Mark Scheme

Section A — Development

1. (a) A schema = a mental framework/package of ideas built from experience that helps organise and interpret information [1]. (b) (up to 4) Assimilation = adding new information into an existing schema without changing it; accommodation = changing an existing schema, or forming a new one, when new information does not fit. 2 per term (definition + contrast). [4]

2. (a) (up to 2) The child does not yet have conservation (of number); they are misled by the appearance (the longer row looks like more). This is the pre-operational stage. [2] (b) (up to 3) Valid criticism explained: Piaget may have underestimated children (later studies showed conservation/less egocentrism with clearer tasks); stages may be less rigid/more continuous; methodological limits. Named + explained. [3]

3. (6 marks) Application to education: matching tasks to the child's stage (readiness); active/discovery learning through hands-on activities; using concrete materials before abstract ideas; arranging the curriculum in stages. Levels: 5–6 = detailed, well-explained, linked to development; 3–4 = sound points with some development; 1–2 = basic. [6]

Section B — Memory

4. (a) Sensory register → short-term memory → long-term memory (1 each, in order). [3] (b) (up to 2) Information is transferred through rehearsal/repetition; the more it is rehearsed, the more likely it is to pass into LTM. [2]

5. (a) (up to 2) Reconstructive memory = memory is an active process in which we rebuild/reconstruct events using existing knowledge (schemas), so recall can be altered rather than an exact copy. [2] (b) (up to 3) A valid study described: e.g. participants recalling a story altered to fit their own cultural schemas; or eyewitnesses giving different accounts after leading questions/misleading information. Clear description showing memory was changed. [3]

6. (up to 6) Evaluation, balanced: Strengths — supported by evidence (serial position effect; brain-damage cases affecting one store); clear/testable. Weaknesses — too simple; STM and LTM are not single stores (different types exist); over-emphasises rehearsal. Levels apply; balance needed for top band. [6]

Section C — Psychological problems

7. (a) Depression = a mood disorder involving persistent low mood, loss of interest/pleasure and related symptoms [1]. (b) (up to 4) Two effects explained: difficulty concentrating/working or studying; withdrawal from friends/social life; disturbed sleep or appetite; low energy affecting daily tasks. 1 + 1 development each. [4]

8. (a) (up to 3) Biological explanation: linked to low levels of a neurotransmitter (e.g. serotonin) in the brain; imbalances affect mood; may have a genetic/inherited component. [3] (b) (up to 4) One treatment + how it works: antidepressant drugs (e.g. SSRIs) increase the availability of serotonin at the synapse, lifting mood; or CBT/talking therapy helps the person identify and change negative thought patterns. Treatment named + mechanism explained. [4]

9. (up to 4) One social/cultural factor explained: stigma may stop people seeking help; cultural beliefs affect whether symptoms are seen as an illness; social support can affect recovery; how a problem is defined varies between cultures. Named + explained. [4]

Section D — The brain and neuropsychology

10. (a) Central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) and peripheral nervous system (1 each). [2] (b) (up to 4) A neuron carries an electrical impulse; at the end it reaches a synapse (gap) between neurons; a neurotransmitter is released, crosses the gap and binds to the next neuron, passing the signal on. [4]

11. (a) Any structure + a function (1 each): e.g. cerebellum — coordination/balance; hippocampus — memory; frontal lobe — thinking/decision-making; occipital lobe — vision. [2] (b) (up to 4) Studying patients with damage to a particular area shows the function that is lost, allowing psychologists to link that area to that function (localisation); case studies provide detailed evidence. Explained with the logic of inference. [4]

12. (up to 4) Neuroplasticity = the brain's ability to change/reorganise itself by forming new connections; example — recovery of function after brain injury, or changes from learning a new skill. Definition + example. [4]

Section E — Social influence

13. (a) (up to 2) Conformity = changing your behaviour or opinion to match those of a group, because of real or imagined group pressure. [2] (b) (up to 4) Two factors explained: group size (conformity rises with larger majorities, up to a point); unanimity (a united group increases conformity; one dissenter reduces it); task difficulty (harder tasks increase conformity); normative vs informational influence. 1 + 1 each. [4]

14. (a) (up to 2) Obedience = following a direct order/instruction from a person in a position of authority. [2] (b) (up to 4) A study of obedience described with a finding: e.g. a study in which participants were instructed by an authority figure to give what they believed were increasing electric shocks, and a high proportion continued despite discomfort — showing people obey authority even against their conscience. Description + finding. [4]

15. (up to 4) One reason to resist explained: presence of an ally/dissenter reduces pressure; strong personal/moral conviction; feeling personally responsible; questioning the legitimacy of the authority. Named + explained. [4]

Section F — Research methods

16. (a) (up to 2) A testable statement, e.g. "Participants tested in the same room in which they learned will recall more words than those tested in a different room." [2] (b) IV = whether the test room is the same as or different from the learning room; DV = number of words recalled (1 each). [2] (c) (up to 3) A control (same word list, same learning time, same test) + why: to make it a fair test so any difference in recall is due to the IV (room), not another variable. [3]

17. (a) Mean = (9 + 7 + 8 + 10 + 6) ÷ 5 = 40 ÷ 5 = 8 (M1 A1). [2] (b) (up to 2) The score of 2 is an outlier that pulls the mean down; the median is not affected by extreme values, so it better represents the typical score. [2]

18. (a) (up to 2) Informed consent = participants agree to take part having been told what the study involves so they can make an informed choice. [2] (b) (up to 3) Another ethical issue + how to deal with it: right to withdraw (told they can leave any time); protection from harm; confidentiality (anonymised data); avoiding/debriefing after any deception. [3]

19. (up to 2) Strength: high control → cause and effect can be established. Weakness: artificial setting → may lack ecological validity/not reflect real behaviour. 1 each. [2]

Sample Answers with Examiner Commentary

Question 8(b) — Sample Answers

Grade A response. "One treatment for depression is antidepressant drugs, such as SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors). The biological explanation says that depression is linked to low levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin in the brain. SSRIs work by blocking the reuptake of serotonin at the synapse, which means more serotonin stays in the gap between neurons and is available to pass on signals. Over time this is intended to raise mood and reduce the symptoms of depression. Because the treatment targets the proposed biological cause — low serotonin — it is a logical match to that explanation of depression."

Mark: 4/4. Examiner commentary: A full-mark answer. The candidate names a specific treatment and, crucially for the "explain how it is intended to work" command, gives the mechanism accurately: SSRIs block reuptake, so more serotonin remains at the synapse to transmit signals. Linking the treatment back to the biological explanation (low serotonin) shows genuine understanding rather than memorised facts. Naming the drug alone would have earned only part of the marks; the marks are in the explanation of the mechanism.

Grade C response. "A treatment for depression is taking antidepressants. These are tablets from the doctor that make you feel better and help with your mood. Lots of people take them and they can help depression get better over time."

Mark: 2/4. Examiner commentary: The candidate correctly identifies a treatment (antidepressants) and knows they are intended to improve mood, which earns two marks. However, the question asks how the treatment is intended to work, and "make you feel better" does not explain the mechanism. The response needed to mention that antidepressants affect a neurotransmitter such as serotonin — for example by increasing its availability at the synapse. Linking the treatment to the biological cause is what turns a general description into a full-mark explanation.

Question 13(b) — Sample Answers

Grade A response. "One factor affecting conformity is group size. Conformity tends to increase as the size of the majority increases, because a larger group creates more pressure to fit in — though the effect levels off once the group is fairly large. A second factor is unanimity. When everyone in the group agrees, an individual feels strong pressure to conform; but if even one other person disagrees (a dissenter), conformity drops sharply, because the individual no longer feels alone in holding a different view."

Mark: 4/4. Examiner commentary: Both factors are correctly identified and, importantly, explained rather than just named. For group size, the candidate notes the direction of the effect and that it levels off; for unanimity, they explain why a single dissenter reduces conformity. Each factor earns its two marks because the answer gives the mechanism (the pressure to fit in; not feeling alone). Two clearly separated, well-developed factors make the marking straightforward.

Grade C response. "People conform more if the group is bigger. They also conform if they don't want to be the odd one out."

Mark: 2/4. Examiner commentary: Two relevant ideas are present — group size and a fear of standing out — earning two marks. But each is only stated, not explained. For group size, the answer needs to say that a larger majority creates more pressure (and ideally that the effect plateaus); "don't want to be the odd one out" gestures at normative influence and unanimity but does not develop it. A sentence of explanation for each factor would secure the remaining two marks.