Which classic study goes with each approach in Eduqas Component 1?

Biological: Raine et al. (1997) on brain abnormalities in murderers using PET scans. Behaviourist: Watson and Rayner (1920), the Little Albert study of conditioned fear. Psychodynamic: Freud's Little Hans (1909), a case study of a horse phobia interpreted through the Oedipus complex. Cognitive: Bartlett (1932), War of the Ghosts, showing reconstructive memory and schemas. Positive: Myers and Diener (1995), Who is happy?, a review of subjective wellbeing research.

How should I learn each classic study?

Learn each as aim, method, results and conclusions, then a balanced evaluation. Be precise about the method (PET quasi-experiment for Raine, controlled observation for Little Albert, case study for Little Hans, repeated and serial reproduction for Bartlett, a correlational review for Myers and Diener) and tie the findings back to the approach the study supports.

Why does Eduqas use one classic study per approach?

Each classic study is the evidence base that grounds its approach. Raine demonstrates the biological assumptions (brain structure underlies behaviour), Little Albert demonstrates classical conditioning, Little Hans illustrates the unconscious and psychosexual development, Bartlett shows schemas and reconstructive memory, and Myers and Diener supports the study of wellbeing. Knowing the study lets you both describe and evaluate the approach.

What are the common evaluation themes across the studies?

Correlation versus causation (Raine and Myers and Diener are correlational), generalisability from small or unusual samples (Little Albert and Little Hans are single cases), ethics (Little Albert deliberately frightened a baby), objectivity versus subjectivity (Raine and Bartlett's scoring), and ecological validity. Using these themes lets you evaluate any of the five studies confidently.

How are the classic studies examined?

On Component 1 (Psychology: Past to Present), a 2-hour-15-minute paper worth 100 marks and 33.3 percent. Questions ask you to describe the method and results of a named study and to evaluate it, and to use it as evidence when discussing the relevant approach. Evaluation carries the most marks, so prepare strengths and weaknesses with a judgement for each study.

EnglandPsychology

Eduqas A-Level Psychology: the five classic research studies (Component 1) overview

A complete Eduqas A-Level Psychology guide to the five classic research studies in Component 1, one for each approach: Raine et al. (1997), Watson and Rayner (1920), Freud's Little Hans (1909), Bartlett (1932) and Myers and Diener (1995). Covers each as aim, method, results and evaluation, and how the studies are examined on Past to Present.

Generated by Claude Opus 4.813 min readEduqas-A290-Component-1Updated 2026-06-02

Reviewed by: AI editorial process; not yet individually human-reviewed

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What the classic studies demand
The five classic studies
Check your knowledge

What the classic studies demand

Component 1 anchors each approach with one classic piece of research evidence. For each you must know its aim, method, results and conclusions, evaluate it, and use it as evidence about its approach. This guide maps the five studies and how they are examined, with matching dot-point pages for practice.

The five classic studies

Raine et al. (1997) - biological: A PET quasi-experiment comparing 41 NGRI murderers with matched controls. The murderers showed reduced prefrontal and corpus callosum activity and abnormal limbic activity, supporting a biological basis for violence. Scientific but correlational, with ethical concerns.
Watson and Rayner (1920) - behaviourist: A controlled observation that conditioned a fear of a white rat in infant "Little Albert" by pairing it with a loud noise; the fear generalised to furry objects. A clean demonstration of classical conditioning, but a single, ethically unacceptable case.
Freud's Little Hans (1909) - psychodynamic: A longitudinal case study, via the boy's father, of a horse phobia interpreted through the Oedipus complex and displacement. Rich but biased, subjective and unfalsifiable, with simpler conditioning alternatives.
Bartlett (1932) - cognitive: A study using War of the Ghosts with repeated and serial reproduction; recall was distorted toward cultural schemas, showing reconstructive memory. High ecological validity but loose control and subjective scoring.
Myers and Diener (1995) - positive: A review of subjective wellbeing research finding that relationships, engagement and optimistic traits predict happiness better than wealth or demographics. Broad and founding, but correlational, self-reported and possibly culturally biased.

Check your knowledge

State the brain-imaging method used by Raine et al. (1 mark)
Name the unconditioned stimulus in the Little Albert study. (1 mark)
State the method used in the Little Hans study. (1 mark)
Name the two reproduction techniques used by Bartlett. (2 marks)

Sources & how we know this

Eduqas GCE A Level in Psychology (A290) specification — Eduqas (2015)