Aqa a-level psychology paper 2 **unofficial mark scheme 08/06/18

OP

This is a practise question and its mark scheme as well, so you can see what I mean:

Outline key features of the cognitive approach in psychology. Compare the cognitive approach to the psychodynamic approach. (16 marks)

AO1
Marks for knowledge and understanding of key features / assumptions of the cognitive approach. Likely content: thought, both conscious and unconscious can influence behaviour; thought mediates between stimulus and response; information processing approach; mind works similarly to a computer; use of models; mental processes can be scientifically studied; the human mind actively processes information.

AO3
Marks for comparing the cognitive approach with the psychodynamic approach.
Possible comparison points: cognitive – people as conscious logical thinkers vs psychodynamic – focus on unconscious thought (though conscious level is acknowledged); cognitive – stages of intellectual / cognitive development including moral development in early years through to teenage years vs psychodynamic – stages of personality development, also early years through to teenage years; cognitive – information processing approach and little focus on emotions vs psychodynamic – focus on emotional life and childhood experience; cognitive – damage to brain and mental processes as explanation of atypical behaviour vs psychodynamic – repression and unconscious conflict; cognitive – people as rational conscious thinkers vs psychodynamic – irrational; cognitive – explanations involve active processing and an element of free will / soft determinism vs psychodynamic – individual is passive and behaviour is determined. Accept comparisons based on therapies and research methods, application to all topic areas and to all the debates.
Credit use of relevant evidence.

[ So even though you get no credit for describing the biological approach for A01, you may get it for A03. ]

Reply 47

OP

Original post by tomi_ola

Like this

Lool, great minds think alike right. I literally just posted that, as your message came through.

Reply 48

seruzachan

Original post by CarefreeDreams

This is what we are trying to solve know. If it was solely outline the behaviourist approach then I don't believe you'd need to outline the biological, but because it said compare as well I think they kind of left it up to you to decided whether to do A01.

Because if I'm being honest even if you did A01 for biological it wouldn't be bad, because you are comparing the assumptions of the approaches which is one of the things to compare on the grid thingy I upload, therefore you wouldn't be wrong.

Ah okay, thanks :smile:

Reply 49

OP

The significance one!! I knew there was something I was forgetting. It asked something like why do psychologists use the value of 0.05 for the test.

I think I said because it to limit type 1 and type 2 errors and there are never a 100% certainties in psychology.

What did y’all put?

Reply 50

dannydevil117

Original post by CarefreeDreams

The significance one!! I knew there was something I was forgetting. It asked something like why do psychologists use the value of 0.05 for the test.

I think I said because it to limit type 1 and type 2 errors and there are never a 100% certainties in psychology.

What did y’all put?

I said to show how much the results were down to actual difference/correlation and how much it could be down to chance so 95% down to difference or correlation between variables

Reply 51

cmonb123

95% confident level that results did not occur due to chance - typical mark scheme answer.

Reply 52

daniannandale

12

Original post by cmonb123

No, SLT is a valid point as it comes under 'behaviorist approach' . Anyway I talked about classical conditioning, Pavlov + Skinner, operant conditioning then a bit about SLT.

not true. SLT comes up under LEARNING APPROACHES, as does the behaviourist approach. So basically, the main approach is the LEARNING APPROACH and then its divided into two: SLT and behaviourist approach

Reply 53

I messed up the approaches 16 marker so bad :frown:

Reply 54

OP

Original post by benstables16

I messed up the approaches 16 marker so bad :frown:

I’m sure you got marks somewhere. What did you say?

Reply 55

Original post by CarefreeDreams

I’m sure you got marks somewhere. What did you say?

A01: outline behaviourism
A01: outline classical conditioning and pavlovs dogs
A01: discrimination, generalisation, extinction, spontaneous recovery
A01: operant conditioning skinner
A01: schedules of reinforcement

A03: biological approach uses objectivity.
A03: lab studies
A03: drug therapy

At least I get six marks :frown:

Reply 56

OP

Original post by benstables16

A01: outline behaviourism
A01: outline classical conditioning and pavlovs dogs
A01: discrimination, generalisation, extinction, spontaneous recovery
A01: operant conditioning skinner
A01: schedules of reinforcement

A03: biological approach uses objectivity.
A03: lab studies
A03: drug therapy

At least I get six marks :frown:

Your A01 sounds good. I just want to know for A03 did you then actually compare to the biological approach like for your one about drug therapies, did you then say how the behaviourists approach has practical applications to life too, so they both have real life applications or nah?

Because if you didn’t compare them, I don’t think you would get full 6 marks.

Reply 57

Original post by CarefreeDreams

Your A01 sounds good. I just want to know for A03 did you then actually compare to the biological approach like for your one about drug therapies, did you then say how the behaviourists approach has practical applications to life too, so they both have real life applications or nah?

Because if you didn’t compare them, I don’t think you would get full 6 marks.

No did not compare :-( hopefully I will get ao1 marks

Reply 58