Total marks: 60 · Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
Instructions to candidates
• Answer all questions. • Use black ink or black ball-point pen. • The number of marks is given in brackets [ ] at the end of each question or part question. • You may use a calculator. • Refer to the data provided where a question asks you to. • The total number of marks for this paper is 60. • All the data and studies you need are described within the questions.
Paper
Section A — Structured Questions (44 marks)
1. Research methods
(a) State what is meant by the independent variable in an experiment. [2]
(b) A psychologist wants to test whether background music affects how many words students can memorise. Identify one possible extraneous variable in this study and explain how it could be controlled. [4]
(c) Explain one advantage and one disadvantage of collecting data using a questionnaire. [4]
2. Memory
(a) State what is meant by the term encoding in memory. [2]
(b) According to the multi-store model of memory, describe the difference between short-term memory and long-term memory in terms of capacity and duration. [4]
(c) Explain two factors that can cause forgetting from long-term memory. [4]
3. Social influence
The table shows results from a study on conformity. Participants judged the length of a line after hearing others give the same wrong answer.
| Condition | % who gave the wrong answer |
|---|---|
| Alone (control) | 1% |
| With group giving wrong answer | 37% |
(a) Using the data, state what the study suggests about the effect of a group on conformity. [2]
(b) Explain two reasons why people conform to a group. [4]
(c) Explain how two factors can affect whether a person obeys an authority figure. [6]
4. Psychological problems
(a) State two symptoms of depression. [2]
(b) Explain how the cognitive approach would explain the development of depression. [4]
(c) Explain two ways in which depression could be treated. [6]
Section B — Extended Response (16 marks)
5. Discuss whether human behaviour is caused more by nature (biology) or by nurture (the environment). Refer to psychological evidence and reach a supported conclusion. [16]