AQA A LEVEL PSYCHOLOGY PAPER 2
1. Give one reason why schemas are useful? 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.
2. Give one reason why schemas are not useful? 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.
3. Discuss the defense mechanism shown by Jed? 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.
4. Outline the key features of the behaviourist approach. Compare to the
biological approach, (A01 Behaviourist) - 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.
5. Outline the key features of the behaviourist approach. Compare to the
biological approach, (classical conditioning) - 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.
6. Outline the key features of the behaviourist approach. Compare to the
biological approach, (operant conditioning) - 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.
7. Outline the key features of the behaviourist approach. Compare to the
biological approach, (similarity to biological) - 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.
8. Outline the key features of the behaviourist approach. Compare to the
biological approach, (difference) - 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
9. Outline the key features of the behaviourist approach. Compare to the
biological approach (similarity) - 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.
10.Outline the key features of the behaviourist approach. Compare to the
biological approach (nature + nurture) - 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
1. Give one reason why schemas are useful? 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.
2. Give one reason why schemas are not useful? 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.
3. Discuss the defense mechanism shown by Jed? 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.
4. Outline the key features of the behaviourist approach. Compare to the
biological approach, (A01 Behaviourist) - 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.
5. Outline the key features of the behaviourist approach. Compare to the
biological approach, (classical conditioning) - 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.
6. Outline the key features of the behaviourist approach. Compare to the
biological approach, (operant conditioning) - 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.
7. Outline the key features of the behaviourist approach. Compare to the
biological approach, (similarity to biological) - 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.
8. Outline the key features of the behaviourist approach. Compare to the
biological approach, (difference) - 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
9. Outline the key features of the behaviourist approach. Compare to the
biological approach (similarity) - 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.
10.Outline the key features of the behaviourist approach. Compare to the
biological approach (nature + nurture) - 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
