AS
marking
exercise
Outline one advantage of using
questionnaires. (3 marks)
 Some questionnaires can provide rich detail about an
individual’s life, particularly if it is an open questionnaire,
where an individual can provide better more specific
information for the psychologist’s benefit.
 An advantage of using questionnaires for stress research is
that it allows a huge sample to be gained fairly quickly.
This increases the reliability of stress research.
 Gives quick data, allows rapid increase through replication.
 The answers are quantitative when using yes or no answers
or are rich in detail when longer answers are required,
therefore results can be gathered and used to back up
research.
1 mark for
identification
2 marks for
elaboration
How does the behaviour of securely attached
infants differ from that of insecurely attached
infants? (4 marks)
 If an infant is securely attached
then their behaviour is a lot
different from those who have
an insecure attachment.
If you are securely attached
then you will seek proximity
and distress when you are
separated you are also likely to
be easily calmed down.
If you are insecurely attached
then you will show no signs of
distress when separated and
make it seem as though you
have no care.
Max 1 mark for two
separate
descriptions
Max 2 marks for
implicit comparison
Can focus on one
difference in detail
or more than one
more briefly.
How does the behaviour of securely attached
infants differ from that of insecurely attached
infants? (4 marks)
 Securely attached infants cry
when the caregiver leaves the
room but are easily soothed
when reunited. Insecure
avoidant infants take little
interest when the caregiver
leaves and continue with what
they were doing. Securely
attached infants seek close
bodily contact whereas anxious
insecure infants seek and reject
intimacy. Securely attached
infants also explore from a safe
base whereas insecure avoidant
infants are more clingy.
Max 1 mark for two
separate
descriptions
Max 2 marks for
implicit comparison
Can focus on one
difference in detail
or more than one
more briefly.
How does the behaviour of securely attached
infants differ from that of insecurely attached
infants? (4 marks)
 Securely attached infants
protest when the caregiver
leaves, use their mother as a
secure base, have pleasure on
reunion and can explore the
environment and play alone,
whereas insecurely attached
infants are stress when their
mother leaves, do not use their
mother as a secure base, are
anxious when she returns and
can’t play alone and explore the
environment.
Max 1 mark for two
separate
descriptions
Max 2 marks for
implicit comparison
Can focus on one
difference in detail
or more than one
more briefly.
THE ESSAY QUESTIONS
Description (AO1)
Marks Detail
Knowledge
and
understanding
6
Accurate and Sound
reasonably
detailed
5-4
Generally
Relevant
accurate, less
detailed
Selection of
appropriate
material
Appropriate
Presentation
of information
Some evidence
Appropriate
Appropriate
Clear and
coherent
3-2
Basic
Some relevant
Little evidence
1
Very
brief/flawed
Very little
Largely or wholly inappropriate
THE ESSAY QUESTIONS
Evaluation (AO2)
Marks
Use of
material
Range of issues and/or
evidence
6
Effective
Broad range in reasonable
depth or narrower range in
greater depth
5-4
Not always
effective
range in limited depth or
narrower range in greater
depth
Reasonable, some
errors
3-2
Basic
1
Rudimentary
Superficial consideration of
restricted range
Just discernible
Lacks clarity, some
specialist terms, errors
Poor, few specialist
terms
Expression of ideas ,
specialist terms,
spelling etc
Clear and good range,
few errors
Outline and evaluate research into the effects
of anxiety on the accuracy of eyewitness
testimony. (12 marks)
Anxiety has effects on the accuracy of eyewitness testimony
because high levels of anxiety can lead to lack of attention. For
example there was a study when someone committed a crime
with a knife. Because of anxiety the victim was only able to
remember that the source of anxiety was the knife. This shows
that the anxiety affected the victim’s memory.
The effects of anxiety can also cause repression and this could
affect the accuracy of eyewitness testimony because repression
means that memories are forgotten. This happens because
repression is a form of ego defense which deals with anxiety.
This probably would affect the accuracy of EWT.
Another research study looked at the effects of an incident
where some children who were raped were interviewed 20 years
later to see what they remembered. The study found that
people couldn’t remember that much detail which suggested
that the memories were repressed.
This study shows how anxiety can affect memory.
[158 words]
Outline and evaluate research into the effects
of anxiety on the accuracy of eyewitness
testimony. (12 marks)
The Yerkes-Dodson law suggests that for the best recall, a person needs to
have a reasonably high level of anxiety. However if they are anxious this
may mean their arousal is extremely high and this would affect their
memory.
One of the key researchers on memory is Loftus. In one study Loftus and
Burns showed videos to participants of a bank robbery. In the first video
the car with the thieves was able to escape. In the second video there was
a scene where a boy was shot in the face. Afterwards when they
interviewed participants, the participants couldn’t remember anything
that had occurred just before the boy was shot. This suggests that when
people see a distressing scene it affects their memory for events just
before that. This would obviously affect the accuracy of their testimony.
Loftus carried out another study where participants were in a waiting
room, waiting for a study to begin. They heard an argument in an adjacent
room and then a man ran through the room with a pen and his hands
covered in grease, or he was holding a knife and his hands were covered in
blood.
Outline and evaluate research into the effects
of anxiety on the accuracy of eyewitness
testimony. (12 marks)
Later, when participants were asked to identify the man who
ran through the room, those participants in the blood
condition were less accurate in their testimony. This suggests
that the anxiety they felt might have affected the accuracy
of their memory.
One of the criticisms of this research is that the studies aren’t
like real life and watching a video isn’t like real life. Also the
participants may not have been taking the task seriously.
They might have been affected by demand characteristics
and tried to guess what the study was about.
In real life participants may be more accurate as shown in
studies of real life EWT like the study by Christiansen and
Hubinette. On the other hand it might be argued that people
in a lab study will be more attention to detail and therefore
would remember more.
[333 words]