PSYCHOLOGY PAPER 1 CORRECT
ANSWERS
Outline what is meant by 'agentic state' as an explanation for obedience. -
correct-answers-when a person acts on behalf of an authority figure/person
of higher status
the actor feels no personal responsibility/does not feel guilty for their
actions
the opposite of an autonomous state in which people act according to their
own principles
Using your knowledge of minority influence, explain how Jenny might be able
to
persuade the rest of the department to accept her view - correct-answers-
Jenny should demonstrate consistency by not deviating from her view that
not grading work is a
good idea despite social pressure - she could point out that this is a view
that she has held throughout her teaching career
Jenny should demonstrate commitment by placing herself at some
risk/inconvenience - she may volunteer to field criticisms from students,
parents, other departments, etc. This will draw more attention to her cause'
(augmentation principle)
Jenny should demonstrate flexibility by adapting her view/accepting other
valid
counterarguments. Perhaps some pieces of work could be ungraded but not
all - for instance,
grading mock exams but not homework
over time, the rest of the department may become 'converted' (snowball
effect) - for example, if Jenny's students start to perform particularly well
,Discuss what psychological research has told us about why people conform. -
correct-answers-normative social influence - going along with the majority
through fear of rejection/being seen as
an outcast; a desire to be liked; leads to compliance; conforming for
emotional reasons – a temporary change in view/behavior
informational social influence - going along with the majority through
acceptance of new
information; a desire to be right; leads to internalization; conforming for
cognitive reasons - a permanent change in view/behavior
conformity to social roles
accept types of conformity: identification - wanting to have affinity with a
group that we value;
internalization - private acceptance of the majority view; compliance - public
acceptance despite
private disagreement
accept variables affecting conformity as reasons - group size; unanimity;
task difficulty
accept dispositional explanations such as having an external locus of control
Possible discussion points:
Discussion of reasons why we conform.
use of evidence to discuss the reasons (e.g. Sherif (1935), Asch (1951),
Anderson et al (1992),
Baron, Vandello & Brunsman (1996), Zimbardo (1973))
normative social influence can explain the results of conformity studies in
unambiguous
situations e.g. Asch
informational influence can explain conformity in ambiguous situations in
which both public and
private agreement occurs, e.g. Sherif, Jenness
,analysis of Asch variations when linked to discussion of reasons
discussion of difficulty measuring and/or distinguishing between reasons
why conformity occurs
discussion of individual differences in reasons for conformity, e.g. gender,
culture, locus of
control, level of expertise, affiliates
Name the two components of working memory that would be involved in the
performance of the tasks in Condition A.
Mentally counting backwards from 100 =
Tracking colored shapes on a computer screen = - correct-answers-Mentally
counting backwards from 100 - Articulatory loop or store; phonological loop
or store; articulatory control processes.
Tracking colored shapes on a computer screen - Visuo-spatial
scratchpad/sketchpad/Inner
scribe/Visual cache.
Accept central executive/episodic buffer for either component, but not the
same answer for both.
Briefly explain two ways in which the working memory experiment described
above
could be improved. - correct-answers-improving the sample/sampling
method/target population - details of alternative method, e.g.
stratified
changing the design - use of an alternative design (repeated measures,
matched pairs) and brief
details of how this would be implemented
changing the nature of the tasks - suggestions for tasks that are more
reflective of real-life
behavior, e.g. reading e-mails whilst talking on the phone, etc.
changing the type of experiment - suggestions for alternative, e.g. field
study - carry out the
research in a more natural setting, e.g. an office environment or a classroom
, participants should be randomly allocated to each experimental condition;
brief explanation of
how this would be done
Discuss one strength of the working memory model. - correct-answers-
evidence supports the existence of separate stores in STM, e.g. KF; brain
scanning evidence, e.g.
Paules; dual-task performance, e.g. Baddeley et al. Evidence may be used to
support general
principles of model or specific stores/sub-components
suggests STM is an active processor rather than the unitary 'stopping-off
station' version
presented by the multi-store model
practical application, e.g. phonological deficits observed in dyslexia linked
to articulatory loop
Describe the cognitive interview. - correct-answers-reinstating the context -
interviewee mentally reinstates the environmental and personal context
of the incident, e.g. sights, sounds, weather etc.; (based on the principle of
retrieval failure/cue dependent forgetting that cues may trigger recall)
report everything - interviewer encourages the reporting of every single
detail of the event, even
though it may seem irrelevant; (such detail may trigger other memories)
changing order - interviewer tries alternative ways through the timeline of
the incident; (reduces
possibility that recalls may be influenced by schema/expectations)
changing perspective - interviewee recalls from different perspectives, e.g.
how it would have
appeared to other witnesses; (reduces influence of schema)
features of enhanced cognitive interview to facilitate recall - focus on social
interaction, reducing
anxiety/distractions, slow speech, use of open-ended questions
ANSWERS
Outline what is meant by 'agentic state' as an explanation for obedience. -
correct-answers-when a person acts on behalf of an authority figure/person
of higher status
the actor feels no personal responsibility/does not feel guilty for their
actions
the opposite of an autonomous state in which people act according to their
own principles
Using your knowledge of minority influence, explain how Jenny might be able
to
persuade the rest of the department to accept her view - correct-answers-
Jenny should demonstrate consistency by not deviating from her view that
not grading work is a
good idea despite social pressure - she could point out that this is a view
that she has held throughout her teaching career
Jenny should demonstrate commitment by placing herself at some
risk/inconvenience - she may volunteer to field criticisms from students,
parents, other departments, etc. This will draw more attention to her cause'
(augmentation principle)
Jenny should demonstrate flexibility by adapting her view/accepting other
valid
counterarguments. Perhaps some pieces of work could be ungraded but not
all - for instance,
grading mock exams but not homework
over time, the rest of the department may become 'converted' (snowball
effect) - for example, if Jenny's students start to perform particularly well
,Discuss what psychological research has told us about why people conform. -
correct-answers-normative social influence - going along with the majority
through fear of rejection/being seen as
an outcast; a desire to be liked; leads to compliance; conforming for
emotional reasons – a temporary change in view/behavior
informational social influence - going along with the majority through
acceptance of new
information; a desire to be right; leads to internalization; conforming for
cognitive reasons - a permanent change in view/behavior
conformity to social roles
accept types of conformity: identification - wanting to have affinity with a
group that we value;
internalization - private acceptance of the majority view; compliance - public
acceptance despite
private disagreement
accept variables affecting conformity as reasons - group size; unanimity;
task difficulty
accept dispositional explanations such as having an external locus of control
Possible discussion points:
Discussion of reasons why we conform.
use of evidence to discuss the reasons (e.g. Sherif (1935), Asch (1951),
Anderson et al (1992),
Baron, Vandello & Brunsman (1996), Zimbardo (1973))
normative social influence can explain the results of conformity studies in
unambiguous
situations e.g. Asch
informational influence can explain conformity in ambiguous situations in
which both public and
private agreement occurs, e.g. Sherif, Jenness
,analysis of Asch variations when linked to discussion of reasons
discussion of difficulty measuring and/or distinguishing between reasons
why conformity occurs
discussion of individual differences in reasons for conformity, e.g. gender,
culture, locus of
control, level of expertise, affiliates
Name the two components of working memory that would be involved in the
performance of the tasks in Condition A.
Mentally counting backwards from 100 =
Tracking colored shapes on a computer screen = - correct-answers-Mentally
counting backwards from 100 - Articulatory loop or store; phonological loop
or store; articulatory control processes.
Tracking colored shapes on a computer screen - Visuo-spatial
scratchpad/sketchpad/Inner
scribe/Visual cache.
Accept central executive/episodic buffer for either component, but not the
same answer for both.
Briefly explain two ways in which the working memory experiment described
above
could be improved. - correct-answers-improving the sample/sampling
method/target population - details of alternative method, e.g.
stratified
changing the design - use of an alternative design (repeated measures,
matched pairs) and brief
details of how this would be implemented
changing the nature of the tasks - suggestions for tasks that are more
reflective of real-life
behavior, e.g. reading e-mails whilst talking on the phone, etc.
changing the type of experiment - suggestions for alternative, e.g. field
study - carry out the
research in a more natural setting, e.g. an office environment or a classroom
, participants should be randomly allocated to each experimental condition;
brief explanation of
how this would be done
Discuss one strength of the working memory model. - correct-answers-
evidence supports the existence of separate stores in STM, e.g. KF; brain
scanning evidence, e.g.
Paules; dual-task performance, e.g. Baddeley et al. Evidence may be used to
support general
principles of model or specific stores/sub-components
suggests STM is an active processor rather than the unitary 'stopping-off
station' version
presented by the multi-store model
practical application, e.g. phonological deficits observed in dyslexia linked
to articulatory loop
Describe the cognitive interview. - correct-answers-reinstating the context -
interviewee mentally reinstates the environmental and personal context
of the incident, e.g. sights, sounds, weather etc.; (based on the principle of
retrieval failure/cue dependent forgetting that cues may trigger recall)
report everything - interviewer encourages the reporting of every single
detail of the event, even
though it may seem irrelevant; (such detail may trigger other memories)
changing order - interviewer tries alternative ways through the timeline of
the incident; (reduces
possibility that recalls may be influenced by schema/expectations)
changing perspective - interviewee recalls from different perspectives, e.g.
how it would have
appeared to other witnesses; (reduces influence of schema)
features of enhanced cognitive interview to facilitate recall - focus on social
interaction, reducing
anxiety/distractions, slow speech, use of open-ended questions
