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Core Studies 2 (section B)
The core studies 2 paper covers the same 20 core studies as Core studies 1 but tests your understanding of research methods, themes and perspectives. You have one hour to answer one question from section A and one question from section B.
Example of a Section B essay
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A long standing debate in psychology is whether our behaviour is inherited (the nature argument) or whether our behaviour is learned (the nurture argument). Using the core studies below answer the questions which follow. Bandura, Ross and Ross (aggression) Deregowski (perception) Gould (IQ testing) Gardner and Gardner (Project Washoe) |
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(a) |
Describe what each study tells us about how behaviour is learned or inherited. |
[12] |
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(b) |
Using examples, give four problems psychologists have when they investigate whether behaviour is learned or inherited. |
[12] |
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[Total |
24]
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In section B there are two questions and you have to answer one. These questions will ask you to consider a theme or issue from the core studies. You will be asked to use all four of the core studies in the question.
The question is split into two parts.
Section a (12 marks) is likely to ask you to describe what each core study tells us about a theme in the course. There are three marks for each core study. To gain three marks for each study you need to link what the study tells us about the theme for 1 mark, give more detail for a further mark and comment on or evaluate the point for a further mark. If you use the words in the question you are unlikely to be wrong.
Describe what each study tells us about how behaviour is learned or inherited [12 marks]
The Bandura study tells us that aggressive behaviour is a result of nurture rather than nature, because children learn aggression from role models. The study tells us that if children observe aggressive behaviour of an adult role model then they will be more likely to imitate that aggressive behaviour than children who observe an adult model who is not aggressive. Bandura goes on to argue that most behaviour is a result of social learning. However other studies, e.g. Baron-Cohen have suggested that some behaviours are not entirely innate and could be a result of maturation.
To gain three marks for each study your spelling, punctuation and grammar must be good.
Section b (12 marks) will ask you to give four problems or 2 strengths and 2 weaknesses of the theme or issue in the question. Importantly the question is asking you to relate the problem to the issue in the question (e.g. nature nurture) and not the study. Again, if you use the words in the question you are unlikely to be wrong.
Use the same approach for each study. To get three marks for each problem you need to describe the problem, relate it to the question, give a relevant example or comment on or evaluate the problem. You will also need to have clear, well-structured sentences.
Give four problems psychologists have when they investigate whether behaviour is learned or inherited. [12 marks]
One problem psychologists have to consider when they study the nature nurture debate is the participants used. If we study children or adults it is difficult knowing which part of their behaviour is learned or innate because they have already had experiences of their environment. For example, Bandura’s participants were all nursery aged children and therefore already had experiences and therefore it is difficult to tell which part of their behaviour was learned or inherited. For example the boys were more aggressive than the girls and we do not really know if this was due to nature or nurture. However to do experiments on babies might be seen as unethical and would be very difficult to do.
Again the important thing for this question is that you are relating your answer to the theme in the question firstly and not the study. You do not have to cover all the studies in this section of the question.
Section B essay
(a) What does the study tell us about a theme. (12 marks)
(b) Problems with theme
