‘Failure to attend a medical appointment should be punished.' To what extent do you agree with this statement? Use examples of research you have studied to support your answer.

Mark scheme

Marking points from the official mark scheme (Oct/Nov 2018). The mark or mark type is shown in brackets.

1. For (agreement): If a punishment is threatened, people are much more likely to adhere to avoid the punishment.
2. For (agreement): If people are punished behaviourist principles suggest that the person will not want to miss an appointment again.
3. For (agreement): Missing an appointment may be bad for the person's health; attending would help. Punishment may force people to take medication and avoid long-term ill health.
4. Against (disagreement): Punishments which are automatically applied do not take into account a legitimate reason for failure to attend.
5. Against (disagreement): People are more likely to respond to 'cognitive explanations' for adherence rather than behavioural punishments.
6. Against (disagreement): It depends what the punishment is: if money, some people will still ignore the punishment; others will pay because the fine is minimal; others will not be able to afford a fine.