AQA A-level PSYCHOLOGY 7182/3 Paper 3 Issues and options in psychology Mark scheme June 2022 Version 1.0 Final Mark Scheme .

AQA A-level PSYCHOLOGY 7182/3 Paper 3 Issues and options in psychology Mark scheme June 2022 Version 1.0 Final Mark Scheme. MARK SCHEME – A-LEVEL PSYCHOLOGY – 7182/3 – JUNE 2022 2 Mark schemes are prepared by the Lead Assessment Writer and considered, together with the relevant questions, by a panel of subject teachers. This mark scheme includes any amendments made at the standardisation events which all associates participate in and is the scheme which was used by them in this examination. The standardisation process ensures that the mark scheme covers the students’ responses to questions and that every associate understands and applies it in the same correct way. As preparation for standardisation each associate analyses a number of students’ scripts. Alternative answers not already covered by the mark scheme are discussed and legislated for. If, after the standardisation process, associates encounter unusual answers which have not been raised they are required to refer these to the Lead Examiner. It must be stressed that a mark scheme is a working document, in many cases further developed and expanded on the basis of students’ reactions to a particular paper. Assumptions about future mark schemes on the basis of one year’s document should be avoided; whilst the guiding principles of assessment remain constant, details will change, depending on the content of a particular examination paper. Further copies of this mark scheme are available from . Copyright information AQA retains the copyright on all its publications. However, registered schools/colleges for AQA are permitted to copy material from this booklet for their own internal use, with the following important exception: AQA cannot give permission to schools/colleges to photocopy any material that is acknowledged to a third party even for internal use within the centre. Copyright © 2021 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved. MARK SCHEME – A-LEVEL PSYCHOLOGY – 7182/3 – JUNE 2022 3 Level of response marking instructions Level of response mark schemes are broken down into levels, each of which has a descriptor. The descriptor for the level shows the average performance for the level. There are marks in each level. Before you apply the mark scheme to a student’s answer read through the answer and annotate it (as instructed) to show the qualities that are being looked for. You can then apply the mark scheme. Step 1 Determine a level Start at the lowest level of the mark scheme and use it as a ladder to see whether the answer meets the descriptor for that level. The descriptor for the level indicates the different qualities that might be seen in the student’s answer for that level. If it meets the lowest level then go to the next one and decide if it meets this level, and so on, until you have a match between the level descriptor and the answer. With practice and familiarity you will find that for better answers you will be able to quickly skip through the lower levels of the mark scheme. When assigning a level you should look at the overall quality of the answer and not look to pick holes in small and specific parts of the answer where the student has not performed quite as well as the rest. If the answer covers different aspects of different levels of the mark scheme you should use a best fit approach for defining the level and then use the variability of the response to help decide the mark within the level, ie if the response is predominantly Level 3 with a small amount of Level 4 material it would be placed in Level 3 but be awarded a mark near the top of the level because of the Level 4 content. Step 2 Determine a mark Once you have assigned a level you need to decide on the mark. The descriptors on how to allocate marks can help with this. The exemplar materials used during standardisation will help. Answers in the standardising materials will correspond with the different levels of the mark scheme. These answers will have been awarded a mark by the Lead Examiner. You can compare the student’s answer with the standardised examples to determine if it is the same standard, better or worse than the example. You can then use this to allocate a mark for the answer based on the Lead Examiner’s mark on the example. You may well need to read back through the answer as you apply the mark scheme to clarify points and assure yourself that the level and the mark are appropriate. Indicative content in the mark scheme is provided as a guide for examiners. It is not intended to be exhaustive and you must credit other valid points. Students do not have to cover all of the points mentioned in the indicative content to reach the highest level of the mark scheme. An answer which contains nothing of relevance to the question must be awarded no marks. MARK SCHEME – A-LEVEL PSYCHOLOGY – 7182/3 – JUNE 2022 4 Section A Issues and debates in psychology Which of the following terms best represents the view that biology and environment work together to determine behaviour? Write the correct letter in your answer book. [1 mark] Marks for this question: AO1 = 1 Answer: D – Interactionism What are behavioural categories? Explain why it was important to use behavioural categories in this observation. [4 marks] Marks for this question: AO1 = 2, AO2 = 2 Level Marks Description 2 3–4 Knowledge of behavioural categories is clear and detailed, showing sound understanding. The explanation is clear and appropriate. There is appropriate use of specialist terminology. 1 1–2 Knowledge of behavioural categories is limited/muddled, showing limited understanding. The explanation lacks detail. Use of specialist terminology is either absent or inappropriate. 0 No relevant content. Possible content: • a system of behavioural categories is a list/tally chart examples of behaviour likely to occur during an observation • these should be observable/objectively defined/operationalised/unambiguous. Possible explanation: • using a set of behavioural categories should enable the recordings of friendly behaviour made by the two students to be consistent (can help to establish inter-observer reliability) • this means that the observations can be carried out reliably/be less subjective interpretations of what is friendly and what is not. Credit other relevant material. 0 1 0 2 MARK SCHEME – A-LEVEL PSYCHOLOGY – 7182/3 – JUNE 2022 5 Suggest two better examples of friendly behaviours that the students could have used in their observation. Explain why these might be more valid examples of friendly behaviour than the behaviours in Table 1. [4 marks] Marks for this question: AO3 = 4 Award 1 mark each for each of two behaviours suggested. For credit, behaviours should be both observable and friendly. Possible suggestions: giving a toy to another child, holding hands, cuddling, playing a game that involves co-operation, sharing snacks, talking to each other, playing together. PLUS 2 marks for a clear, coherent explanation of why/how the suggested behaviours might be more valid, showing sound understanding of the concept of validity. 1 mark for a limited/muddled explanation. Possible content: • how the suggested behaviours have face validity because they appear to measure what they are supposed to measure, ie friendly behaviour • how the suggested behaviours show kindness, mutual enjoyment or similar • whereas the behaviours in Table 1 have no obvious friendly element – a child could be playing, sitting, standing near to another but these activities may have no friendly or even social element. 0 3 MARK SCHEME – A-LEVEL PSYCHOLOGY – 7182/3 – JUNE 2022 6 What do the students need to do with the data in Table 1 so that they can answer their teacher’s question? Explain your answer. [4 marks] Marks for this question: AO3 = 4 Level Marks Description 2 3–4 Knowledge of what the students need to do is clear and detailed, showing sound understanding of the use of inferential testing. The explanation is clear and appropriate. There is appropriate use of specialist terminology, including the language of statistical testing. 1 1–2 Knowledge of what the students need to do is limited/muddled, showing limited understanding of the use of inferential testing. The explanation lacks detail. Use of specialist terminology is either absent or inappropriate. 0 No relevant content. Possible content: • they would need to use a Chi-squared test/statistical test/inferential test with the data • in this case there is categorical/nominal data and an independent design • the result of the test (the observed/calculated value) would be compared to the critical table value at the 0.05 level • if there is a less than 5% probability that the difference is due to chance, then the students could say the difference is significant • then they can accept their research hypothesis (reject the null) Accept other relevant material. Name the opposite approach to the nomothetic approach. Briefly outline what this opposite approach might have involved in a study of friendly behaviour. [3 marks] Marks for this question: AO1 = 1, AO2 = 2 1 mark – an idiographic approach. PLUS 2 marks for a clear and coherent outline with clear application. 1 mark for a limited/muddled outline. Possible content: • an idiographic approach would involve investigation of friendliness/friendly behaviour in an individual child or their parents • eg interview/observe/carry out a case study of one child, focussing on their friendly behaviour • results should not be used to generalise findings/propose general laws about friendly behaviour (and play space). 0 4 0 5 MARK SCHEME – A-LEVEL PSYCHOLOGY – 7182/3 – JUNE 2022 7 Discuss gender bias in psychological research. Refer to one topic you have studied in your answer. [8 marks] Marks for this question: AO1 = 3, AO2 = 2, AO3 = 3 Level Marks Description 4 7–8 Knowledge of gender bias in psychological research is accurate with some detail. Reference to topic is effective. Discussion is thorough and effective. Minor detail and/or expansion of argument is sometimes lacking. The answer is clear, coherent and focused. Specialist terminology is used effectively. 3 5–6 Knowledge of gender bias in psychological research is evident but there are occasional inaccuracies/omissions. Application to topic/discussion is mostly effective. The answer is mostly clear and organised but occasionally lacks focus. Specialist terminology is used appropriately. 2 3–4 Limited knowledge of gender bias in psychological research is present. Focus is mainly on description. Any application to topic/discussion is of limited effectiveness. The answer lacks clarity, accuracy and organisation in places. Specialist terminology is used inappropriately on occasions. 1 1–2 Knowledge of gender bias in psychological research is very limited. Application to topic/discussion is limited, poorly focused or absent. The answer as a whole lacks clarity, has many inaccuracies and is poorly organised. Specialist terminology is either absent or inappropriately used. 0 No relevant content. Possible content: • failure to consider adequately differences between men and women can lead to gender bias • historically in psychology there has been predominance of research based on samples of men • researchers might have different expectations of men and women, which might then affect research outcomes • alpha bias – overemphasises differences between men and women • beta bias – underestimates differences between men and women • overemphasis on importance of biology as the driver of behaviour. Possible application to topic: • research into mental illness that labels anxiety as a typically ‘female’ symptom – hysteria (Freud) • research into moral development that suggests women’s morality might be less sophisticated than that of men (Kohlberg) • evolutionary theory might suggest promiscuity in men is normal and acceptable whilst promiscuity in women is abnormal and unacceptable • much work on the fight or flight response is focused on men – women’s stress reaction can be different – tend and befriend • traditional social psychological research, eg Milgram, Asch, tended to use largely male samples. Possible discussion: • gender bias might result in androcentrism – belief that men’s behaviour represents the norm and therefore that any behaviour typical of women might be judged abnormal • implications for interpretation of the findings and conclusions from psychological research/how the research might be used in society, eg creating/reinforcing prejudice and stereotypes 0 6 MARK SCHEME – A-LEVEL PSYCHOLOGY – 7182/3 – JUNE 2022 8 • need to reinforce views that men and women are more similar than they are different – notion of universality • promoting the idea that not all members of a sex are the same • ways of avoiding gender bias, eg studying women in a women only environment. Credit other relevant material.