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EnglandPsychology

Component 1: Psychology Past to Present - contemporary debates

5 dot points across 5 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

Is it acceptable to use conditioning techniques to control and shape the behaviour of children?

Contemporary debate for the behaviourist approach: using conditioning techniques to control the behaviour of children. Arguments for and against, with a judgement.
An Eduqas A-Level Psychology answer to the behaviourist approach's contemporary debate, using conditioning techniques to control children's behaviour. Covers the arguments for (effective, structured) and against (manipulation, autonomy, side effects), and how to reach a judgement on the Past to Present paper.
14 min answer →

Should advances in neuroscience be used to predict and intervene in behaviour, and what are the ethical risks?

Contemporary debate for the biological approach: the ethics of neuroscience. Arguments for and against using brain science to explain, predict and modify behaviour, with a judgement.
An Eduqas A-Level Psychology answer to the biological approach's contemporary debate, the ethics of neuroscience. Covers the arguments for using brain science to explain, predict and treat behaviour, the ethical risks (responsibility, neuro-determinism, misuse), and how to reach a judgement on the Past to Present paper.
14 min answer →

How reliable is eyewitness testimony, and should the justice system trust it?

Contemporary debate for the cognitive approach: the reliability of eyewitness testimony. Arguments that it is and is not reliable, with a judgement.
An Eduqas A-Level Psychology answer to the cognitive approach's contemporary debate, the reliability of eyewitness testimony. Covers the evidence that memory is reconstructive and distorted by leading questions and anxiety, the arguments that EWT can be accurate, and how to reach a judgement on the Past to Present paper.
14 min answer →

Should the mother be the primary caregiver of an infant, or can others fill that role equally well?

Contemporary debate for the psychodynamic approach: the mother as the primary caregiver of an infant. Arguments for and against, with a judgement.
An Eduqas A-Level Psychology answer to the psychodynamic approach's contemporary debate, the mother as the primary caregiver of an infant. Covers the arguments for (attachment theory, maternal deprivation) and against (multiple attachments, fathers and others, social bias), and how to reach a judgement on the Past to Present paper.
14 min answer →

Is positive psychology relevant and useful in today's society, or is it an over-claimed luxury?

Contemporary debate for the positive approach: the relevance of positive psychology in today's society. Arguments for and against, with a judgement.
An Eduqas A-Level Psychology answer to the positive approach's contemporary debate, the relevance of positive psychology today. Covers the arguments for (wellbeing crisis, evidence-based interventions, prevention) and against (measurement, cultural bias, ignoring distress), and how to reach a judgement on the Past to Present paper.
14 min answer →