrow)