OCR AL Psychology (New): Research methods H167/1 &amp; H567/1 - 15 May &amp; 07 Jun 2017

Original post by clairebear101

Just seems werid that adults were better at risk taking yet they have lower activity in pre frontal cortex! i mean since this was the spec paper im sure it wont come up but still makes me wonder! thank you though :smile:

I tend to just mention the ventral striatum and i think that gives a clear enough explation anyway. Have you got any structure for part c the applications part? i got really suck on the spec papers as they weren't asking for suggestions! but more explations or plan research!

Yep was meant to upload this before but couldn't find it in my files. Here is a PART C question:
*Thelma is worried about her son. He seems very bright in some ways; he is generally making excellent progress at school. However, in three subjects his report was terrible and Thelma is wondering whether an intelligence test would help her to understand why. Discuss how an intelligence test might be conducted and what the results might, or might not, tell Thelma about her son. [10]

An intelligence test could be conducted through a Raven’s Progressive Matrices. According to John Raven, this would measure intelligence in a way that is quick and easy to deliver which would be useful for children of a school age. The intelligence test would measure Thelma’s son’s eductive reasoning (ability to work out an answer based on information given) and thus measures fluid intelligence. Her son would be given a novel pictoral stimuli in which he would need to make meaningful through identifying patterns and selecting missing aspects of them.

As he is a child, the test would need to be altered and so he would be given either a standard progressive matrices or a colour progressive matrices so that the results would be reliable and the tests wouldn’t be too difficult for him to take. Raven’s progressive matrices would therefore show Thelma whether or not her son has acquired basic skills of fluid intelligence that is useful in a wide range of school subjects.

Thelma’s son would be able to identify a single ‘g’ factor (Charles Spearman) that would account for 50% of her son’s intelligence across certain subjects. This would therefore also tell her how far the environment of her son is influencing his ability to do well in certain subjects. E.g. his desire to get the top grade or whether he has a supportive enough teacher so that Thelma can intervene and change her son’s attitude to learning in those three subjects.

However, the test would only tell Thelma how good her son is at identifying and solving patterns and thus does not measure his ability to use and apply crystallised intelligence (acquired intelligence). This skill is vital in school and so it is possible that not having this would mean that her son would not do very well in memory and application subjects such as History or Science. Also according to the Flynn Effect theory, the RPM may not measure intelligence exactly but instead a concept that is similar to intelligence i.e. mental rotation abilities. Flynn thinks that these tests correlate too weakly with intelligence to measure it accurately, and so Thelma may not recieve much of an insight into her son's IQ through RPM intelligence tests.

Note- There might be things in here that you haven't learnt, but it's okay because everyone has different textbooks which all give different theories. You can use anything from your knowledge to answer this question including information from the Background of the topics, the Key Research or the Application information.

(edited 6 years ago)

Reply 484

Another PART B
Assess the reliability of research into brain development and risk-taking [15]
Research into brain development is typically reliable. This is because it involves objective measures of brain activity that is typically conducted within labarotory conditions. For example, Barkley-Levenson and Galvan had conducted their study into brain activity and risk-taking behaviour within a laboratory environment and thus had control over all aspects of their study. They were thus able to ensure that the changes in the expected value and the risks involved with the gambling situation alone were causing the effect of changes in brain activity in both adults and teenagers. This allows for a more objective measure of brain development which can be repeated easily by other psychologists for the same results.

Research into brain development and risk taking behaviour has very high test-retest and inter-rater reliability. Because of the scientific nature of the research, it is easy to reproduce or alter in order to support views and findings of other psychologists. For example, Barkley-Levenson’s research has also been supported by Eshel who agreed that adolescents had an underdeveloped prefrontal cortex then they would be less likely to ignore possible consequences of risks. This triangulation enables the research to remain reliable as it has been supported by many psychologists over time.
Studies of brain development and risk taking should take a large sample in order to uphold reliability. This would mean that there would be less overall variance between participants data. However, in studies such as the key research, the lack of a large same (19 adults and 22 adolescents) brings the overall reliability down as it means that the data cannot be generalized to large groups of teenagers or adults.

Individual differences in brain activity could lower the reliability of research into brain development and risk-taking. Not every adolescent would respond in the same way, and because the key research had taken a sample of 17-18 year olds, it is possible that the difference between a 17 year old’s brain and an 18 year old’s brain could have caused slight variation in brain activity and perceptions of money. However this was controlled due to the lab environment of the study as Barkley-Lewenson et al had investigated the meanings that adolescents had given to money according to how much money they get a month.

(edited 6 years ago)

Reply 485

1234f

is there any structure to the questions on paper 3? any advice right now would be appreciated

Reply 486

Im so far behind on applied, havent even touched it. Any tips on being able to get an A through 3 days of revision ffs

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 487

schoolgirl1

5

Original post by 1234f

is there any structure to the questions on paper 3? any advice right now would be appreciated

If you have the blue number 2 text book it talks about the structure in there
I don't know which topics you're studying but for me at least, Section A would be mental health with some 2 markers and 5 markers and I think a 10 marker, then Section B and C follow the same structure and for me one is crime and one is child:
Part A of section B is a 10 marker on key researcher, to answer it you would split it into 5 marks for general description of study, then 5 marks on applying it and link to question!
Part B of section B is a 15 marker on a debate and you have to assess the debate within the topic they give you - make sure you know which studies go in which names of topics! And to structure this answer you want to do 3 Point, Evidence, Explain, Counter arguments (PEEC x3)

Part C will give you a scenario in which you will give suggestions and you can refer to either your key research, background or application studies or even core studies if they link! This one is 10 marks and I would aim for 2-3 suggestions and back up with evidence

And section B is the same as Section C but obviously for your other chosen topic!

Hope this helped! :smile:

(edited 6 years ago)

Reply 488

polaroidfilms

9

what type of q's is the 15 marker?

Reply 489

1234f

Original post by schoolgirl1

If you have the blue number 2 text book it talks about the structure in there
I don't know which topics you're studying but for me at least, Section A would be mental health with some 2 markers and 5 markers and I think a 10 marker, then Section B and C follow the same structure and for me one is crime and one is child:
Part A of section B is a 10 marker on key researcher, to answer it you would split it into 5 marks for general description of study, then 5 marks on applying it and link to question!
Part B of section B is a 15 marker on a debate and you have to assess the debate within the topic they give you - make sure you know which studies go in which names of topics! And to structure this answer you want to do 3 Point, Evidence, Explain, Counter arguments (PEEC x3)

Part C will give you a scenario in which you will give suggestions and you can refer to either your key research, background or application studies or even core studies if they link! This one is 10 marks and I would aim for 2-3 suggestions and back up with evidence

And section B is the same as Section C but obviously for your other chosen topic!

Hope this helped! :smile:

thank you! this was really helpful, just so I'm clear what exactly do we need to know for the debates? applied to the key research or the whole topic??

Reply 490

Original post by Rtdsv

Im so far behind on applied, havent even touched it. Any tips on being able to get an A through 3 days of revision ffs

Posted from TSR Mobile

This website is really helpful for learning the content + Debates. https://psychologywithmisssmith.wordpress.com/psychology-and-the-courtroom-cognitive-dixon-study/

Reply 491

Does anyone know exaclty what in Wilson and Kelling' study we are expected to know? It's all literally just words on a page at this point

Reply 492

schoolgirl1

5

Original post by polaroidfilms

what type of q's is the 15 marker?

It will be on a debate and you just use your studies to support your points and also you need a counter argument! I said it in the answer above!

Reply 493

Original post by LenniesRabbit

Does anyone know exaclty what in Wilson and Kelling' study we are expected to know? It's all literally just words on a page at this point

The worst one is the cognitive interview one

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 494

schoolgirl1

5

Original post by 1234f

thank you! this was really helpful, just so I'm clear what exactly do we need to know for the debates? applied to the key research or the whole topic??

You're welcome, glad I helped! :smile:

It will say something like : discuss the reliability into psychology and the courtroom
so u can use anything from the topic they give you!
just learn general points that can be applied to the debates with counter arguments so for example for reliability you could say its reliable if there is a standardised procedure... then use an example from the topic, then as a counter you could say however, even some standardised procedures leave room for human error/order effects, therefore it can be seen as unreliable
something like that, hope it helps? :smile:

Reply 495

Original post by Rtdsv

The worst one is the cognitive interview one

Posted from TSR Mobile

Ughh yes! Really hoping that either Zimbardo or Dixon comes up. They're two of the most straightforward.
For Child Psych I hope Intelligence or Advertising comes up. Perception/Attachment is literal death

Reply 496

You know how section how theres a, b, and c questions for criminal and child psychology; will those 3 questions relate to the same topic e.g. all three of them relating to development of attachment

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 497

Original post by Rtdsv

You know how section how theres a, b, and c questions for criminal and child psychology; will those 3 questions relate to the same topic e.g. all three of them relating to development of attachment

Posted from TSR Mobile

Yeah they will all be based on the same topic e.g. Crime Prevention/Intelligence etc

Reply 498

Original post by LenniesRabbit

Ughh yes! Really hoping that either Zimbardo or Dixon comes up. They're two of the most straightforward.
For Child Psych I hope Intelligence or Advertising comes up. Perception/Attachment is literal death

I think Dixon came up on the practice paper. Do you think theres no point revising the ones on the specimen?

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 499