AQA PSYCHOLOGY A-Level Paper 2 2025 ASSESSMENT WITH
QUESTIONS AND 100% CORRECT ANSWERS GRADED A
Give one reason why schema's are useful? VERIFIED ANSWER When
we're in unknown situations schemas help us know how to behave. So
when we do not know what to do our schema fills in the gaps for us and
allow us to process situations better.
Give one reason why schema's are not useful? VERIFIED ANSWER
schemas may exclude information which doesn't conform to our prior
expectations. As a result, we may form stereotypes which are difficult to
shift, even if new,disputing information is presented. This means we
may not be processing the world around us accurately and may misjudge
or represent a person or situation.
Discuss the defense mechanism shown by Jed? VERIFIED ANSWER
Displacement is when we redirect our hostile feelings onto something
else because it is not appropriate to express their feeling towards the
person or object in question. Jed can't take his frustration out on his
teacher, who issued the detention and he displaced his feelings by
kicking the locker.
Outline the key features of the behaviourist approach. Compare to the
biological approach,
(A01 Behaviourist) VERIFIED ANSWER The behaviourist approach
suggests that the basic processes that govern learning in all species are
the same. We learn through two concepts: operant conditioning and
classical conditioning.
,Outline the key features of the behaviourist approach. Compare to the
biological approach, (classical conditioning) VERIFIED ANSWER The
idea of classical conditioning was developed by Pavlov who found that
we learn through association. He found that it was possible to condition
dogs to associate the sound of a bell with food. This resulted in the dogs
producing a salivation response at the sound of a bell even when no food
was present. Pavlov demonstrated that repeated exposure to an event
leads to a learned and uncontrollable behaviour.
Outline the key features of the behaviourist approach. Compare to the
biological approach, (operant conditioning) VERIFIED ANSWER
Skinner suggested behaviour resulted from learning through the
consequences of our actions. He conducted research into operant
conditioning theory using rats, and found that three types of
consequences will affect behaviour: positive reinforcement involves
rewarding a behaviour, which increases it being repeated; negative
reinforcement involves removing an unpleasant outcome to increase it
being repeated; punishment involves adding an unpleasant
outcome,reducing the behaviour.
Outline the key features of the behaviourist approach. Compare to the
biological approach, (similarity to biological) VERIFIED ANSWER
Both the behaviourist approach and biological approach share a
similarity in being determinist. Both ignore the influence that the person
can have and whether they have free will and can make their own
choices in these decisions.
,Outline the key features of the behaviourist approach. Compare to the
biological approach, (difference) VERIFIED ANSWER However, they
differ in that the behaviourist approach is environmentally determinist
while the biological approach is biologically determinist. Stating that
behaviour is the product of internal biological factors (e.g. genes,
hormones, neurotransmitters, etc.) while behaviourists argue that
behaviour is determined by the environment and is a product of
stimulus-response associations
Outline the key features of the behaviourist approach. Compare to the
biological approach (similarity) VERIFIED ANSWER Both approaches
take a nomothetic approach when studying human behaviour. Both
investigate behaviour to try to create universal laws that apply to all
human beings. Biologists argue that this is possible because human
beings share similar physiologies, and behaviourists argue that this is
possible because all behaviour is the result of learning and stimulus-
response associations. Therefore, the aim of generating universal laws
that apply to all humans is another similarity between the behaviourist
and biological approaches.
Outline the key features of the behaviourist approach. Compare to the
biological approach (nature + nurture) VERIFIED ANSWER the
behaviourist approach and biological approach are different in their
position on the nature-nurture debate. Behaviourist views rest firmly on
the nurture side of the debate, and that human beings are blank slates
and that all behaviour is learned. Biological psychologists argue a
nature-based view of behaviour. They posit that behaviour is the result
of innate biological factors (e.g. genes, hormones, neurotransmitters.
etc.) and is, therefore, the product of nature and not nurture. Therefore,
despite their similarities in terms of determinism and their approach to
, investigation, the behaviourist and biological approaches are radically
different in terms of their position on the nature-nurture debate.
Name a difference between somatic nervous system and autonomic
nervous system? VERIFIED ANSWER The somatic nervous system
facilitates communication between the central nervous system and the
outside world, whereas the autonomic nervous system plays an
important role in maintaining internal processes like body temperature.
Label the picture of the diagram to show which neuron went where
VERIFIED ANSWER A = Sensory
B = Relay
C = Motor
Explain why neurons travel in one direction during synaptic
transmission? VERIFIED ANSWER Consequently, the information can
only travel in this direction because the neurotransmitters are released
from the vesicles at the end of the pre-synaptic neuron and bind to sites
at the start of the post-synaptic neuron. This would make it impossible
for information to flow in any other direction.
relate fight or flight to why it would be unhelpful for someone taking a
driving test VERIFIED ANSWER When entering a stressful situation,
like a driving test, the amydala activates. The amygdala sends a distress
signal to the hypothalamus,which then communicates with the body
through the sympathetic nervous system. If a short term response is
needed the SAM pathway is activated. The SNS stimulates the adrenal
medulla which secretes adrenaline into the bloodstream. This causes
QUESTIONS AND 100% CORRECT ANSWERS GRADED A
Give one reason why schema's are useful? VERIFIED ANSWER When
we're in unknown situations schemas help us know how to behave. So
when we do not know what to do our schema fills in the gaps for us and
allow us to process situations better.
Give one reason why schema's are not useful? VERIFIED ANSWER
schemas may exclude information which doesn't conform to our prior
expectations. As a result, we may form stereotypes which are difficult to
shift, even if new,disputing information is presented. This means we
may not be processing the world around us accurately and may misjudge
or represent a person or situation.
Discuss the defense mechanism shown by Jed? VERIFIED ANSWER
Displacement is when we redirect our hostile feelings onto something
else because it is not appropriate to express their feeling towards the
person or object in question. Jed can't take his frustration out on his
teacher, who issued the detention and he displaced his feelings by
kicking the locker.
Outline the key features of the behaviourist approach. Compare to the
biological approach,
(A01 Behaviourist) VERIFIED ANSWER The behaviourist approach
suggests that the basic processes that govern learning in all species are
the same. We learn through two concepts: operant conditioning and
classical conditioning.
,Outline the key features of the behaviourist approach. Compare to the
biological approach, (classical conditioning) VERIFIED ANSWER The
idea of classical conditioning was developed by Pavlov who found that
we learn through association. He found that it was possible to condition
dogs to associate the sound of a bell with food. This resulted in the dogs
producing a salivation response at the sound of a bell even when no food
was present. Pavlov demonstrated that repeated exposure to an event
leads to a learned and uncontrollable behaviour.
Outline the key features of the behaviourist approach. Compare to the
biological approach, (operant conditioning) VERIFIED ANSWER
Skinner suggested behaviour resulted from learning through the
consequences of our actions. He conducted research into operant
conditioning theory using rats, and found that three types of
consequences will affect behaviour: positive reinforcement involves
rewarding a behaviour, which increases it being repeated; negative
reinforcement involves removing an unpleasant outcome to increase it
being repeated; punishment involves adding an unpleasant
outcome,reducing the behaviour.
Outline the key features of the behaviourist approach. Compare to the
biological approach, (similarity to biological) VERIFIED ANSWER
Both the behaviourist approach and biological approach share a
similarity in being determinist. Both ignore the influence that the person
can have and whether they have free will and can make their own
choices in these decisions.
,Outline the key features of the behaviourist approach. Compare to the
biological approach, (difference) VERIFIED ANSWER However, they
differ in that the behaviourist approach is environmentally determinist
while the biological approach is biologically determinist. Stating that
behaviour is the product of internal biological factors (e.g. genes,
hormones, neurotransmitters, etc.) while behaviourists argue that
behaviour is determined by the environment and is a product of
stimulus-response associations
Outline the key features of the behaviourist approach. Compare to the
biological approach (similarity) VERIFIED ANSWER Both approaches
take a nomothetic approach when studying human behaviour. Both
investigate behaviour to try to create universal laws that apply to all
human beings. Biologists argue that this is possible because human
beings share similar physiologies, and behaviourists argue that this is
possible because all behaviour is the result of learning and stimulus-
response associations. Therefore, the aim of generating universal laws
that apply to all humans is another similarity between the behaviourist
and biological approaches.
Outline the key features of the behaviourist approach. Compare to the
biological approach (nature + nurture) VERIFIED ANSWER the
behaviourist approach and biological approach are different in their
position on the nature-nurture debate. Behaviourist views rest firmly on
the nurture side of the debate, and that human beings are blank slates
and that all behaviour is learned. Biological psychologists argue a
nature-based view of behaviour. They posit that behaviour is the result
of innate biological factors (e.g. genes, hormones, neurotransmitters.
etc.) and is, therefore, the product of nature and not nurture. Therefore,
despite their similarities in terms of determinism and their approach to
, investigation, the behaviourist and biological approaches are radically
different in terms of their position on the nature-nurture debate.
Name a difference between somatic nervous system and autonomic
nervous system? VERIFIED ANSWER The somatic nervous system
facilitates communication between the central nervous system and the
outside world, whereas the autonomic nervous system plays an
important role in maintaining internal processes like body temperature.
Label the picture of the diagram to show which neuron went where
VERIFIED ANSWER A = Sensory
B = Relay
C = Motor
Explain why neurons travel in one direction during synaptic
transmission? VERIFIED ANSWER Consequently, the information can
only travel in this direction because the neurotransmitters are released
from the vesicles at the end of the pre-synaptic neuron and bind to sites
at the start of the post-synaptic neuron. This would make it impossible
for information to flow in any other direction.
relate fight or flight to why it would be unhelpful for someone taking a
driving test VERIFIED ANSWER When entering a stressful situation,
like a driving test, the amydala activates. The amygdala sends a distress
signal to the hypothalamus,which then communicates with the body
through the sympathetic nervous system. If a short term response is
needed the SAM pathway is activated. The SNS stimulates the adrenal
medulla which secretes adrenaline into the bloodstream. This causes
