AQA A Level Psychology Paper 3: Issues and Options in Psychology June 2023 question paper 7182/3

What is meant by androcentrism?

Suggest two ways in which psychologists could avoid gender bias in their research.

Bob and Mike each have a daughter. Both girls are talented swimmers.

Bob says his daughter was destined to be a good swimmer because her grandfather was a great swimmer when he was young.

Mike says it was inevitable that his daughter would be a good swimmer because she was given lots of praise in swimming lessons when she was little.

Use your knowledge of determinism to explain Bob’s and Mike’s comments.

There are different levels of explanation in psychology, ranging from reductionism to holism.

Discuss levels of explanation in psychology. Refer to one or more topics in your answer.

What is meant by self-disclosure?

Outline one strength and one limitation of self-disclosure as an explanation for attraction in romantic relationships.

Discuss Duck’s phase model of relationship breakdown.

Outline and evaluate the absorption addiction model of parasocial relationships.

What is meant by gender dysphoria?

Outline one strength and one limitation of biological explanations for gender dysphoria.

Discuss the effects of media on the development of gender roles.

Outline and evaluate Kohlberg’s theory of gender development.

Outline what Piaget meant by conservation.

Outline one strength and one limitation of Piaget’s research into conservation.

Discuss research into violation of expectation.

Outline and evaluate theory of mind as an explanation for autism.

For each description in Table 1, choose a term from Table 2 which best represents that description.

For each description, write the correct letter alongside the relevant term in your answer book.

In a study into the effectiveness of a new drug therapy for schizophrenia, researchers gave one group of patients the new drug and another group of patients a placebo (a pretend drug).

The researchers were concerned that the outcome of the study might be influenced by the problems of demand characteristics and investigator effects.

Explain what the researchers could do to eliminate or reduce demand characteristics and investigator effects in this study.

Jay has schizophrenia. His speech is rapid and confused and he changes constantly from one idea to something completely different. Jay’s father was treated for mental health problems when he was younger. Jay’s mother worries excessively about Jay. She often criticises his behaviour and tells him what to do. Jay’s doctor prescribes medication which seems to reduce his symptoms.

Discuss one or more explanations for schizophrenia. Refer to Jay in your answer.

For each description in Table 3, choose a term from Table 4 which best represents that description.

For each description, write the correct letter alongside the relevant term in your answer book.

In a study into the effectiveness of a new drug therapy for limiting appetite, researchers gave one group of patients the new drug and another group of patients a placebo (a pretend drug).

The researchers were concerned that the outcome of the study might be influenced by the problems of demand characteristics and investigator effects.

Explain what the researchers could do to eliminate or reduce demand characteristics and investigator effects in this study.

Elliot is very underweight but believes that he is fatter than actors on TV. He thinks a lot about his looks, often checking himself in the mirror. At mealtimes he likes arranging and counting pieces of food on his plate. Elliot’s mother once had eating problems. She is extremely anxious about him. She watches him constantly and is always telling him what to do. His doctor has prescribed medication which seems to help with Elliot’s condition.

Discuss one or more explanations for anorexia nervosa. Refer to Elliot in your answer.

For each description in Table 5, choose a term from Table 6 which best represents that description.

For each description, write the correct letter alongside the relevant term in your answer book.

In a study into the effectiveness of a new drug therapy for stress, researchers gave one group of patients the new drug and another group of patients a placebo (a pretend drug).

The researchers were concerned that the outcome of the study might be influenced by the problems of demand characteristics and investigator effects.

Explain what the researchers could do to eliminate or reduce demand characteristics and investigator effects in this study.

Carrie is so stressed that she lies awake at night listening to her heart pounding. She works in a large, noisy warehouse sorting packages that come along a conveyor belt. Workers who do not meet their daily target receive only the minimum wage. Carrie has failed to meet her target every day this week. The factory workers have been trying for weeks to organise a meeting to discuss working conditions and work-related illness with the manager.

Discuss what psychologists have found out about workplace stress. Refer to Carrie in your answer.

In an experiment into the effects of cognitive priming, 20 participants played an unfamiliar computer game. Half of the participants watched a violent film before playing the computer game. The other half watched a neutral film before playing the computer game. After playing the computer game, each participant was classified as showing High Aggression or Low Aggression.

The researcher decided to use a Chi-Squared test to analyse the data from this study. One reason for choosing this test was that each participant only took part in one condition of the experiment.

Referring to information about the study, explain two other reasons why it was appropriate to use a Chi-Squared test in this case.

Using your knowledge of research into cognitive priming, explain the likely outcome of the study.

Different participants were used in each condition of the experiment, which might have affected the results.

Explain one way in which the experiment could be changed to control for the problem of using different participants in each condition.

Describe how de-individuation is involved in aggression.

Evaluate the role of de-individuation in aggression.

In an experiment into the effectiveness of the top-down approach to offender profiling, 20 participants were asked to build a profile of an offender using information from real life cases. Half of the participants were given information about a murder case and asked to produce a profile. The other half were given information about a robbery and asked to produce a profile. After the profiling session, each profile was classified as High Accuracy or Low Accuracy.

The researcher decided to use a Chi-Squared test to analyse the data from this study. One reason for choosing this test was that each participant only took part in one condition of the experiment.

Referring to information about the study, explain two other reasons why it was appropriate to use a Chi-Squared test in this case.

Using your knowledge of the top-down approach to offender profiling, explain the likely outcome of the study.

Different participants were used in each condition of the experiment, which might have affected the results.

Explain one way in which the experiment could be changed to control for the problem of using different participants in each condition.

Describe how cognitive distortions might be involved in offending behaviour.

Evaluate the role of cognitive distortions in offending.

In an experiment into the effect of reinforcement on gambling, 20 participants played 10 practice card games on a computer. The computer system was pre-programmed so that half of the participants won in games 1, 2, 6, 8 and 10 and the other half won no practice games. After the 10 practice games, each participant played a test game and the amount of money each participant bet in the test game was classified as High Stakes (gambled more money) or Low Stakes (gambled less money).

The researcher decided to use a Chi-Squared test to analyse the data from this study. One reason for choosing this test was that each participant only took part in one condition of the experiment.

Referring to information about the study, explain two other reasons why it was appropriate to use a Chi-Squared test in this case.

Using your knowledge of learning theory as applied to gambling, explain the likely outcome of the study.

Different participants were used in each condition of the experiment, which might have affected the results.

Explain one way in which the experiment could be changed to control for the problem of using different participants in each condition.

Describe cue reactivity as an explanation for nicotine addiction.

Evaluate cue reactivity as an explanation for nicotine addiction.