After Section A: Issues of Mental Health, which is compulsory for everyone, you have Section B options.
  • These 4 options appear alphabetically in the exam (Child, Crime, Environment, Sport). 
  • You will see all 4 options on your exam paper.
  • You have to complete all 3 sub-questions on each of the 2 options you have chosen (Child and Crime)

Feel like you are saying the same thing more than once?

All 3 questions on the option come from the SAME topic area (e.g. forensic evidence).  So … if
  • The material answers more than one sub-question and
  • you think you cannot write something, because you already wrote it in the previous question(s)
  • still write it. 

The 3 Styles of Questions for Section B Options

  • A style questions = 10 marks on the topic area / key study
  • B style questions = 15 marks relating an issue or debate to the topic area 
  • C style questions = 10 mark application to specific scenario.

A Style Questions: What does the examiner want?
A style questions are worth 10 marks. They often written in the same way: Using the key research by ... explain / discuss … [10]
For example:
  • 2019 Child option: Explain how the key research by Ainsworth and Bell (1970) could be used to help parents of young children. [10]
  • 2019 Crime option: Use the key research by Haney et al. (1973) to explain how prison can affect prisoners. [10]

​The examiner is wanting to see 
  • 5 marks for AO1: knowledge of the key study 
  • 5 marks for AO2: application to the topic​

​Application to the topic means that you will need to explain / discuss something in relation to the topic area. This could be:
  • the name of the topic area such as 'the collection and processing of forensic evidence'
  • the background to the key research such as 'motivating factors and bias in the collection and processing of forensic evidence'
  • the strategy / application of the topic area such as 'one strategy for reducing bias in the collection and processing of forensic evidence'

How to Answer A Style Questions
You can have 2 separate paragraphs (1 to show your summary of the key research and 1 to answer the rest of the question) or combine the 2 AOs together if you choose.

Showing your AO1 knowledge (5 marks)
  • Write a study summary including the aim, sample, procedure, results, conclusions
  • Remember that some key research does not have a sample, procedure, etc. such as Memon & Higham and Wilson & Kelling for Crime
  • Be specific, accurate and detailed
  • Use key terms wherever possible

Showing your AO2 application skill (5 marks)
  • Know the title, background and strategy for each of the 6 parts of Child and Crime
  • Answer about the topic as a whole, not just the key research
  • Think about how research is done throughout the whole topic, not just the key research
  • Refer to the key words of the question in your explanation / discussion
  • Use Psychology key terms, such as pathological prisoner syndrome and the pathology of power for the Effects of Imprisonment
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Key Study Summaries can be found at this link

B Style Questions: What does the examiner want?
B style questions are worth 15 marks. They often written in the same way: debate + research into the topic title. For example:
  • 2019 Child option: Discuss sampling bias in research into the development of attachment [15]
  • 2019 Crime option: Discuss whether research relating to the effects of imprisonment is ethnocentric. [15]

​The examiner is wanting to see 
  • 3 marks for AO1: knowledge 
  • 12 marks for AO3: analysis and evaluation
​
The mark scheme shows that there are 8 things that the examiner wants to see:
  1. Good relevant knowledge and understanding
  2. Many points of analysis, interpretation and evaluation covering a range of issues
  3. The argument is competently organised, balanced and well developed
  4. The answer is explicitly related to the context of the question.
  5. Effective use of examples
  6. Valid conclusions that effectively summarise issues 
  7. There is a well-developed line of reasoning which is clear and logically structured
  8. The information presented is relevant and substantiated.

How to Answer B Style Questions
Know what the Question Command Words are wanting you to do
  • Discuss = strengths and / or weaknesses
  • Evaluate = strengths AND weaknesses – aim for balance
  • Assess = strengths AND weaknesses – come to a conclusion
  • To what extent = strengths AND weaknesses – come to a comparative conclusion (greater / lesser / somewhat)

Plan your answer
  1. At the top of your answer write down the 3 points you are going to make. For example, if the question asks for 'reliability', think of the 3 types of reliability you will be writing about
  2. Think about the sequence of your 3 points. For example, if the question asks for 'methodological issues', think about which point should come first, second and third, such as sample, reliability, validity.
  3. You can show a brief summary of the debate at the beginning of your answer. This will give a very good impression of you, even though it may not gain you any marks.

Structure each paragraph
  • Point 
  • Explanation 
  • Example to illustrate this point - remember that you should refer to more research than just the key research
  • Conclusion of the point (not the example) - say why the point matters
  • Challenge the conclusion to show sustained analysis.
Child and Crime Methodological Issues summary can be found at this link
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Paper 3 Section B style questions

C Style Questions: What does the examiner want?
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C style questions want you to be able to use your knowledge of Psychology to change / improve someone's life. The question has 10 marks and all of these marks are for AO2: Application. 

The examiner will give you a scenario and ask you to implement a strategy to improve the situation for the person mentioned. For example:
  • 2019 Child option: Alice is the manager of a nursery school for children aged from 3 months up to 5 years. She wants to ensure that children joining the nursery are comfortable with the staff who are caring for them. What advice might a psychologist give Alice about how to ensure that her nursery is an attachment friendly environment? [10]
  • 2019 Crime option: Lola is the governor of a prison. She is concerned that too many of the inmates released from her prison go on to reoffend. What advice might a psychologist give Lola about how to reduce reoffending by inmates released from her prison? [10]​

The examiner will be looking for you to:
  • answer the question - make it relevant for the person named in the story
  • give the advice based on Psychology - if it sounds like your advice is common sense, you will not get any credit
  • give the advice with detail, like a prescription for medicine, for example, who should do the actions, when, where, how often, etc.

How to Answer C Style Questions
  1. You can choose to describe one or more strategies. The mark scheme allows for breadth or depth.
  2. Always keep referring to specific words / names from the story to make it relevant
  3. You should not evaluate your suggestions
  4. Be really detailed and specific about what the person should do / the advice you are giving. For example, state: 
  5. WHAT you are going to do – e.g. target hardening
  6. HOW you are going to do it – e.g. locks on the doors
  7. WHY you are suggesting this – e.g. if the doors are locked, burglars will have to use a lot of energy, which limits the amount of positive reinforcement that they will receive
  8. Always mention the Psychology behind the suggestion. Naming research is often the easiest way to show the Psychology - see the highlighting on the image on the left.