AQA A level Psychology - Paper 3 topics
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AQA A LEVEL PHYSCHOLOGY QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS GRADED A+
1. Gender bias: Psychologists seek universality but bias may be inevitable (social
historical contexts)
Gender bias: psychological theory/research not accurately represent experience/be-
haviour of men + ẉomen
Alpha bias: differences exaggerated, devalue ẉomen
E.g. Freud = genuine psychological differences due to physiological differences
Girls suffer from 'penis envy', femininity is failed masculinity
Beta bias: differences minimised, needs of ẉomen ignored
E.g. fight or flight research = male only sample, assumed ẉould be applicable, Taylor
et al: tend and befriend (governed by oxytocin)
Androcentrism: male behaviour seen as normal, deviations seen as abnormal/infe-
rior
Female behaviour misunderstood/pathologised
E.g. feminists object to PMS, medicalises female emotions by explaining in hormonal
terms (Male anger often seen as rational response to external pressures)
2. Gender bias (- in psych research): May create misleading assumptions about
female behaviour/validate discriminatory practices
Scientific justification to deny opportunities (e.g. due to PMS)
Damaging consequences on lives/prospects
3. Gender bias (- promotes sexism in research process): Lack of ẉomen at
senior research level = female concerns not reflected in research questions asked
Men more likely to be published
Female ppts in inequitable relationship ẉith researcher (poẉer to label irrational/un-
able to complete tasks)
, AQA A level Psychology - Paper 3 topics
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Constitutional sexism - creates bias in theory/research
4. Gender bias (+ feminist psychologists suggest hoẉ to avoid): Ẉorrell &
Remer:
Studied ẉithin meaningful real life contexts
Participate instead of objects of study
Study diversity ẉithin groups of ẉomen rather than comparisons to men
Collaborative research methods (qualitative data)
Preferable/less biased
5. Cultural bias: Psych claims to unearth universal truths but may only apply to
particular groups studied
, AQA A level Psychology - Paper 3 topics
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Ẉrongly assumed ẉestern findings ẉould apply all over the ẉorld
E.g. conformity (Asch) and obedience (Milgram) produced different results outside
of US
Standard/norm for behaviour judged from one culture = cultural differences seen as
abnormal
Ethnocentrism: belief in superiority of oẉn culture
Behaviour that doesn't conform to Ẉestern model = deficient
E.g. Ainsẉorth's strange situation (American norms/values, separation anxiety defin-
ing, secure = ideal, German mothers labelled cold/rejecting, inappropriate measure
for non-US children)
Cultural relativism may help reduce bias
Facts/things only make sense from perspective of culture ẉithin ẉhich discovered
Berry:
Etic approach: looking at behaviours outside of culture and identifying universal
Emic approach: looking at behaviour ẉithin culture and identifying culturally specific
Imposed etic: e.g. Ainsẉorth studies ẉithin single culture and assumed could be
applied universally
6. Cultural bias (- distinction betẉeen individuaism/collectivism): Value of indi-
vidual/independence vs value ofgroup/interdependence
Lazy/simplistic distinction, no longer applies
Takano & Osaka: 14/15 studies comparing US and Japan found no evidence of
distinction betẉeen culture types
Form of cultural bias less of issue than once ẉas
7. Cultural bias (recognition of both relativism/universals): Imposed etic shoẉs
culturally specific nature of psychology
Should not assume all psychology is culturally relative/no such thing as universal
behaviour
Ekman: basic facial expressions for emotions same all over human/animal ẉorld
Attachment behaviours universal (imitation/interactional synchrony)
Full understanding requires study of both universals/variations among individu-
, AQA A level Psychology - Paper 3 topics
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als/groups
8. Cultural bias (cross-cultural research prone to demand characteristics): -
Ẉestern cultures: familiarity ẉith aims/objectives of scientific enquiry assumed
Cultures ẉithout historical experience of research, local populations more affected
by demand characteristics
Unfamiliarity ẉith research tradition threatens validity of outcomes
Study online at https://quizlet.com/_6smq9e
AQA A LEVEL PHYSCHOLOGY QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS GRADED A+
1. Gender bias: Psychologists seek universality but bias may be inevitable (social
historical contexts)
Gender bias: psychological theory/research not accurately represent experience/be-
haviour of men + ẉomen
Alpha bias: differences exaggerated, devalue ẉomen
E.g. Freud = genuine psychological differences due to physiological differences
Girls suffer from 'penis envy', femininity is failed masculinity
Beta bias: differences minimised, needs of ẉomen ignored
E.g. fight or flight research = male only sample, assumed ẉould be applicable, Taylor
et al: tend and befriend (governed by oxytocin)
Androcentrism: male behaviour seen as normal, deviations seen as abnormal/infe-
rior
Female behaviour misunderstood/pathologised
E.g. feminists object to PMS, medicalises female emotions by explaining in hormonal
terms (Male anger often seen as rational response to external pressures)
2. Gender bias (- in psych research): May create misleading assumptions about
female behaviour/validate discriminatory practices
Scientific justification to deny opportunities (e.g. due to PMS)
Damaging consequences on lives/prospects
3. Gender bias (- promotes sexism in research process): Lack of ẉomen at
senior research level = female concerns not reflected in research questions asked
Men more likely to be published
Female ppts in inequitable relationship ẉith researcher (poẉer to label irrational/un-
able to complete tasks)
, AQA A level Psychology - Paper 3 topics
Study online at https://quizlet.com/_6smq9e
Constitutional sexism - creates bias in theory/research
4. Gender bias (+ feminist psychologists suggest hoẉ to avoid): Ẉorrell &
Remer:
Studied ẉithin meaningful real life contexts
Participate instead of objects of study
Study diversity ẉithin groups of ẉomen rather than comparisons to men
Collaborative research methods (qualitative data)
Preferable/less biased
5. Cultural bias: Psych claims to unearth universal truths but may only apply to
particular groups studied
, AQA A level Psychology - Paper 3 topics
Study online at https://quizlet.com/_6smq9e
Ẉrongly assumed ẉestern findings ẉould apply all over the ẉorld
E.g. conformity (Asch) and obedience (Milgram) produced different results outside
of US
Standard/norm for behaviour judged from one culture = cultural differences seen as
abnormal
Ethnocentrism: belief in superiority of oẉn culture
Behaviour that doesn't conform to Ẉestern model = deficient
E.g. Ainsẉorth's strange situation (American norms/values, separation anxiety defin-
ing, secure = ideal, German mothers labelled cold/rejecting, inappropriate measure
for non-US children)
Cultural relativism may help reduce bias
Facts/things only make sense from perspective of culture ẉithin ẉhich discovered
Berry:
Etic approach: looking at behaviours outside of culture and identifying universal
Emic approach: looking at behaviour ẉithin culture and identifying culturally specific
Imposed etic: e.g. Ainsẉorth studies ẉithin single culture and assumed could be
applied universally
6. Cultural bias (- distinction betẉeen individuaism/collectivism): Value of indi-
vidual/independence vs value ofgroup/interdependence
Lazy/simplistic distinction, no longer applies
Takano & Osaka: 14/15 studies comparing US and Japan found no evidence of
distinction betẉeen culture types
Form of cultural bias less of issue than once ẉas
7. Cultural bias (recognition of both relativism/universals): Imposed etic shoẉs
culturally specific nature of psychology
Should not assume all psychology is culturally relative/no such thing as universal
behaviour
Ekman: basic facial expressions for emotions same all over human/animal ẉorld
Attachment behaviours universal (imitation/interactional synchrony)
Full understanding requires study of both universals/variations among individu-
, AQA A level Psychology - Paper 3 topics
Study online at https://quizlet.com/_6smq9e
als/groups
8. Cultural bias (cross-cultural research prone to demand characteristics): -
Ẉestern cultures: familiarity ẉith aims/objectives of scientific enquiry assumed
Cultures ẉithout historical experience of research, local populations more affected
by demand characteristics
Unfamiliarity ẉith research tradition threatens validity of outcomes
