A2 Psychology - Paper 3: Specialist choices
This paper contains five specialist choice options and candidates are required to answer questions from the two options they have studied.
The paper will consist of short answer and structured essay questions and will be assessed by a 3 hour examination. The questions for each specialist choice option are divided into three sections:
The paper will consist of short answer and structured essay questions and will be assessed by a 3 hour examination. The questions for each specialist choice option are divided into three sections:
- Section A: Compulsory short answer questions on a particular topic area
- Section B: 1 compulsory structured essay
- Section C: 1 structured question on applying psychology from a choice of 2
Themes |
The specialist choicesThe applied areas are:
• Education • Health • Environment • Abnormality • Organisations Each area will contain a range of different approaches and viewpoints, some of which will be familiar to you from AS and some of which will be new. Each area is divided up into six sections and each section into three bullet points. It is very helpful if you know these divisions well, so keep a specification in the front of your file and refer to it regularly. |
Know your exam paper...
A2 examination papers always follow the same pattern. These examples are taken from a 'Psychology and Education' paper, but the general layout is identical for all options.
Section A - Compulsory short answer questions on a particular topic area (one 2 mark and one 4 mark question)
e.g. 1 (a) Explain, in your own words, what is meant by a ‘corrective strategy’ for disruptive behaviour. [2]
(b) Describe one behaviour modification technique. [4]
Section B - 1 compulsory structured essay (consisting of two parts; an 8 mark 'describe' question and a 12 mark 'evaluate' question)
e.g. 2 (a) Describe what psychologists have discovered about intelligence. [8]
(b) Intelligence is often said to be what intelligence tests measure. Evaluate what psychologists have discovered about intelligence and include a
discussion of psychometric testing. [12]
N.B. The essay topics always focus on one of the six sections (so they will only ever be on one of six topics, although the type of question that you are asked may vary).
Section C - 1 structured question on applying psychology from a choice of 2 (consisting of one 6 mark recall question and one 8 mark application question) e.g. ANSWER ONE QUESTION
3. Children can be gifted in many ways. The problem is how to know whether they are truly gifted,very good or just had a lucky day. You could
ask a teacher for his or her opinion, but a different teacher might give a conflicting view. What we need is a teacher consistency test!
(a) Suggest how you could test teacher accuracy in assessing giftedness. [8]
(b) Describe different types and definitions of giftedness. [6]
4 Chrissy has passed her examination achieving a grade A, but Charlie has failed his. Charlie is demotivated and is considering giving up his
studies.
(a) Suggest one way in which Charlie’s motivation can be improved. [8]
(b) Describe the assumptions of the approach to education on which your suggestion is based. [6]
Section A - Compulsory short answer questions on a particular topic area (one 2 mark and one 4 mark question)
e.g. 1 (a) Explain, in your own words, what is meant by a ‘corrective strategy’ for disruptive behaviour. [2]
(b) Describe one behaviour modification technique. [4]
Section B - 1 compulsory structured essay (consisting of two parts; an 8 mark 'describe' question and a 12 mark 'evaluate' question)
e.g. 2 (a) Describe what psychologists have discovered about intelligence. [8]
(b) Intelligence is often said to be what intelligence tests measure. Evaluate what psychologists have discovered about intelligence and include a
discussion of psychometric testing. [12]
N.B. The essay topics always focus on one of the six sections (so they will only ever be on one of six topics, although the type of question that you are asked may vary).
Section C - 1 structured question on applying psychology from a choice of 2 (consisting of one 6 mark recall question and one 8 mark application question) e.g. ANSWER ONE QUESTION
3. Children can be gifted in many ways. The problem is how to know whether they are truly gifted,very good or just had a lucky day. You could
ask a teacher for his or her opinion, but a different teacher might give a conflicting view. What we need is a teacher consistency test!
(a) Suggest how you could test teacher accuracy in assessing giftedness. [8]
(b) Describe different types and definitions of giftedness. [6]
4 Chrissy has passed her examination achieving a grade A, but Charlie has failed his. Charlie is demotivated and is considering giving up his
studies.
(a) Suggest one way in which Charlie’s motivation can be improved. [8]
(b) Describe the assumptions of the approach to education on which your suggestion is based. [6]