2. Welcome Today is the first of four Webinars for OCR:
Getting to Grips with Teaching OCR A Level Psychology For the First Time – Wednesday 14th 4:30pm
OCR Psychology: How to Nail Your Planning for Year 2 With Smart Option Choices – Monday 19th 4:30pm
OCR Psychology: What The Examiner Said - And How to Respond for Summer Paper 1 – Monday 26th 4:30pm
OCR Psychology: What The Examiner Said - And How to Respond for Summer Paper 2 – Thursday 6th 4:30pm

3. Session Aims
Review the questions and key points from the mark scheme for Component 1, May 2016
Discuss performance on each question – identify good practice and common pitfalls
Discuss some sample answers
Identify strategies for improving student performance in 2017

4. Grade Boundaries Component 1 - Research methods - 75 marks
A -59 B -54 C -50 D- 45 E -41
Component 2 Psychological themes through core studies – 75 marks
A -47 B -43 C -38 D -34 E- 29
Overall 150 marks
A -106 B -97 C -88 D -79 E -70
Thoughts?

5. Section A – Multiple Choice Issues
Q3 - A psychologist has designed a new psychometric test to measure extroversion. She gives 30 participants both her test and an established personality test, and compares their scores on the two tests. What is she trying to establish by doing this?
A concurrent validity B criterion validity C ecological validity D external validity
Q7 - Which is a principle of scientific enquiry?
A implication B induction C information D initiation
Questions 3 and 7 ‘’proved to be challenging questions and shows the importance of teaching terms and concepts well.’’
Q8 - Which is the best estimate of the correlation coefficient for the above data?
A –0.7 B –0.2 C +0.2 D +0.7
‘’Most candidates were able to identify this was a negative correlation but some struggled with the strength of the correlation’’

6. Questions with poorer performance
Q10 - A binomial sign test is correctly used to assess the significance of a set of results. What level of data and type of design are necessary to carry out this test?
A nominal level data using a repeated measures design B nominal level data using an independent measures design c ordinal level data using a repeated measures design D ordinal level data using an independent measures design
‘’Generally quite poorly answered and shows the need to prepare candidates to answer questions related to choice of inferential statistical tests’’
Q14 - What is a quasi-experiment?
A the independent variable cannot be directly manipulated B the independent variable is directly manipulated C there is more than one independent variable D there is no independent variable
‘’Generally well answered, but with some occasional responses indicating this type of research had no independent variable at all.’’

7. Section B
Furry friends. Some research suggests that animals can help people feel less lonely. To investigate this further a psychologist wants to conduct an experiment to study the effect of caring for pets on elderly people living in one large residential home called ‘The Oaklands’ which has a total of 125 men and women aged between 60 and 95

8. Q16 - Identify the target population in this research. [1]
The target population is the (125) elderly residents of the Oaklands residential home.
Q17(a) - Describe how random sampling could be used to obtain participants for this study. [3]
Random sampling could be used by getting all the names of the 125 elderly residents who live in The Oaklands residential home and putting them in to a hat and then selecting names from it.
3 marks - Must include some reference to all members of the target population being involved in the selection process.

9. 17a Sample Answers – How many marks?
All names of the residents were placed in a hat and 50 of them were chosen to be the sample. 3
Everyone has an equal chance of being selected because it is random.
125 names were picked out of a hat. 1

10. Q17(b) – Evaluate the use of random sampling in this study. [6]
5-6 Marks - Good evaluation with reference to 2 or more points in context
More representative of the target population; able to generalise the findings about the effect of pets on loneliness more accurately to the target population; less bias in the selection/recruitment of participants etc

11. 18 (a) Identify the independent variable in this study. [1]
The IV is being in contact with, and/or caring for an animal.
18 (b) Identify the dependent variable in this study. [1]
The DV is loneliness.
Common Pitfalls 18a – pets, residents
Common Pitfalls 18b – the effect of caring for pets, happiness, mood

12. Q19 - Explain how you would use the experimental method to conduct this research. Justify your decisions as part of your explanation [12]
In your answer the required features that you must refer to are:
-the experimental design you would use -how the dependent variable will be measured -the control of at least one extraneous variable
You should use your own experience of practical activities to inform your response

13. Example answer
I would use an independent measures design, with 20 residents of Oaklands looking after a pet for a week and 20 other elderly residents not looking after a pet. I would use this experimental design to prevent order effects – the elderly people may get tired of being part of the research in terms of asking questions about their loneliness, also as they would only take part in one condition this would reduce demand characteristics, because if a repeated measures design was used the elderly people might work out the aim and say they are less lonely in the pet condition. I know that independent measures are better, because in my own research into the effects of chocolate on cognitive performance I used a repeated measures design and the Sudoku performance got better when given chocolate, but this could have been due to practice, rather than the chocolate….

14. Details of required features (RFs) included
Level of response
Details of required features (RFs) included
Justification of decisions made
Reference to own practical work
Good marks
-All 3 required features addressed
-Accurate and detailed knowledge and understanding of each feature in context
-Good evidence of application of required features in context
-Appropriate justification of all decisions and some is contextualized
-Well developed line of reasoning that is clear and logically structured
-Explicit reference to own practical work and clear links between own work and the planned research for each required feature.
e.g. specific mention of aim or procedural features
10 marks if just one RF linked, 11 marks if two and 12 if all three
Reasonable 7-9 marks
-Reasonably accurate and detailed knowledge and understanding of each feature
-At least two applications of required features in context
-Some appropriate justification of decisions related to all three required features (7 marks if only two required features justified)
-There was a line of reasoning evident with some structure
-No explicit link between own practical work and required features
If two required features are addressed in detail and justified in context and explicit links made to own practical work award 8 marks
Limited
4-6 marks
-Two of the required features addressed
-Limited application of required features
-Attempt to justify decision(s) but weak
-Evidence of some structure, but weak
OR all required features referred to but in a limited way
If one required feature addressed in detail and justified in context and explicit links made to own practical work award 4 marks
Basic
1-3 marks
-One of the required features addressed
-Weak application of required features
-None, or if present very weak
OR more than one of the required features referred to but in a very brief and/or basic way

16. Planning an Investigation
12 mark question at AS Level
Scenario is presented and students must design an investigation
How to achieve top marks:
Address all 3 bullet points
Justify design decision
Contextualise the design decisions to the scenario
Use own practical work to inform decisions
Use tutor2u’s planning an investigation resources….
Interested?

17. Q20 - Write a null hypothesis for this study. [3]
There will not be a significant difference in the ratings of feelings of loneliness (on a scale 1 to 10) experienced by elderly people in a care home between those who take care of a cat for a month and those who do not.
3 marks - Correctly cited null with both IV and DV operationalised
Many achieved 2 marks – why?
Q21 - Outline one advantage of conducting this research in a real life setting. [2]
Advantages can include: high ecological validity (studying elderly people in their real residential home); samples naturally occurring behaviour; behaviour is unrestricted etc.
2 marks - Clear outline of an advantage of conducting the research in a real life setting in context
Many achieved 1 mark – why?

18. Q22 - Identify two ethical considerations in this study and explain how you would address them. [6]
Ethical issues could include: causing elderly residents distress by discussing loneliness with them; issues of safety around animals; interaction with people they are not familiar with (distress); may not fully understand what to research is about (consent); may become attached to animals and not want it taken away etc
3 marks for each ethical - issue clearly identified and way to address it clearly explained in context
Answers clearly related to elderly people or animals did best. Such as protection from harm….

19. Section C: Data analysis and interpretation
A psychologist conducted an observation study to investigate how people react when walking towards each other along a corridor in a building where lots of different office staff work. To do this, she asked for permission to set up hidden cameras for a day to record people’s encounters along one of the main corridors connecting one part of the building to another. The results from the study are shown in the table below.
Table 1: Different behaviours observed as two people approach each other in a corridor
Avoids eye contact
Smiles
Says hello
Makes eye contact
Nods
Total 80 48 40 24 8
200

20. Section C: Data analysis and interpretation
Q23 - This study is an example of a structured observation. What is a structured observation? [2]
An observation that uses an explicitly predetermined behavioural categories of behaviour.
2 marks - Clear outline of what a structured observation is.
Q24 - What level of data is obtained in this study? [1]
The level of data obtained in the study is nominal.
Q25 - What is the ratio of the number of times people avoided eye-contact to the number of times people said hello? [2]
2 marks - Correctly stated ratio, simplified to 2:1.
1 mark - Just saying 80:40 without simplifying the answer.

21. Q26 - What is the mode for the type of behaviour observed by people as they approach each other in the corridor? [1]
‘avoids eye-contact’ or 80 occurrences
Q27 - Sketch a pie chart to show the data collected in this study. [4]
1 mark is awarded for correctly calculating what proportion of the circle should represent each of the five behavioural categories.
1 mark is awarded for drawing the sectors in proportional size to the data displayed
1 mark is awarded for clear labelling of each sector of the pie chart
1 mark is awarded for a clear and appropriate title

22. Q28 - Outline two conclusions that can be made from the data collected in this study. [6]
Conclusions could include: the most frequent behaviour was to avoid eye-contact, which suggests people do not like acknowledging each other in a corridor; The lowest frequency of behaviour was ‘nods head’, which suggests people do not like greeting people as they meet in a corridor.
3 marks for each conclusion - Clear, detailed response in context.

23. Question 28 – Common Answer
40% of people avoided eye contact, this shows that people may not look at each other in the corridor because they are so busy thinking about other things. While the least number people, only 4% nodded at each other, this shows that most people may be embarrassed to acknowledge a work colleague as they do not know them that well.
What is good about this answer?
What is a problem with this answer?
How many marks?

24. Q29 - In a follow-up study conducted a month later that recorded 310 behaviours in total, the researchers noted that people avoided eye-contact 125 times. Write this as a percentage to two significant figures. Show your workings. [3]
125 written as a percentage of 310 is 125/310 x 100 =
Expressed to two significant figures this is 40
What do you think was the most common mark here?

25. Q30(a) Explain what is meant by a covert observation. [2]
An observation in which the participants are unaware that they are being observed by a researcher.
2 marks - Clear outline of what a covert observation is.
2 marks was often achieved
Q30(b) Evaluate the use of covert observation in this study. [4]
Possible responses could include: sampling of more natural behaviours; increased validity; demand characteristics reduced/eliminated; ethical problems (e.g. consent, invasion of privacy) etc.
4 marks - Two or more clear points in context
What was the most common reason for full marks not being awarded?

26. Today’s Resources & Any Questions
Today’s resources will be posted in our OCR Teacher FB Group. Search ‘OCR A Level Psychology Teacher’
Sign Up to our Daily Digest: and receive an tomorrow morning directing you to the resources.

27. Any questions?
What have you learned?
How can we help?