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© Copyright for part(s) of this examination may be held by
individuals and/or organisations other than the Office of Tasmanian
Assessment, Standards and Certification.
Tasmanian Certificate of Education
External Assessment 2020
PSYCHOLOGY (BHP315116)
Time recommended for this paper:
Working time: 3 hours
Plus 15 minutes recommended reading time
Pages: 20
Questions: 7
Candidate Instructions
1. You MUST make sure that your responses to the questions in
this examination paper will show your achievement in the criteria
being assessed.
2. There are THREE sections to this paper.
3. You must answer:
ONE question from Section A
ONE question from Section B
ONE question from Section C.
4. Answer each question in a separate answer booklet (3 answer
booklets supplied).
5. The recommended time to be spent on a section is given in the
instructions in that section.
6. All written responses must be in English.
On the basis of your performance in this examination, the
examiners will provide results on each of the
following criteria taken from the course document:
Criterion 1 Analyse theories about individual differences.
Criterion 2 Analyse perspectives about psychobiological
processes.
Criterion 4 Analyse theories about remembering.
Criterion 7 Use evidence to support a psychological point of
view.
PLACE YOUR CANDIDATE LABEL HERE
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EXAM STARTS OVER THE PAGE
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SECTION A - Individual Differences
Answer ONE question from this section.
You must answer ALL parts of the chosen question.
Use a separate answer booklet for this section.
It is recommended you spend approximately 60 minutes on this
section.
This section assesses Criteria 1 and 7.
Question 1 – Gender
Examine the following stimulus items:
Stimulus 1 – 2018 HSC Subject Enrolments by Gender
Question 1 continues.
Figure 1: HSC enrolments by gender 2018 – percentage
The most heavily male and female-dominated HSC subjects have
barely changed in
composition over the past two decades, which a leading
researcher says is a self-
perpetuating cycle that should generate more concern. This year,
boys make up 93 percent
of the engineering studies cohort in year 12 in NSW schools,
which is identical to the
subject's composition in 1998. Boys also account for 76 percent
of the physics candidature,
up from 73 percent in 1998. They make up 64 percent of students
doing the highest-level
maths subject offered, maths extension 2, similar to 66 percent
in 1998.
Source:
https://www.smh.com.au/education/hsc-gender-stem-subjects-trends-education-20181009-p508jl.html
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Question 1 (continued).
Stimulus 2 – Gender Roles and Identity in Children
Use the information presented in Stimulus 1 and Stimulus 2, as
well as other relevant information from
the course to:
(a) Explain at least TWO of the following concepts in relation
to individual differences in gender:
Gender
Gender identity
Gender roles.
(b) Analyse and critically evaluate the explanations for both
the genetic and environmental factors that
impact the development of gender within an individual.
Section A continues.
It’s common for people to think of the terms ‘sex’ and ‘gender’
as being the same, but
they mean different things. Someone’s sex refers to their
physical biology: being male or
female. A person’s gender, however, is the way they express
their masculine or feminine
characteristics. Your gender identity is a deep sense of your
own gender. In some cases,
a person’s gender identity may be different from their
biological sex. Most children start
showing their gender identity at around 2-3 years of age. They
may do this by choosing
certain toys, colours and clothes that seem to appeal more to
boys or girls. By the time
they reach 3 years old, most children prefer to play games which
they think fit their
gender, and with other children who are the same sex as them.
For example, boys may
play together with trucks and girls may play together with
dolls. However, children don’t
start to think of their gender as being fixed, or ‘forever’,
until they reach 6 or 7 years old.
This happens when they are old enough to understand what gender
actually means and
they have fully ‘socialised’. This means they behave in the ways
they think their
environment expects them to.
SOURCE:
https://www.pregnancybirthbaby.org.au/gender-roles-and-identity-in-children
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Section A (continued).
Question 2 – Intelligence
Examine the following stimulus items:
Stimulus 1 – Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences
Figure 2: Gardner’s multiple intelligences
SOURCE: Adapted from: van Lersel, H. & Bradley, K. (2009).
Nelson Psychology VCE Units 1 & 2. South Melbourne, VIC:
Cengage Learning Australia.
Question 2 continues.
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Question 2 (continued).
Stimulus 2 – Reaction Range
Use the information presented in Stimulus 1 and Stimulus 2, as
well as other relevant information from
the course to:
(a) Explain at least TWO of the following concepts in relation
to individual differences in intelligence:
Intelligence
Heritability
Reaction range.
(b) Analyse and critically evaluate the explanations for both
the genetic and environmental factors that
impact the development of intelligence within an individual.
Section A continues.
Genes do not exist in a vacuum. Although we are all biological
organisms, we also exist
in an environment that is incredibly important in determining
not only when and how our
genes express themselves, but also in what combination. Each of
us represents a
unique interaction between our genetic makeup and our
environment; range of reaction
is one way to describe this interaction.
Another perspective on the interaction between genes and the
environment is the
concept of genetic environmental correlation. Stated simply, our
genes influence our
environment, and our environment influences the expression of
our genes. Not only do
our genes and environment interact, as in range of reaction, but
they also influence one
another bi-directionally. For example, the child of an NBA
player would probably be
exposed to basketball from an early age. Such exposure might
allow the child to realize
his or her full genetic, athletic potential. Thus, the parents’
genes, which the child
shares, influence the child’s environment, and that environment,
in turn, is well suited to
support the child’s genetic potential.
SOURCE:
https://courses.lumenlearning.com/wmopen-psychology/chapter/reading-gene-environment-interactions/
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Section A (continued).
Question 3 - Personality
Examine the following stimulus items:
Stimulus 1 – Cattell’s 16PF
Question 3 continues.
Figure 3: 16 source traits measured by Cattell’s 16PF
The 16 source traits measured by Cattell’s 16PF are listed
beside the graph. Scores can be plotted
as a profile for an individual or a group. The profiles shown
here are group averages for airline
pilots, creative artists, and writers. Notice the similarity
between artists and writers and the
difference between these two groups and pilots.
SOURCE: Coon, D. (1995). Introduction to Psychology: Exploration
and application (7th ed.). St. Paul, MN: West Publishing
Company.
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Question 3 (continued).
Stimulus 2 – Twin Studies
Although family studies can reveal whether a trait runs in a
family, it cannot explain why.
In a twin study, researchers study the personality
characteristics of twins. Twin studies
rely on the fact that identical (or monozygotic) twins have
essentially the same set of
genes, while fraternal (or dizygotic) twins have, on average, a
half-identical set. The idea
is that if the twins are raised in the same household, then the
twins will be influenced by
their environments to an equal degree, and this influence will
be pretty much equal for
identical and fraternal twins. In other words, if environmental
factors are the same, then
the only factor that can make identical twins more similar than
fraternal twins is their
greater genetic similarity.
SOURCE:
https://opentextbc.ca/introductiontopsychology/chapter/11-3-is-personality-more-nature-or-more-nurture-
behavioral-and-molecular-genetics/
Use the information presented in Stimulus 1 and Stimulus 2, as
well as other relevant information from
the course to:
(a) Explain at least TWO of the following concepts in relation
to individual differences in personality:
Personality
Heritability
Trait Theories.
(b) Analyse and critically evaluate the explanations for both
the genetic and environmental factors that
impact the development of personality within an individual.
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SECTION B - Psychobiological Processes
Answer ONE question from this section.
You must answer ALL parts of the chosen question.
Use a separate answer booklet for this section.
It is recommended you spend approximately 60 minutes on this
section.
This section assesses Criteria 2 and 7.
Question 4 – Visual Perception
Examine the following stimulus items:
Stimulus 1 – Perceptual Set
Figure 4: Perceptual Set
SOURCE: Adapted from:
https://studylib.net/doc/8666567/cognitive-psychology--perceptual-set
Question 4 continues.
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Question 4 (continued).
Stimulus 2 – Visual Constancy
We usually perceive the world as a fairly stable place. Our
visual perceptions of objects
such as trees, houses and people do not alter in size, shape,
brightness or orientation
(position) from one minute to the next. Despite the stable
nature of the real world, visual
information received at the retinas is constantly changing.
For example, as you move away from an object, such as a tree,
the size of the image it
casts on the retina becomes smaller. But you do not perceive the
tree to be shrinking.
Similarly, a car is not perceived as changing in shape as we
walk around it and view it from
different angles, despite the fact that different shapes are
produced on the retina. These
are examples of what is known as visual constancy.
SOURCE: Adapted from Grivas, J. (2013). Psychology for Tasmania,
South Yarra: Macmillan Education Australia.
Use the information presented in Stimulus 1 and Stimulus 2, as
well as other relevant information from
the course to:
(a) Explain at least TWO of the following concepts in relation
to visual perception:
Bottom-up and top-down processing
Perceptual Set
Visual Constancy.
(b) Analyse and critically evaluate the explanations, theories
and concepts used to explain visual
perception.
Section B continues.
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Question 5 – Consciousness
Examine the following stimulus items:
Stimulus 1 – Stages of sleep
Figure 5: Stages of Sleep
SOURCE:
https://www.verywellhealth.com/the-four-stages-of-sleep-2795920
Question 5 continues.
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Question 5 (continued).
Stimulus 2 – Why do we dream?
Some researchers think dreaming might have evolved for
physiological reasons. There is
a great deal of neuronal activity occurring while we sleep,
especially in REM, and it has
been suggested that dreams may just be a meaningless by-product
of this biological
function. Another theory of dreaming is put forth by Rosalind
Cartwright, PhD, Professor
and Chairman, Department of Psychology at Rush University
Medical Center in Chicago.
Dr. Cartwright believes that dreams are the mechanism whereby
the brain incorporates
memories, solves problems and deals with emotions. In this way,
she maintains, dreams
are essential for our emotional health.
In spite of our attempts to demystify the phenomenon of
dreaming, human beings simply
have not yet come close to answering the question “Why do we
dream?” According to Jim
Pagel, MD, Director of the Sleep Disorders Center of Southern
Colorado, "If dreaming
has an actual function, it really supports why we spend a third
of our lives sleeping." For
now, we will have to be content with simply enjoying the show
our brain puts on for us
each night.
SOURCE: https://www.sleepfoundation.org/articles/your-dreams
Use the information presented in Stimulus 1 and Stimulus 2, as
well as other relevant information from
the course to:
(a) Explain at least TWO of the following concepts in relation
to states of consciousness:
Sleep as an altered state of consciousness
Methods used to establish level of alertness within stages of
sleep
The effects and impact of sleep deprivation.
(b) Analyse and critically evaluate the explanations, theories
and concepts used to explain dreaming.
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SECTION C - Remembering
Answer ONE question from this section.
You must answer ALL parts of the chosen question.
Use a separate answer booklet for this section.
It is recommended you spend approximately 60 minutes on this
section.
This section assesses Criteria 4 and 7.
Question 6 – Memory
Examine the following stimulus items:
Stimulus 1 – Long-Term Memory
Figure 6: Long-Term Memory
Long-Term Memory is divided into explicit and implicit memories.
Explicit memories can
be further divided in semantic or episodic memories. Implicit
memories consist of
procedural memories.
SOURCE: Adapted from: van Lersel, H. & Bradley, K. (2009).
Nelson Psychology VCE Units 1 & 2. South Melbourne,
VIC: Cengage Learning Australia.
Question 6 continues.
Long-Term
memory
ImplicitProcedural memory Unconscious recall of
memories of how to do something.
ProceduralMemory of learnt skills and actions.
Example: I remember how to play the piano, but I can't express
it in words.
Explicit Declaritive memory Consciously recalled memories of
facts of
personally significant events.
Semantic memoryImpersonal general factual knowledge.
Example: I know what a piano is and I can describe it in words
or draw a picture of it.
Episodic memoryMemories of personally significant events and
their context.
Example: I remember when and where I bought my first piano.
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Question 6 (continued).
Stimulus 2 – Rehearsal
Rehearsal is a term used by memory researchers to refer to
mental techniques for
helping us remember information. Its technical meaning is not
very different from our
everyday use of the term. Actors rehearse their lines so that
they won't forget them.
Similarly, if we want to retain information over time, there are
strategies for enhancing
future recall. There are two main types of rehearsal. The first
is maintenance rehearsal,
which involves continuously repeating the to-be-remembered
material. This method is
effective in maintaining information over the short term. We
have all had the experience
of looking up a phone number and subsequently forgetting it (or
part of it) before we have
dialled it. This illustrates the fact that new material will
fade from memory relatively quickly
unless we make a purposeful effort to remember it. It is
effective for maintaining relatively
small amounts in memory for brief periods, but is not likely to
affect retention in the long
term.
Source:
https://psychology.jrank.org/pages/539/Rehearsal.html
Use the information presented in Stimulus 1 and Stimulus 2, as
well as other relevant information from
the course to:
(a) Explain at least TWO of the following concepts in relation
to remembering:
Encoding
Rehearsal
Long-Term Memory.
(b) Analyse and critically evaluate theories explaining the
process of storing, retaining and retrieving
information in memory.
Section C continues.
https://psychology.jrank.org/pages/408/Memory.html
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Section C (continued).
Question 7 – Forgetting
Examine the following stimulus items:
Stimulus 1 – Amnesia
Figure 7: Amnesia
SOURCE: Adapted from Grivas, J. (2013). Psychology for Tasmania,
South Yarra: Macmillan Education Australia.
(a) In retrograde amnesia, the person loses some or all memories
formed before the brain trauma
occurred.
(b) In anterograde amnesia, the person cannot form new memories
for events that occur after the
brain trauma.
Question 7 continues.
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Question 7 (continued).
Stimulus 2 – Retrieval Cues
There is considerable evidence that information is more likely
to be retrieved from long-
term memory if appropriate retrieval cues are present. This
evidence comes from both
laboratory experiments and everyday experience. A retrieval cue
is a hint or clue that can
help retrieval.
Tulving (1974) argued that information would be more readily
retrieved if the cues present
when the information was encoded were also present when its
retrieval is required. For
example, if you proposed to your partner when a certain song was
playing on the radio,
you will be more likely to remember the details of the proposal
when you hear the same
song again. The song is a retrieval cue - it was present when
the information was
encoded and retrieved.
Tulving suggested that information about the physical
surroundings (external context) and
about the physical or psychological state of the learner
(internal context) is stored at the
same time as information is learned. Reinstating the state or
context makes recall easier
by providing relevant information, while retrieval failure
occurs when appropriate cues are
not present, for example, when we are in a different context
(i.e. situation) or state.
SOURCE: https://www.simplypsychology.org/forgetting.html
Use the information presented in Stimulus 1 and Stimulus 2, as
well as other relevant information from
the course to:
(a) Explain at least TWO of the following concepts in relation
to forgetting:
Amnesia
Retrieval failure: cue dependent and state dependent
forgetting
Mnemonic devices.
(b) Analyse and critically evaluate organic and non-organic
explanations of how forgetting may occur.
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This examination paper and any materials associated with this
examination (including answer booklets, cover sheets, rough
note
paper, or information sheets) remain the property of the Office
of Tasmanian Assessment, Standards and Certification.