AQA PSYCHOLOGY A LEVEL ISSUES
AND DEBATES QUESTIONS &
ACTUAL PASSED ANSWERS LATEST
VERSION
Universality - Correct Answer ✔✔ Any underlying characteristic of human beings that is
capable of being applied to all
Ekman (1989) - Correct Answer ✔✔ Argued that facial expressions are an example of
universality
Gender Bias - Correct Answer ✔✔ When one gender is treated in a different way from
another
Androcentrism - Correct Answer ✔✔ When 'normal' behaviour is judged according to a
male standard and so anything which deviates from this is seen as 'abnormal'
PMS is often thought as a stereotype when in fact is a diagnosable disorder under the
DSM-5
Alpha Bias - Correct Answer ✔✔ Psychological theory which suggest a difference
between males and females e.g. Wilson's principle of survival efficacy
Beta Bias - Correct Answer ✔✔ Theories that ignore or minimise the differences
between males and females e.g. Freud
Gender Bias - Correct Answer ✔✔ Evaluation: Implications of bias- misleading
assumptions of female behaviour// Sexism within research- more likely to be published
if highlighting differences between males and females// Reflexivity- psychologists now
consider this when conducting research
Cultural Bias - Correct Answer ✔✔ The tendency to ignore the cultural differences and
interpret information through the 'lens' of our own culture ie. in 1992, 64% of the worlds
psychology researchers were American
Ethnocentrism - Correct Answer ✔✔ Judging other cultures by the standards and
values of one's own cultures and in extreme cases the superiority of one e.g.
Ainsworth's strange situation
Cultural Relativism - Correct Answer ✔✔ The idea that norms, values and morals can
only be understood within a specific social and cultural context
, Berry (1969) - Correct Answer ✔✔ Distinguished between etic and emic
Etic - Correct Answer ✔✔ Looks at behaviour outside of a culture and attempts to
describe those behaviours as universal
Emic - Correct Answer ✔✔ Looks at behaviours within a certain culture an describes
behaviour within that culture
Cultural Bias - Correct Answer ✔✔ Evaluation: Individualism and collectivism//
Relativism vs universality// Unfamiliarity with research tradition
Free Will - Correct Answer ✔✔ The notion that human being can make choices that are
not determined by biological or external forces
Determinism - Correct Answer ✔✔ The idea that behaviour is controlled by internal
forces e.g. genetics or external forces e.g. conditioning
Biological determinism - Correct Answer ✔✔ The belief that behaviour is caused by
biological influences we cannot control
Hard determinism - Correct Answer ✔✔ Implies free will is not possible as our
behaviour is always caused by events beyond our control, sometimes called fatalism
Soft determinism - Correct Answer ✔✔ First put forward by James (1890): All events
have causes but we can also control our conscious choices in the absence of coercion
Environmental determinism - Correct Answer ✔✔ The idea that behaviour is caused by
features of our environment
Psychic determinism - Correct Answer ✔✔ The idea that behaviour is caused by
internal conflicts we cannot control
Evaluation of determinism - Correct Answer ✔✔ Advantages: compatible with aims of
science with the ideas of general laws
Applications in the development of therapies and medication e.g. antipsychotics for
schizophrenia
Schizophrenia shows we do not have complete free will- who would choose?
Disadvantages: Inconsistent with our legal system
Unfalsifiable- impossible to prove wrong
Evaluation of free will - Correct Answer ✔✔ Advantages: we feel like we are in control of
decisions giving it face validity
Internal LOC are more mentally healthy
Disadvantages: Libet (1985) found that simple decisions e.g. which hand to press a
button with were decided before we were conscious of the task
At least some are determined
AND DEBATES QUESTIONS &
ACTUAL PASSED ANSWERS LATEST
VERSION
Universality - Correct Answer ✔✔ Any underlying characteristic of human beings that is
capable of being applied to all
Ekman (1989) - Correct Answer ✔✔ Argued that facial expressions are an example of
universality
Gender Bias - Correct Answer ✔✔ When one gender is treated in a different way from
another
Androcentrism - Correct Answer ✔✔ When 'normal' behaviour is judged according to a
male standard and so anything which deviates from this is seen as 'abnormal'
PMS is often thought as a stereotype when in fact is a diagnosable disorder under the
DSM-5
Alpha Bias - Correct Answer ✔✔ Psychological theory which suggest a difference
between males and females e.g. Wilson's principle of survival efficacy
Beta Bias - Correct Answer ✔✔ Theories that ignore or minimise the differences
between males and females e.g. Freud
Gender Bias - Correct Answer ✔✔ Evaluation: Implications of bias- misleading
assumptions of female behaviour// Sexism within research- more likely to be published
if highlighting differences between males and females// Reflexivity- psychologists now
consider this when conducting research
Cultural Bias - Correct Answer ✔✔ The tendency to ignore the cultural differences and
interpret information through the 'lens' of our own culture ie. in 1992, 64% of the worlds
psychology researchers were American
Ethnocentrism - Correct Answer ✔✔ Judging other cultures by the standards and
values of one's own cultures and in extreme cases the superiority of one e.g.
Ainsworth's strange situation
Cultural Relativism - Correct Answer ✔✔ The idea that norms, values and morals can
only be understood within a specific social and cultural context
, Berry (1969) - Correct Answer ✔✔ Distinguished between etic and emic
Etic - Correct Answer ✔✔ Looks at behaviour outside of a culture and attempts to
describe those behaviours as universal
Emic - Correct Answer ✔✔ Looks at behaviours within a certain culture an describes
behaviour within that culture
Cultural Bias - Correct Answer ✔✔ Evaluation: Individualism and collectivism//
Relativism vs universality// Unfamiliarity with research tradition
Free Will - Correct Answer ✔✔ The notion that human being can make choices that are
not determined by biological or external forces
Determinism - Correct Answer ✔✔ The idea that behaviour is controlled by internal
forces e.g. genetics or external forces e.g. conditioning
Biological determinism - Correct Answer ✔✔ The belief that behaviour is caused by
biological influences we cannot control
Hard determinism - Correct Answer ✔✔ Implies free will is not possible as our
behaviour is always caused by events beyond our control, sometimes called fatalism
Soft determinism - Correct Answer ✔✔ First put forward by James (1890): All events
have causes but we can also control our conscious choices in the absence of coercion
Environmental determinism - Correct Answer ✔✔ The idea that behaviour is caused by
features of our environment
Psychic determinism - Correct Answer ✔✔ The idea that behaviour is caused by
internal conflicts we cannot control
Evaluation of determinism - Correct Answer ✔✔ Advantages: compatible with aims of
science with the ideas of general laws
Applications in the development of therapies and medication e.g. antipsychotics for
schizophrenia
Schizophrenia shows we do not have complete free will- who would choose?
Disadvantages: Inconsistent with our legal system
Unfalsifiable- impossible to prove wrong
Evaluation of free will - Correct Answer ✔✔ Advantages: we feel like we are in control of
decisions giving it face validity
Internal LOC are more mentally healthy
Disadvantages: Libet (1985) found that simple decisions e.g. which hand to press a
button with were decided before we were conscious of the task
At least some are determined
