AQA A LEVEL PSYCHOLOGY PAPER 2
Give one reason why schema's are useful? - When we're in unknown situations schemas
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help us know how to behave. So when we do not know what to do our schema fills in the
II II II II II II II II II II II II II II II II II II II II
gaps for us and allow us to process situations better.
II II II II II II II II II II
Give one reason why schema's are not useful? - schemas may exclude information
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which doesn't conform to our prior expectations. As a result, we may form stereotypes
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which are difficult to shift, even if new,disputing information is presented. This means we
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may not be processing the world around us accurately and may misjudge or represent a
II II II II II II II II II II II II II II II
person or situation.
II II II
Discuss the defense mechanism shown by Jed? - Displacement is when we redirect our
II II II II II II II II II II II II II II II II
hostile feelings onto something else because it is not appropriate to express their feeling
II II II II II II II II II II II II II II
towards the person or object in question. Jed can't take his frustration out on his teacher,
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who issued the detention and he displaced his feelings by kicking the locker.
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Outline the key features of the behaviourist approach. Compare to the biological
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approach,
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(A01 Behaviourist) - The behaviourist approach suggests that the basic processes that
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govern learning in all species are the same. We learn through two concepts: operant
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conditioning and classical conditioning.
II II II II
Outline the key features of the behaviourist approach. Compare to the biological
II II II II II II II II II II II II
approach, (classical conditioning) - The idea of classical conditioning was developed by
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Pavlov who found that we learn through association. He found that it was possible to
II II II II II II II II II II II II II II II
condition dogs to associate the sound of a bell with food. This resulted in the dogs
II II II II II II II II II II II II II II II II
producing a salivation response at the sound of a bell even when no food was present.
II II II II II II II II II II II II II II II II
Pavlov demonstrated that repeated exposure to an event leads to a learned and
II II II II II II II II II II II II II
uncontrollable behaviour.
II II
Outline the key features of the behaviourist approach. Compare to the biological
II II II II II II II II II II II II
approach, (operant conditioning) - Skinner suggested behaviour resulted from learning
II II II II II II II II II II II II
through the consequences of our actions. He conducted research into operant
II II II II II II II II II II II
conditioning theory using rats, and found that three types of consequences will affect
II II II II II II II II II II II II II
behaviour: positive reinforcement involves rewarding a behaviour, which increases it
II II II II II II II II II II
being repeated; negative reinforcement involves removing an unpleasant outcome to
II II II II II II II II II II
increase it being repeated; punishment involves adding an unpleasant outcome,reducing
II II II II II II II II II II
the behaviour.
II II
Outline the key features of the behaviourist approach. Compare to the biological
II II II II II II II II II II II II
approach, (similarity to biological) - Both the behaviourist approach and biological
II II II II II II II II II II II II II
approach share a similarity in being determinist. Both ignore the influence that the person
II II II II II II II II II II II II II II
can have and whether they have free will and can make their own choices in these
II II II II II II II II II II II II II II II II
decisions.
II
, Outline the key features of the behaviourist approach. Compare to the biological
II II II II II II II II II II II II
approach, (difference) - However, they differ in that the behaviourist approach is
II II II II II II II II II II II II II II
environmentally determinist while the biological approach is biologically determinist.
II II II II II II II II II
Stating that behaviour is the product of internal biological factors (e.g. genes, hormones,
II II II II II II II II II II II II II
neurotransmitters, etc.) while behaviourists argue that behaviour is determined by the
II II II II II II II II II II II
environment and is a product of stimulus-response associations
II II II II II II II II
Outline the key features of the behaviourist approach. Compare to the biological
II II II II II II II II II II II II
approach (similarity) - Both approaches take a nomothetic approach when studying
II II II II II II II II II II II II II
human behaviour. Both investigate behaviour to try to create universal laws that apply to
II II II II II II II II II II II II II II
all human beings. Biologists argue that this is possible because human beings share
II II II II II II II II II II II II II
similar physiologies, and behaviourists argue that this is possible because all behaviour is
II II II II II II II II II II II II II
the result of learning and stimulus-response associations. Therefore, the aim of
II II II II II II II II II II II
generating universal laws that apply to all humans is another similarity between the
II II II II II II II II II II II II II
behaviourist and biological approaches.
II II II II
Outline the key features of the behaviourist approach. Compare to the biological
II II II II II II II II II II II II
approach (nature + nurture) - the behaviourist approach and biological approach are
II II II II II II II II II II II II II II
different in their position on the nature-nurture debate. Behaviourist views rest firmly on
II II II II II II II II II II II II II
the nurture side of the debate, and that human beings are blank slates and that all
II II II II II II II II II II II II II II II II
behaviour is learned. Biological psychologists argue a nature-based view of behaviour.
II II II II II II II II II II II
They posit that behaviour is the result of innate biological factors (e.g. genes, hormones,
II II II II II II II II II II II II II II
neurotransmitters. etc.) and is, therefore, the product of nature and not nurture.
II II II II II II II II II II II II
Therefore, despite their similarities in terms of determinism and their approach to
II II II II II II II II II II II II
investigation, the behaviourist and biological approaches are radically different in terms of
II II II II II II II II II II II II
their position on the nature-nurture debate.
II II II II II II
Name a difference between somatic nervous system and autonomic nervous system? -
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The somatic nervous system facilitates communication between the central nervous
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system and the outside world, whereas the autonomic nervous system plays an important
II II II II II II II II II II II II II
role in maintaining internal processes like body temperature.
II II II II II II II II
Label the picture of the diagram to show which neuron went where - A = Sensory
II II II II II II II II II II II II II II II II II II
B = Relay
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C = Motor
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Explain why neurons travel in one direction during synaptic transmission? -
II II II II II II II II II II II II II
Consequently, the information can only travel in this direction because the
II II II II II II II II II II II
neurotransmitters are released from the vesicles at the end of the pre-synaptic neuron
II II II II II II II II II II II II II
and bind to sites at the start of the post-synaptic neuron. This would make it impossible for
II II II II II II II II II II II II II II II II II
information to flow in any other direction.
II II II II II II II
relate fight or flight to why it would be unhelpful for someone taking a driving test - When
II II II II II II II II II II II II II II II II II II II II
entering a stressful situation, like a driving test, the amydala activates. The amygdala
II II II II II II II II II II II II II
sends a distress signal to the hypothalamus,which then communicates with the body
II II II II II II II II II II II II
Give one reason why schema's are useful? - When we're in unknown situations schemas
II II II II II II II II II II II II II II II
help us know how to behave. So when we do not know what to do our schema fills in the
II II II II II II II II II II II II II II II II II II II II
gaps for us and allow us to process situations better.
II II II II II II II II II II
Give one reason why schema's are not useful? - schemas may exclude information
II II II II II II II II II II II II II II II
which doesn't conform to our prior expectations. As a result, we may form stereotypes
II II II II II II II II II II II II II II
which are difficult to shift, even if new,disputing information is presented. This means we
II II II II II II II II II II II II II II
may not be processing the world around us accurately and may misjudge or represent a
II II II II II II II II II II II II II II II
person or situation.
II II II
Discuss the defense mechanism shown by Jed? - Displacement is when we redirect our
II II II II II II II II II II II II II II II II
hostile feelings onto something else because it is not appropriate to express their feeling
II II II II II II II II II II II II II II
towards the person or object in question. Jed can't take his frustration out on his teacher,
II II II II II II II II II II II II II II II II
who issued the detention and he displaced his feelings by kicking the locker.
II II II II II II II II II II II II II
Outline the key features of the behaviourist approach. Compare to the biological
II II II II II II II II II II II II
approach,
II II
(A01 Behaviourist) - The behaviourist approach suggests that the basic processes that
II II II II II II II II II II II II II
govern learning in all species are the same. We learn through two concepts: operant
II II II II II II II II II II II II II II
conditioning and classical conditioning.
II II II II
Outline the key features of the behaviourist approach. Compare to the biological
II II II II II II II II II II II II
approach, (classical conditioning) - The idea of classical conditioning was developed by
II II II II II II II II II II II II II II
Pavlov who found that we learn through association. He found that it was possible to
II II II II II II II II II II II II II II II
condition dogs to associate the sound of a bell with food. This resulted in the dogs
II II II II II II II II II II II II II II II II
producing a salivation response at the sound of a bell even when no food was present.
II II II II II II II II II II II II II II II II
Pavlov demonstrated that repeated exposure to an event leads to a learned and
II II II II II II II II II II II II II
uncontrollable behaviour.
II II
Outline the key features of the behaviourist approach. Compare to the biological
II II II II II II II II II II II II
approach, (operant conditioning) - Skinner suggested behaviour resulted from learning
II II II II II II II II II II II II
through the consequences of our actions. He conducted research into operant
II II II II II II II II II II II
conditioning theory using rats, and found that three types of consequences will affect
II II II II II II II II II II II II II
behaviour: positive reinforcement involves rewarding a behaviour, which increases it
II II II II II II II II II II
being repeated; negative reinforcement involves removing an unpleasant outcome to
II II II II II II II II II II
increase it being repeated; punishment involves adding an unpleasant outcome,reducing
II II II II II II II II II II
the behaviour.
II II
Outline the key features of the behaviourist approach. Compare to the biological
II II II II II II II II II II II II
approach, (similarity to biological) - Both the behaviourist approach and biological
II II II II II II II II II II II II II
approach share a similarity in being determinist. Both ignore the influence that the person
II II II II II II II II II II II II II II
can have and whether they have free will and can make their own choices in these
II II II II II II II II II II II II II II II II
decisions.
II
, Outline the key features of the behaviourist approach. Compare to the biological
II II II II II II II II II II II II
approach, (difference) - However, they differ in that the behaviourist approach is
II II II II II II II II II II II II II II
environmentally determinist while the biological approach is biologically determinist.
II II II II II II II II II
Stating that behaviour is the product of internal biological factors (e.g. genes, hormones,
II II II II II II II II II II II II II
neurotransmitters, etc.) while behaviourists argue that behaviour is determined by the
II II II II II II II II II II II
environment and is a product of stimulus-response associations
II II II II II II II II
Outline the key features of the behaviourist approach. Compare to the biological
II II II II II II II II II II II II
approach (similarity) - Both approaches take a nomothetic approach when studying
II II II II II II II II II II II II II
human behaviour. Both investigate behaviour to try to create universal laws that apply to
II II II II II II II II II II II II II II
all human beings. Biologists argue that this is possible because human beings share
II II II II II II II II II II II II II
similar physiologies, and behaviourists argue that this is possible because all behaviour is
II II II II II II II II II II II II II
the result of learning and stimulus-response associations. Therefore, the aim of
II II II II II II II II II II II
generating universal laws that apply to all humans is another similarity between the
II II II II II II II II II II II II II
behaviourist and biological approaches.
II II II II
Outline the key features of the behaviourist approach. Compare to the biological
II II II II II II II II II II II II
approach (nature + nurture) - the behaviourist approach and biological approach are
II II II II II II II II II II II II II II
different in their position on the nature-nurture debate. Behaviourist views rest firmly on
II II II II II II II II II II II II II
the nurture side of the debate, and that human beings are blank slates and that all
II II II II II II II II II II II II II II II II
behaviour is learned. Biological psychologists argue a nature-based view of behaviour.
II II II II II II II II II II II
They posit that behaviour is the result of innate biological factors (e.g. genes, hormones,
II II II II II II II II II II II II II II
neurotransmitters. etc.) and is, therefore, the product of nature and not nurture.
II II II II II II II II II II II II
Therefore, despite their similarities in terms of determinism and their approach to
II II II II II II II II II II II II
investigation, the behaviourist and biological approaches are radically different in terms of
II II II II II II II II II II II II
their position on the nature-nurture debate.
II II II II II II
Name a difference between somatic nervous system and autonomic nervous system? -
II II II II II II II II II II II II II II
The somatic nervous system facilitates communication between the central nervous
II II II II II II II II II II
system and the outside world, whereas the autonomic nervous system plays an important
II II II II II II II II II II II II II
role in maintaining internal processes like body temperature.
II II II II II II II II
Label the picture of the diagram to show which neuron went where - A = Sensory
II II II II II II II II II II II II II II II II II II
B = Relay
II II II
C = Motor
II II II
Explain why neurons travel in one direction during synaptic transmission? -
II II II II II II II II II II II II II
Consequently, the information can only travel in this direction because the
II II II II II II II II II II II
neurotransmitters are released from the vesicles at the end of the pre-synaptic neuron
II II II II II II II II II II II II II
and bind to sites at the start of the post-synaptic neuron. This would make it impossible for
II II II II II II II II II II II II II II II II II
information to flow in any other direction.
II II II II II II II
relate fight or flight to why it would be unhelpful for someone taking a driving test - When
II II II II II II II II II II II II II II II II II II II II
entering a stressful situation, like a driving test, the amydala activates. The amygdala
II II II II II II II II II II II II II
sends a distress signal to the hypothalamus,which then communicates with the body
II II II II II II II II II II II II
