Zach is planning a study using laboratory rats to investigate whether they will copy a rat which acts as a model by eating unusual foods. He is aware of the ethical guidelines for using animals in experiments.

Mark scheme

Marking points from the official mark scheme (Oct/Nov 2019). The mark or mark type is shown in brackets.

1. [2] 1 mark for ethical reason (animal guideline)
2. 1 mark for link (to eating versus aggression)
3. (limit) pain and distress = 1 (identification for reason/guideline)
4. Fighting would be stressful/they may get hurt (but copying a model eating would not) = 1 link
5. species/strain, they are social animals = 1 (identification for reason/guideline)
6. so they would not be distressed by watching another rat = 1 link
7. [2] 1 mark for practical reason
8. 1 mark for link
9. rats are small = 1 (identification for reason);
10. so can be easily stopped if they happened to fight (over the food) = 1 link
11. rats are social = 1 (identification for reason);
12. so they would watch each other when placed together = 1 link;
13. common lab animals = 1 (identification for reason);
14. so their behaviour wouldn't be affected by being in a study = 1 link;
15. easy to observe = 1 (identification for reason);
16. as big enough to see their behaviour = 1 (identification for reason);
17. to make recording reliable = 1 link;
18. rats are likely to copy feeding behaviour = 1 (identification for reason);
19. because they eat a wide range of food/are intelligent (for rodents)/are social = 1 link;
20. [2] 1 mark for identifying reasons for being valid/invalid (can be generic)
21. 1 mark for link
22. Yes It's easy (for Zach) to watch animals feed = 1 link
23. so he can be certain that the learner is doing the same behaviour as the model = 1 reason (dependent on content of link in this case)
24. No He might not interpret behaviour correctly/difficult to operationalise feeding behaviour = 1 reason
25. because licking/sniffing in rats might look like feeding (to Zach) = 1 link
26. because rats might have many different feeding behaviours = 1 reason
27. so Zach may not know which rat behaviours are copied and which are not = 1 link
28. Observing behaviours may be subjective = 1 reason
29. so Zach may judge behaviours to be similar when they are not = 1 link
30. [2] 1 mark for identifying strength (can be generic)
31. 1 mark for detail (may be linked but does not have to be)
32. It can be done with animals/children = 1 (identification)
33. so it does not matter that they cannot talk/respond to questions = 1 (detail)
34. It can be done without the participants' awareness = 1 (identification)
35. so there are fewer demand characteristics = 1 (detail)