Biological: the Influence of Genes; Biological Structures; the Evolution of Behaviour
Past Exam Qs
Approaches
Assessment: External exam: PSYB1: 13th January 2010, Wednesday 9am
Biological: the influence of genes; biological structures; the evolution of behaviour.
1. Outline one limitation of the biological approach in psychology. (3 marks) June 04
2. Briefly discuss one limitation of the biological approach in psychology. (4 marks) June 07
3. Explain two limitations of the biological approach. (4 marks) June 08
4. Some psychologists believe that human and non-human behaviour can be explained in terms of evolutionary processes.
(i) What is meant by the term evolution? (2 marks)
(ii) Give an example of one behaviour and suggest how this behaviour can be explained in terms of evolutionary processes. (2 marks) (Jan 07)
Behaviourist: classical conditioning; operant conditioning.
5. Describe one assumption of the behaviourist approach in psychology. (3 marks)June 08
6. Outline one criticism of the behaviourist approach. (2 marks) June 04
7. Harry is 8 years old and has always enjoyed going to school. This term, however, hisparents have noticed a change in his behaviour. Harry has become very withdrawn anddisplays great fear and anxiety every time he has to go to school. When his parents questionwhy he no longer wants to go to school, Harry says that he was bullied last term.
Referring to features of the behaviourist approach, suggest why Harry has developed a fearof school. (4 marks)Jan 04
8. Shelby had a new set of crayons. However, rather than use them in her colouring book, she scribbled all over the wallpaper. Shelby’s mother was very angry and sent her to her bedroom. When Shelby was left alone again, she crayoned in her book, rather than on the wallpaper. Identify two features of the behaviourist approach and say how they might explain Shelby’s change in behaviour. (4 marks) (Jan 05) & (Additional sample questions 08)
9. Hannah has an illness which means that she must go to hospital once a month for drugtreatment. The drugs which she is given always make her sick afterwards. She has beengoing to hospital for six months. Hannah now finds that when she arrives at the hospitalfor her treatment, she is sick before she has the drugs.
With reference to the behaviourist approach in psychology, give one explanation as to whyHannah is now sick before she takes the drugs. (5 marks) June 03
10. Sunita is eight years old and suffers from a medical condition which means she often has to gointo hospital. Each time she goes into hospital, the treatment makes her feel sick. One day,Sunita.s mother took her to visit her grandmother in hospital. When they arrived at the hospital,Sunita complained to her mother that she felt sick.
Referring to features of the behaviourist approach, explain why Sunita felt sick when she wentto visit her grandmother in hospital. (4 marks) June 06
Social Learning Theory: modelling; mediating cognitive factors.
11. What do social learning theorists mean by the term modelling? Give an example of how modelling might be used by someone going to an exercise class for the first time. (2 marks) (sample paper 08)
Cognitive: the study of internal mental processes and the use of models to explain these processes.
12. Outline one assumption of the cognitive approach in psychology. (2 marks) June 03
13. Briefly explain one assumption of the cognitive approach in psychology. (2 marks) (June 07)
Psychodynamic: the role of the unconscious; psychosexual stages; the structure of personality; defence mechanisms.
14. Outline one assumption of the psychoanalytic approach in psychology. (2 marks) Jan 03
15. Briefly describe one feature of the psychodynamic approach in psychology. (3 marks) (June 06)
16. Outline two criticisms of the psychodynamic approach. (4 marks) (Jan 04 & June 06)
17. Jaina is three years old. She sees a packet of her favourite chocolate biscuits on the kitchen table. Jaina’s mother says to her, “You must not eat any of the chocolate biscuits.” When her mother leaves the kitchen, Jaina cannot stop herself from eating a chocolate biscuit, even though she has been told not to.
Suggest a psychodynamic explanation as to why Jaina ate the chocolate biscuit.
(4 marks) (January 07)
18. Katy is very anxious. She constantly chews her pen without realising it and cannot stop herself from biting her fingernails.
Outline two assumptions of the psychodynamic approach. Refer to Katy in your answer. (4 marks) Jan 09
19. Outline one contribution that Freud made to the development of psychology. (2 marks) June 05
Humanistic: free will; concepts of self and self-actualisation; conditions of worth.
20. Identify three features of the humanistic approach. (3 marks) Jan 03
21. Briefly explain one assumption of the humanistic approach in psychology. (2 marks) (June 07)
22. Lesley is anxious and has low self-esteem. As a child, she felt that, no matter how hard she tried to please people, no one ever approved of her. She sometimes feels worthless.
Referring to the humanistic approach, explain one possible cause of Lesley’s problems. (4 marks) (Jan 06)
Mix
23. The table below is not complete. It should contain the names of key approaches in psychology and a basic assumption of each approach. In your answer book, identify the key approaches for (i) and (ii), and give a basic assumption for the cognitive approach in
(iii). Label your answers clearly. (3 marks)
(Jan 05)