AQA A LEVEL PSYCHOLOGY PAPER 2 Exam Questions And Answers
Give one reason why schema's are useful? - 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.
Give one reason why schema's are not useful? - 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.
Discuss the defense mechanism shown by Jed? - 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.
Outline the key features of the behaviourist approach. Compare to the biological approach,
(A01 Behaviourist) - 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.
Outline the key features of the behaviourist approach. Compare to the biological approach, (classical
conditioning) - 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.
Outline the key features of the behaviourist approach. Compare to the biological approach, (operant
conditioning) - 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.
, Outline the key features of the behaviourist approach. Compare to the biological approach, (similarity to
biological) - 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.
Outline the key features of the behaviourist approach. Compare to the biological approach, (difference)
- 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
Outline the key features of the behaviourist approach. Compare to the biological approach (similarity) -
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.
Outline the key features of the behaviourist approach. Compare to the biological approach (nature +
nurture) - 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 their approach to investigation, the behaviourist
and biological approaches are radically different in terms of their position on the nature-nurture debate.
Name a difference between somatic nervous system and autonomic nervous system? - The somatic
nervous system facilitates communication between the central nervous system and the outside world,
whereas the autonomic nervous system plays an important role in maintaining internal processes like
body temperature.
Label the picture of the diagram to show which neuron went where - A = Sensory
B = Relay
C = Motor
Explain why neurons travel in one direction during synaptic transmission? - Consequently, the
information can only travel in this direction because the neurotransmitters are released from the
Give one reason why schema's are useful? - 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.
Give one reason why schema's are not useful? - 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.
Discuss the defense mechanism shown by Jed? - 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.
Outline the key features of the behaviourist approach. Compare to the biological approach,
(A01 Behaviourist) - 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.
Outline the key features of the behaviourist approach. Compare to the biological approach, (classical
conditioning) - 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.
Outline the key features of the behaviourist approach. Compare to the biological approach, (operant
conditioning) - 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.
, Outline the key features of the behaviourist approach. Compare to the biological approach, (similarity to
biological) - 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.
Outline the key features of the behaviourist approach. Compare to the biological approach, (difference)
- 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
Outline the key features of the behaviourist approach. Compare to the biological approach (similarity) -
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.
Outline the key features of the behaviourist approach. Compare to the biological approach (nature +
nurture) - 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 their approach to investigation, the behaviourist
and biological approaches are radically different in terms of their position on the nature-nurture debate.
Name a difference between somatic nervous system and autonomic nervous system? - The somatic
nervous system facilitates communication between the central nervous system and the outside world,
whereas the autonomic nervous system plays an important role in maintaining internal processes like
body temperature.
Label the picture of the diagram to show which neuron went where - A = Sensory
B = Relay
C = Motor
Explain why neurons travel in one direction during synaptic transmission? - Consequently, the
information can only travel in this direction because the neurotransmitters are released from the
