PSA3 AND PSA4 exemplar work

Teacher Resource Bank


GCE Psychology A
Further Practice Questions with

Candidate Exemplar Work:

PSYA3

PSYA4




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Teacher Resource Bank / GCE Psychology A/ Further Practice Questions: PSYA3 and 4/ Version 1.0




FURTHER PRACTICE QUESTIONS with CANDIDATE
EXEMPLAR WORK

PSYA3 Biological rhythms and sleep
(25 marks)

(a) Outline what psychological research has shown about lifespan changes in sleep.
(4 marks)

(b) Discuss explanations for one or more…

Teacher Resource Bank / Psychology A / Further Practice Questions: PSYA3 and 4 / Version 1.0




AO2/3 = 16 marks: For analysis, evaluation and commentary on explanation(s) of one or
more sleep disorders.

A clear source of evaluation would be on research findings that support or challenge
explanations of particular…

Teacher Resource Bank / Psychology A / Further Practice Questions: PSYA3 and 4 / Version 1.0




Candidate Response
NB Numbers in the text relate to the point-by-point comments below.

(a) Over our lifespan there are changes in the amount of sleep we need and the type of
sleep needed. As…

Teacher Resource Bank / Psychology A / Further Practice Questions: PSYA3 and 4 / Version 1.0




Other sleep disorders include sleep apnoea where breathing stops during sleep. This lasts
20-40 seconds there are two types obstructive due to airway blocking associated with
obesity. Central apnoea is associated with choking rather…

Teacher Resource Bank / Psychology A / Further Practice Questions: PSYA3 and 4 / Version 1.0




Examiner comments
(b) This candidate has not really focused on the question. The extensive description of the
characteristics of a range of disorders is accurate and reasonably detailed but is not relevant,
and therefore…

Teacher Resource Bank / Psychology A / Further Practice Questions: PSYA3 and 4 / Version 1.0




PSYA3 Perception (25 marks)

Discuss the contribution of infant and cross-cultural studies to our understanding of the
development of perceptual abilities. (9 marks + 16 marks)



AO1 = 9 marks: Outline description of the…

Teacher Resource Bank / Psychology A / Further Practice Questions: PSYA3 and 4 / Version 1.0




An alternative source of AO2 would be commentary on relative contribution of neonate and
cross-cultural research to understanding as compared with other types of research, such as
animal studies, clinical studies, distortion studies, and…

Teacher Resource Bank / Psychology A / Further Practice Questions: PSYA3 and 4 / Version 1.0




Candidate Response

NB Numbers in the text relate to the point-by-point comments below.

One of the major questions about perceptual development is whether it is the result of
nature or nurture or a combination…

Teacher Resource Bank / Psychology A / Further Practice Questions: PSYA3 and 4 / Version 1.0




By studying the perceptual abilities of neonates we can see what abilities are innate.
Abilities that are learned would not be evident in newborns. Studies such as those of
Gibson and Walk the visual…