OCR Psychology For A Level Book 1 sample

Some final thoughts …. ⦁ Did you spend at least 40 minutes on each source? ⦁ Did you note which of your answers would be assessed for quality of written communication as they are extended answers? Preparing an answer for Source B Answering part (a) As parents we should be setting our children a good example. Psychology would suggest that social learning theory tells us this. Make sure your answer references the article in detail. Answering part (b) You could do the same here as you did for Source A – you could use the issue of moral development. Other issues to consider could include how upbringing affects behaviour. You could also use the issue of modelling good behaviour (social learning theory). For example, the last paragraph says that you should ‘try to be as truthful as you can’ and that by lying we are ‘devaluing the importance of honesty’. You could explain how this is modelling truthfulness to children, who will want to imitate our behaviour because parents are role models ( vicarious reinforcement ). Answering part (c) In questions such as these it is useful to define exactly what is meant by the developmental area of psychology. You can then use your knowledge of this area to make links between the article and this area. Obvious areas include moral development, social learning theory, and even operant conditioning (reference to the use of punishment in stopping the child having a cookie after dinner). Answering part (d) The free will/determinism debate is looking at whether we are personally in control of what we do (free will) or whether forces outside our control cause us to behave that way (determinism). This determinism could be due to our environment or our biology. It could be argued that our genes and upbringing cause us to be moral (or otherwise). Social learning theory, which is relevant, is arguably a ‘middle ground’ in this debate. This child is exposed to ‘good’ behaviour but they are seen to have some cognitive input. Answering part (e) You have not been asked to make improvements so your changes do not necessarily have to be positive. Perhaps you could make changes that get the whole family involved in truth telling? Maybe you could suggest producing a questionnaire to assess parents’ attitudes to being honest? Whatever changes you suggest make them clear and specific and only suggest two as any more than two will not be marked. Answering part (f) Discussing implications means to explore the positive and negative results of your changes. If you suggested getting the whole family involved, then this would lead to greater truth telling openly, however it may mean that some family members become more secretive within the family and either disclose to unsuitable people to maintain privacy or keep problems to themselves, perhaps risking their mental health. It may also result in upset as social norms tell us that in order to maintain good relationships a little lying can be ‘good’. As always with these questions you are being assessed on your ability to write clear, detailed responses that employ good psychological terminology. Source B How to Prevent your Child from Lying a) Outline one reason why the article suggests that parents should be as truthful as they can be. [4] b) Identify one psychological issue raised by the above article. Support your answer with evidence from the article. [5] c) Explain how the source article is related to the developmental area of psychology. [4] d) Explain the contribution of the free will/ determinism debate to this article. [6] e) Describe two changes you could make to the advice given to parents in this article. [6] f) * Discuss implications of the changes you have made. [10] Note: Quality of extended responses will be assessed in questions marked with an asterisk (*). Young children generally have a hard time distin- guishing between fantasies and lies, and may tell imaginary tales without meaning to be deceptive. However, between the ages of 5 and 7 years, most children start to understand that lying is wrong. They may lie to avoid punishment or responsibility, or because they want to make themselves look bet- ter in some way. Avoid putting your child in a situation where he or she is tempted to lie.When you find them with tell-tale crumbs on their face, don’t ask them if they took a cookie from the table. Instead, state clearly: ‘I can see you ate a cookie after I told you not to touch them.’ Then tell your child that because of this he/she can’t have a cookie after dinner. And when your child is truthful about something they have done wrong, praise them. In turn, try to be as truthful as you can yourself. When our children hear us tell even the smallest ‘white lie’, like saying we have previous plans in order to avoid accepting an invitation, we are devaluing the importance of honesty. Although partial truths are sometimes necessary – you needn’t go into all the details of why you lost your job, for example. Do your best to minimise the use of deception in everyday conversation. Taken from a parenting website 215 A level only Practical application of developmental core studies 3 and 4