Psychology

1. 1.

   Explain why attachment is not adequately defined as an infant merely being fed by an adult.

   [2 marks] · no calculator

   Answer explanation

   Draft walkthroughs are based on marking guidance, not independently verified derivations.

   1. Look for a relationship expressed across situations, such as seeking comfort when distressed. A single caregiving act does not establish the pattern or the infant's response to that person.

   Marking points

   • Attachment is an enduring emotional bond involving proximity or security seeking.
   • Feeding can occur without demonstrating the infant's selective bond or use of a caregiver as a secure base.

   Examiner tip: Define the bond, not just an adult's practical task.

2. 2.

   Fictional study: the same children are assessed at ages 3, 6 and 9. Identify the design and one advantage over comparing different children at each age.

   [2 marks] · no calculator

   Answer explanation

   Draft walkthroughs are based on marking guidance, not independently verified derivations.

   1. Repeated assessment reveals trajectories for particular children. It does not remove all confounds, but avoids interpreting differences between separate groups as necessarily individual development.

   Marking points

   • This is a longitudinal design following the same participants over time.
   • It can track within-person developmental changes rather than confounding age differences with different samples.

   Examiner tip: Longitudinal describes repeated follow-up, not simply a large sample.

3. 3.

   Fictional case: early sensitive caregiving predicts later social confidence. Analyse why a longitudinal association does not prove caregiving alone caused confidence.

   [4 marks] · no calculator

   Answer explanation

   Draft walkthroughs are based on marking guidance, not independently verified derivations.

   1. Following children over time establishes sequence better than a single survey. It still leaves person and family factors that can create the association, so avoid a sole-cause conclusion.

   Marking points

   • Temporal ordering supports caregiving preceding the later outcome.
   • Shared family conditions may affect both caregiving and social opportunities.
   • Child temperament can influence caregiver responses and later confidence.
   • Control or converging designs are needed to assess alternative explanations.

   Examiner tip: Temporal precedence is necessary for causation but not sufficient.

4. 4.

   Fictional study: half the families leave a ten-year follow-up, particularly families under financial stress. Analyse attrition bias and a practical response.

   [4 marks] · no calculator

   Answer explanation

   Draft walkthroughs are based on marking guidance, not independently verified derivations.

   1. A smaller sample is not the only problem: selective loss changes who is represented. Retention support and attrition analysis help, but cannot guarantee missing outcomes resemble observed ones.

   Marking points

   • The remaining sample may differ systematically from those who leave.
   • Underrepresentation of stressed families may distort estimated developmental patterns.
   • Flexible scheduling and accessible contact can reduce barriers to continued participation.
   • Compare baseline characteristics of leavers and stayers and report limitations transparently.

   Examiner tip: Explain selection in dropout, not only loss of statistical power.

5. 5.

   Fictional case: an attachment observation developed in one cultural setting classifies children elsewhere using the same separation behaviour criteria. Evaluate applying the categories unchanged.

   [4 marks] · no calculator

   Answer explanation

   Draft walkthroughs are based on marking guidance, not independently verified derivations.

   1. A common coding system is useful only if it measures a comparable construct. Examine local caregiving practices and convergent evidence before interpreting category differences as attachment-quality differences.

   Marking points

   • Indicative: standardised procedures can improve comparability.
   • Different usual separation experiences can alter behaviour in the task.
   • The same visible behaviour may have different contextual meaning.
   • A justified judgement requires culturally informed validation rather than assuming deficiency from a category.

   Examiner tip: Do not rank cultures from unfamiliar separation responses alone.

6. 6.

   Fictional case: a policy report claims early caregiving permanently fixes adult relationships. Evaluate this deterministic claim using continuity and later experience.

   [4 marks] · no calculator

   Answer explanation

   Draft walkthroughs are based on marking guidance, not independently verified derivations.

   1. Continuity can inform support without implying inevitability. Recognise both early risk and opportunities for later change; policy should avoid labelling people as permanently damaged.

   Marking points

   • Indicative: early relationships may shape expectations about trust and support.
   • Associations with later outcomes do not show unchangeable individual destinies.
   • Later supportive relationships and changing circumstances can modify patterns.
   • A justified judgement treats early experience as a probabilistic influence rather than permanent fixation.

   Examiner tip: Group-level prediction is not certainty about an individual.

Original, unofficial practice questions from SubjectScout — not official past-paper questions.