June 2021
1. 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]
A Determinism
B Ethnocentrism
C Holism
D Interactionism
E Reductionism
2. Two psychology students investigated the effect of type of play area on friendly
behaviours. They watched the behaviour of six-year-old children in two different play areas
and recorded their observations using a set of behavioural categories.
They observed 25 children in the first play area and another 25 children in a second play
area. Play Area 1 was a grass space, surrounded by trees and plants. Play Area 2 was a
paved space, surrounded by brick and concrete walls.
What are behavioural categories? Explain why it was important to use behavioural
categories in this observation. (4 marks)
Behavioural categories is a tallying system which marks when a behaviour is
observed. Behavioural categories are important in this observation as they can help
data stay consistent, and help establish inter-observer reliability as friendly behaviour
can be recorded and compared between observers.
3. After the observation, the students showed their raw data table to their psychology
teacher. The teacher suggested that some of the behavioural categories in Table 1 were not
valid examples of friendly behaviour.
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.
Standing near to another child is not a valid example of friendly behaviour as they
could be facing away from each other, not interacting, and in turn, not being friendly
with one another. A behavioural category, I would suggest the students use ‘smiling
with another child’, as smiling is typically linked to happy, friendly interactions.
Moreover, instead of using playing near with another child, I would suggest ‘playing
with other children’ as this behaviour displays mutual enjoyment among the children.
4. When she looks at the results in Table 1, the teacher says, “I can see there is a
difference in behaviour between the two conditions, but is the difference significant at the
0.05 level of significance?”
, 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)
To measure the significance of the results, the students would need to carry out a
statistical test. The data seen above can be argued as being nominal data as there are
categories. Moreover, the observation uses an independent group design which
would make the appropriate statistical test to use would be a Chi Square. After the
correct statistical test is chosen and calculated, the calculated value should be
compared to the critical value at the 0.05 level of significance. If there is a less than
5% probability that the difference is due to chance, then the students could say the
difference is significant, which would lead them to accept their research hypothesis
and reject the null in turn.
5. In this study, the students used a nomothetic approach for their research.
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)
The opposite approach to the nomothetic approach is the ideographic approach
which aims to provide in-depth, rich data from smaller groups, such as case studies.
This approach could be involved in a study of friendly behaviour by using an open-
ended interview technique which allows for qualitative, open questions to provide a
clear and rich understanding of friendly behaviour in children. This could be done on
either one child or the child with their parents. Unlike a nomothetic approach, the
results should not be used to create generalisations and general laws to society.
6. Discuss gender bias in psychological research. Refer to one topic you have studied
in your answer. (8 marks)
Gender bias in psychological research refers to when a bias is made towards one
gender, which typically is then applied to both. These can cause two main biases to
occur in psychological research: Alpha and Beta bias. An alpha bias is when the
differences between genders are exaggerated, while a beta bias is when the
differences between genders are minimised or ignored, which typically results in one
gender being studied and generalisations are made to both genders. This can lead to
other biases, such as androcentrism or gynocentrism. Androcentrism is when a male
sample is used and the results of that study are generalised onto women, which is
incorrect as it assumes male behaviour is the norm, possibly offering up socially
sensitive issues. On the other hand, gynocentrism is when a female sample is used
and that is then generalised onto men, assuming female behaviour is the norm. Both
of these biases are a form of beta bias as they ignore the natural differences between
men and women, suggesting the behaviour between the two genders is the same and
therefore these generalisations can be made, when that is not the case as visible in
many psychological theories.
A topic I have studied which has a visible gender bias is obedience. Milgram's
obedience study is a good example of an androcentric bias occurring in research as
he used all male participants to research how one obeys authority. This data was then
published with a nomothetic approach, suggesting it aimed to create general laws and
generalisations to all of society, including women, which is an androcentric bias as
well as a beta bias as it ignores the natural differences in men and women, believing
male behaviour is the norm.
1. 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]
A Determinism
B Ethnocentrism
C Holism
D Interactionism
E Reductionism
2. Two psychology students investigated the effect of type of play area on friendly
behaviours. They watched the behaviour of six-year-old children in two different play areas
and recorded their observations using a set of behavioural categories.
They observed 25 children in the first play area and another 25 children in a second play
area. Play Area 1 was a grass space, surrounded by trees and plants. Play Area 2 was a
paved space, surrounded by brick and concrete walls.
What are behavioural categories? Explain why it was important to use behavioural
categories in this observation. (4 marks)
Behavioural categories is a tallying system which marks when a behaviour is
observed. Behavioural categories are important in this observation as they can help
data stay consistent, and help establish inter-observer reliability as friendly behaviour
can be recorded and compared between observers.
3. After the observation, the students showed their raw data table to their psychology
teacher. The teacher suggested that some of the behavioural categories in Table 1 were not
valid examples of friendly behaviour.
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.
Standing near to another child is not a valid example of friendly behaviour as they
could be facing away from each other, not interacting, and in turn, not being friendly
with one another. A behavioural category, I would suggest the students use ‘smiling
with another child’, as smiling is typically linked to happy, friendly interactions.
Moreover, instead of using playing near with another child, I would suggest ‘playing
with other children’ as this behaviour displays mutual enjoyment among the children.
4. When she looks at the results in Table 1, the teacher says, “I can see there is a
difference in behaviour between the two conditions, but is the difference significant at the
0.05 level of significance?”
, 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)
To measure the significance of the results, the students would need to carry out a
statistical test. The data seen above can be argued as being nominal data as there are
categories. Moreover, the observation uses an independent group design which
would make the appropriate statistical test to use would be a Chi Square. After the
correct statistical test is chosen and calculated, the calculated value should be
compared to the critical value at the 0.05 level of significance. If there is a less than
5% probability that the difference is due to chance, then the students could say the
difference is significant, which would lead them to accept their research hypothesis
and reject the null in turn.
5. In this study, the students used a nomothetic approach for their research.
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)
The opposite approach to the nomothetic approach is the ideographic approach
which aims to provide in-depth, rich data from smaller groups, such as case studies.
This approach could be involved in a study of friendly behaviour by using an open-
ended interview technique which allows for qualitative, open questions to provide a
clear and rich understanding of friendly behaviour in children. This could be done on
either one child or the child with their parents. Unlike a nomothetic approach, the
results should not be used to create generalisations and general laws to society.
6. Discuss gender bias in psychological research. Refer to one topic you have studied
in your answer. (8 marks)
Gender bias in psychological research refers to when a bias is made towards one
gender, which typically is then applied to both. These can cause two main biases to
occur in psychological research: Alpha and Beta bias. An alpha bias is when the
differences between genders are exaggerated, while a beta bias is when the
differences between genders are minimised or ignored, which typically results in one
gender being studied and generalisations are made to both genders. This can lead to
other biases, such as androcentrism or gynocentrism. Androcentrism is when a male
sample is used and the results of that study are generalised onto women, which is
incorrect as it assumes male behaviour is the norm, possibly offering up socially
sensitive issues. On the other hand, gynocentrism is when a female sample is used
and that is then generalised onto men, assuming female behaviour is the norm. Both
of these biases are a form of beta bias as they ignore the natural differences between
men and women, suggesting the behaviour between the two genders is the same and
therefore these generalisations can be made, when that is not the case as visible in
many psychological theories.
A topic I have studied which has a visible gender bias is obedience. Milgram's
obedience study is a good example of an androcentric bias occurring in research as
he used all male participants to research how one obeys authority. This data was then
published with a nomothetic approach, suggesting it aimed to create general laws and
generalisations to all of society, including women, which is an androcentric bias as
well as a beta bias as it ignores the natural differences in men and women, believing
male behaviour is the norm.
