A-level PSYCHOLOGY 7182/3

A-level PSYCHOLOGY 7182/3 Paper 3 Issues and options in psychology Mark scheme June 2024 Version: 1.0 Final *246A71 2/3/MS* Mark schemes are prepared by the Lead Assessment Writer and considered, together with the relevant questions, by a panel of subject teachers. This mark scheme includes any amendments made at the standardisation events which all associates participate in and is the scheme which was used by them in this examination. The standardisation process ensures that the mark scheme covers the students’ responses to questions and that every associate understands and applies it in the same correct way. As preparation for standardisation each associate analyses a number of students’ scripts. Alternative answers not already covered by the mark scheme are discussed and legislated for. If, after the standardisation process, associates encounter unusual answers which have not been raised they are required to refer these to the Lead Examiner. It must be stressed that a mark scheme is a working document, in many cases further developed and expanded on the basis of students’ reactions to a particular paper. Assumptions about future mark schemes on the basis of one year’s document should be avoided; whilst the guiding principles of assessment remain constant, details will change, depending on the content of a particular examination paper. No student should be disadvantaged on the basis of their gender identity and/or how they refer to the gender identity of others in their exam responses. A consistent use of ‘they/them’ as a singular and pronouns beyond ‘she/her’ or ‘he/him’ will be credited in exam responses in line with existing mark scheme criteria. Further copies of this mark scheme are available from Copyright information AQA retains the copyright on all its publications. However, registered schools/colleges for AQA are permitted to copy material from this booklet for their own internal use, with the following important exception: AQA cannot give permission to schools/colleges to photocopy any material that is acknowledged to a third party even for internal use within the centre. Copyright © 2024 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved. Level of response marking instructions Level of response mark schemes are broken down into levels, each of which has a descriptor. The descriptor for the level shows the average performance for the level. There are marks in each level. Before you apply the mark scheme to a student’s answer read through the answer and annotate it (as instructed) to show the qualities that are being looked for. You can then apply the mark scheme. Step 1 Determine a level Start at the lowest level of the mark scheme and use it as a ladder to see whether the answer meets the descriptor for that level. The descriptor for the level indicates the different qualities that might be seen in the student’s answer for that level. If it meets the lowest level then go to the next one and decide if it meets this level, and so on, until you have a match between the level descriptor and the answer. With practice and familiarity you will find that for better answers you will be able to quickly skip through the lower levels of the mark scheme. When assigning a level you should look at the overall quality of the answer and not look to pick holes in small and specific parts of the answer where the student has not performed quite as well as the rest. If the answer covers different aspects of different levels of the mark scheme you should use a best fit approach for defining the level and then use the variability of the response to help decide the mark within the level, ie if the response is predominantly Level 3 with a small amount of Level 4 material it would be placed in Level 3 but be awarded a mark near the top of the level because of the Level 4 content. Step 2 Determine a mark Once you have assigned a level you need to decide on the mark. The descriptors on how to allocate marks can help with this. The exemplar materials used during standardisation will help. Answers in the standardising materials will correspond with the different levels of the mark scheme. These answers will have been awarded a mark by the Lead Examiner. You can compare the student’s answer with the standardised examples to determine if it is the same standard, better or worse than the example. You can then use this to allocate a mark for the answer based on the Lead Examiner’s mark on the example. You may well need to read back through the answer as you apply the mark scheme to clarify points and assure yourself that the level and the mark are appropriate. Indicative content in the mark scheme is provided as a guide for examiners. It is not intended to be exhaustive and you must credit other valid points. Students do not have to cover all of the points mentioned in the indicative content to reach the highest level of the mark scheme. An answer which contains nothing of relevance to the question must be awarded no marks. Section A Issues and debates in psychology Which psychologist believes in interactionism? [1 mark] Marks for this question: AO2 = 1 Answer: Carlo Which psychologist believes in environmental reductionism? [1 mark] Marks for this question: AO2 = 1 Answer: Dalia What is meant by ethnocentrism in psychology? [2 marks] Marks for this question: AO1 = 2 2 marks for a clear, coherent outline of ethnocentrism which includes explicit reference to the belief/assumption/view/judgement of cultural superiority. 1 mark for a limited/partial or muddled outline. Possible content: • judging other cultures according to the norms/standard/values of one’s own culture • at the extreme, believing in the superiority of one’s own culture • examples of ethnocentrism including brief explanation of why/how this illustrates ethnocentrism Credit other relevant material. Outline two limitations of ethnocentrism. [4 marks] Marks for this question: AO3 = 4 For each limitation award marks as follows: 2 marks for a coherent limitation which clearly and explicitly conveys the negative effect 1 mark for limited/partial or muddled limitation where the negative effect is implied. Possible limitations: • can lead to prejudice against other ethnic groups/out groups • can lead to discrimination against other ethnic groups/out groups • increases in-group, out-group identity – emphasises apparent differences between own ethnic group and others • assumes members of an ethnic group are all the same/negates individual differences • in psychology, has led to the adoption of a ‘Western norm’ which would then devalue other cultures • findings from ethnocentric research should not be generalised to other cultures as only one culture has been studied – lack of validity. Credit other relevant limitations and limitations embedded in examples. Discuss determinism in psychology. Refer to Maria in your answer. [16 marks] Marks for this question: AO1 = 6, AO2 = 4, AO3 = 6 Level Marks Description 4 13–16 Knowledge of determinism is accurate and generally well detailed. Application is effective. Discussion is thorough and effective. Minor detail and/or expansion of argument is sometimes lacking. The answer is clear, coherent and focused. Specialist terminology is used effectively. 3 9–12 Knowledge of determinism is evident but there are occasional inaccuracies/omissions. Application/discussion is mostly effective. The answer is mostly clear and organised but occasionally lacks focus. Specialist terminology is used appropriately. 2 5–8 Limited knowledge of determinism is present. Focus is mainly on description. Any discussion/application is of limited effectiveness. The answer lacks clarity, accuracy and organisation in places. Specialist terminology is used inappropriately on occasions. 1 1–4 Knowledge of determinism is very limited. Discussion/application is limited, poorly focused or absent. The answer as a whole lacks clarity, has many inaccuracies and is poorly organised. Specialist terminology is either absent or inappropriately used. 0 No relevant content. Possible content: • determinism – general idea that traits and behaviours are outside our control, due to internal or external factors over which we have no control • biological/genetic – behaviours/traits are governed by internal factors such as genes and neurochemicals • environmental – behaviours/traits are governed by external influences such as upbringing and experiences • psychic – behaviours/traits are governed by unconscious motives/desires and stem from early childhood experiences • hard – behaviours/traits are entirely out of an individual’s control • soft – behaviours/traits are determined by internal/external forces but we can still exercise some control, eg through thought processes/decision making. Possible application: • gymnastic ability may be biologically determined – inherited athlete mother’s genes • gymnastic ability may be environmentally determined – years of practice from the age of 5, reinforcement in form of mother’s encouragement • gymnastic ability may be psychically determined – unconscious identification with athlete mother, Maria refers to unconscious motivation • hard determinism – Maria refers to the inevitability and lack of free will – ‘no choice’. Possible discussion: • a cornerstone of the scientific approach – enables psychology to be seen as scientific • demonstration of causality/establishing cause has many practical applications, eg treatments • tends to result in a very narrow focus and can lead to reductionism • does not allow for free will and the idea that people have control • links with broad approaches in psychology • implications for society, eg child-rearing; the effect of expectations in education; how we treat offending behaviour/addiction • soft determinism as a compromise between hard determinism and free will – role of consciousness and subjective awareness. Credit other relevant material. Section B Relationships One way of improving this study would be to use random allocation. Explain how random allocation could have been carried out. [3 marks] Marks for this question: AO3 = 3 Award 1 mark for each of the following: • all 60 Ps are given a number/all 60 Ps names are put into a hat/computer • 30 numbers are drawn at random using either random number tables/hat method/computer-generated random numbers • the first 30 numbers make up Group 1, second 30 numbers make up Group 2. Credit other methods that would result in random allocation. What conclusion could the psychologist make from the results in Table 2? Justify your answer. [2 marks] Marks for this question: AO2 = 1, AO3 = 1 1 mark for an appropriate conclusion: increased self-disclosure makes it easier to make ‘friends’ on social media/increased self-disclosure leads to an increase in formation of social media relationships. 1 mark for an appropriate justification: the median number of ‘friends’ for Group 1 is higher than the median number of ‘friends’ for Group 2 (or vice versa). Which section of the psychological report should include information about how the participants were allocated to the two groups? [1 mark] Marks for this question: AO2 = 1 Answer: Method section (also credit Design or Procedure as sub-sections of the Method). Suggest two examples of self-disclosure that might have occurred in the social media communications of the participants in the study. [2 marks] Marks for this question: AO2 = 2 Award 1 mark for each relevant suggestion (up to a maximum of 2 marks). To be creditworthy, the example must be a revelation of some specific aspect of personal information, eg age, background, interests, hobbies, attitudes and must convey the idea of ‘telling/saying/informing…’ The suggestion may either be verbatim, eg ‘I am 20 years old’, ‘I like to go shopping at the weekend’, or may be a description of the disclosure, eg ‘telling people your age’, ‘telling people what you like to do at the weekend.’