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Psychological problems
Quick questions on Core studies: Caspi et al. (2003) and Tandoc et al. (2015) - OCR GCSE Psychology (J203)
7short Q&A pairs drawn directly from our worked dot-point answer. For full context and worked exam questions, read the parent dot-point page.
What is aim?Show answer
To find out whether a person's version of the 5-HTT gene affects how strongly life stress leads to depression, that is, whether the gene and the environment interact.
What is method?Show answer
A longitudinal study following a large group of people from New Zealand over many years (into their twenties). Researchers identified each person's 5-HTT alleles, classing them as two short, one short and one long, or two long. They also measured the number of stressful life events (such as job loss, relationship breakdown, illness) and whether the person showed depression.
What are results?Show answer
People with two short alleles were much more likely to become depressed when they had experienced many stressful events. With few stressful events, gene type made little difference. People with two long alleles were more resilient to stress.
What is conclusion?Show answer
Depression is best explained by a gene-environment interaction: a genetic vulnerability (short 5-HTT alleles) only leads to depression when combined with stress. This supports the idea, in depression explanations, that depression has both biological and environmental causes.
What is q1?Show answer
Which gene did Caspi et al. (2003) study? [1 mark]
What is q2?Show answer
According to Tandoc et al. (2015), what mediated the link between Facebook use and depression? [1 mark]
What is q3?Show answer
Give one weakness shared by both studies. [2 marks]
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