A-LevelPsychologyResearch methods9990/21 · Oct/Nov 2020 · Q78 Marks

Aileen is planning an interview-based study to investigate what old people often forget. She is concerned that this could break the ethical guideline of 'privacy'.

(a)(i)Explain what is meant by the ethical guideline of privacy, using Aileen's study as an example.[2]
(a)(ii)Suggest how Aileen could ensure that she follows the ethical guideline of privacy in her study.[2]
(b)(i)State how Aileen could operationalise her two groups of participants.[2]
(b)(ii)Aileen believes that a possible extraneous variable is whether any participant has a job. Explain the effect that this extraneous variable could have on the results.[2]

Mark scheme

Marking points from the official mark scheme (Oct/Nov 2020). The mark or mark type is shown in brackets.

[1] (a)(i) 1 mark for definition
[1] (a)(i) 1 mark for link
[1] (a)(i) Privacy relates to not invading a person's thoughts (or space) that they don't want to share = 1 definition
[1] (a)(i) Elderly people might not want to talk about things like dead friends / personal things like forgetting their false teeth = 1 link
[1] (a)(ii) 1 mark for solution
[1] (a)(ii) 1 mark for link or how it solves the problem
[1] (a)(ii) She could tell them that if there were any things they didn't want to tell her, that was okay (in a brief) = 1 solution
[1] (a)(ii) So they would have to answer questions about what they have forgotten in the past, which would be embarrassing = 1 link
[1] (a)(ii) She could make sure that they are aware of their right to withdraw = 1 solution
[1] (a)(ii) So that they could easily refuse to answer personal questions about what they had forgotten, such as to get dressed = 1 link
[1] (b)(i) 1 mark for identifying two groups
[1] (b)(i) 1 mark for identifying two groups and operationalising one group
[2] (b)(i) 2 marks for operationalising two groups
[1] (b)(i) Older people and younger people = 1 identifying
[1] (b)(i) e.g. elderly people between 61 and 80 and between 81 and 100 = 1 operationalising
[1] (b)(ii) 1 mark for statement of effect of job on memory
[1] (b)(ii) 1 mark for linking to difference between young and old people
[1] (b)(ii) Having a job could affect how much people use their memories / could make memory better / could make it worse = 1 explanation
[1] (b)(ii) So the amount you use your memory, rather than age, could be the important factor in forgetting = 1 detail
[1] (b)(ii) If younger people are more likely to have a work diary than older people they could have more reminders = 1 explanation
[1] (b)(ii) So the frequency of cues to memory, rather than age, could be the important factor in forgetting = 1 detail