OCR GCSE PSYCHOLOGY EXAM STUDY
SHEET 2026 SOLVED QUESTION SET
◉What does low population validity mean? Answer: Not measured
a representative sample of target population
◉Three problems related to studying people Answer: Demand
characteristics - participants guess the aim of study and behave
differently
Observer effect - Participants behave differently because they know
they are being watched
Social desirability - Participants answer the way they think they
should to come across more socially acceptable
◉6 sources of bias Answer: Gender
Cultural
Age
Experimenter
Observer
Questioning
◉Outline how a median value is calculated Answer: Data set
arranged in numerical order, middle value selected
,◉4 functions of sleep Answer: -Safety from predators
-Healthy brain
-Physical repair
-Emotional stability
◉Explain how sleep is needed for a healthy brain Answer: Toxins
associated with neuro-dengeneration cleared out during sleep
Memories consolidated
◉Explain how sleep is needed for physical repair Answer: Slow
wave sleep helps healing of cells, balancing hormones and immune
system activity
◉Explain how sleep is needed for emotional stability Answer:
Lower levels of stress hormone cortisol
◉Features of sleep stage 1 Answer: Stage 1:
-Light sleep, eye and muscle activity slows, muscle spasms
-Slower, synchronised brain waves (alpha), these slow down to theta
◉Features of sleep stage 2 Answer: -Eye/muscle movements slow
down
, -Theta waves become slower with sudden burst of rapid brain waves
-Loose awareness
◉Features of sleep stage 3 Answer: -Eye/muscle movement stops
-Delta waves alternate with faster waves
◉Features of sleep stage 4 Answer: Only delta waves, deep sleep
with no muscle or eye activity, growth hormones are released and
physical repair takes place
◉Features of REM sleep Answer: -Eyes move rapidly but muscles
are paralysed
-Heart rate and blood pressure increase
-Fast brain waves (similar to awake)
-Dreams occur
◉How are the sleep stages divided? Answer: 50% Stage 2
20% REM
30% Other
◉What is an exogenous zeitgeber? Answer: External cues that may
affect or entrain our biological rhythms, such as the influence of light
on the sleep/wake cycle.
SHEET 2026 SOLVED QUESTION SET
◉What does low population validity mean? Answer: Not measured
a representative sample of target population
◉Three problems related to studying people Answer: Demand
characteristics - participants guess the aim of study and behave
differently
Observer effect - Participants behave differently because they know
they are being watched
Social desirability - Participants answer the way they think they
should to come across more socially acceptable
◉6 sources of bias Answer: Gender
Cultural
Age
Experimenter
Observer
Questioning
◉Outline how a median value is calculated Answer: Data set
arranged in numerical order, middle value selected
,◉4 functions of sleep Answer: -Safety from predators
-Healthy brain
-Physical repair
-Emotional stability
◉Explain how sleep is needed for a healthy brain Answer: Toxins
associated with neuro-dengeneration cleared out during sleep
Memories consolidated
◉Explain how sleep is needed for physical repair Answer: Slow
wave sleep helps healing of cells, balancing hormones and immune
system activity
◉Explain how sleep is needed for emotional stability Answer:
Lower levels of stress hormone cortisol
◉Features of sleep stage 1 Answer: Stage 1:
-Light sleep, eye and muscle activity slows, muscle spasms
-Slower, synchronised brain waves (alpha), these slow down to theta
◉Features of sleep stage 2 Answer: -Eye/muscle movements slow
down
, -Theta waves become slower with sudden burst of rapid brain waves
-Loose awareness
◉Features of sleep stage 3 Answer: -Eye/muscle movement stops
-Delta waves alternate with faster waves
◉Features of sleep stage 4 Answer: Only delta waves, deep sleep
with no muscle or eye activity, growth hormones are released and
physical repair takes place
◉Features of REM sleep Answer: -Eyes move rapidly but muscles
are paralysed
-Heart rate and blood pressure increase
-Fast brain waves (similar to awake)
-Dreams occur
◉How are the sleep stages divided? Answer: 50% Stage 2
20% REM
30% Other
◉What is an exogenous zeitgeber? Answer: External cues that may
affect or entrain our biological rhythms, such as the influence of light
on the sleep/wake cycle.
