PSYCHOLOGY (Grade 12)

HIGHER LEVEL
SEMESTER 4 – PAPER 3 (Take-home Exam)

INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES

 Create a document that contains your name at the top left corner of the page
 Work on your assigned question
 Limit the word count of each test item accordingly:
o 1a – 150 Words
o 1b – 150 Words
o 1c – 200 Words
o 2 – 300 words
o 3 – 500 Words
 Give yourself a predicted score based on how well you think you were able to conform
to the rubric
 Make sure to upload your answer sheet in either PDF or DOC/X.
 Save your file as “[Set A/B/C/D] [Surname], [Initials]-Paper 3.pdf/doc/
 Sample: Set C Mercado, GM – Paper 3.Pdf
 The maximum mark for this examination paper is [24 marks].
Answer your assigned question in this section. Marks will be awarded for demonstration of knowledge
and understanding (relevant to the Approached to Research), evidence of critical thinking (e.g.
application, analysis, synthesis, evaluation) and organization of answers.

Stimulus 1 - Set A Stimulus 2 - Set C

Aquino Glinoga
Bermejo Hsieh
Bolongaita Hwang
Cabrera Jacinto
Chen Legaspi
Cheung Llave
Chua M Navarro
Panganiban
Stimulus 1 - Set B Perez
Co
Corpuz Stimulus 2 - Set D
Coscolluela Santos
Cotaoco Sarmiento
Cruz Tambunting
Cuan Tan
Dy Tayag
Gan A Villadolid
Gan C Yap
Young
Yu
 Stimulus 1

Social networking (for example, Facebook, MySpace) has affected the way people interact and
present themselves to others. Psychologists argue that examining the nature of online
communication is critical to understanding the process of identity development.

The aim of this research was to investigate ways in which young people develop identities on
5 a social networking website. A multi-ethnic sample of ten undergraduate participants (five males
and five females, with a mean age of 20 years) was recruited from an online website at an
American university. The participants were active members of a social networking website and
willing to present their personal profile (the page which introduces the person).

The researcher used narrative interviewing to collect data. The participants presented their profiles
10 to the researcher. The profiles included photos and explanations of why these photos had been
chosen. The interviews were videotaped.

The video recordings were transcribed. Inductive content analysis was applied to the
transcripts. The researcher found three major themes in identity formation:
• the use of images to represent relationships (for example, using an image of a heart to represent
15 the participant’s boyfriend/girlfriend)
• the use of photographs to tell the participants’ personal stories
• the use of images to indicate the participants’ personal preferences (for example, music
preferences, favourite sports, support of environmental issues or human rights).

The researcher concluded that young people use a number of methods to express identity
20 within the social network. The results indicated that their profile was generally less verbal and
more visual.
 Set A

Answer the questions, referring to the stimulus material in your answers.

1. (a) Identify the research method used and outline two characteristics of the method. [3]

(b) Describe the sampling method used in the study. [3]

(c) Suggest an alternative or additional research method giving one reason for your choice. [3]

Describe the ethical considerations in reporting the results and explain additional ethical
2. [6]
considerations that could be taken into account when applying the findings of the study.

3. Discuss the possibility of generalizing the findings of the study. [9]

Set B
Answer the questions, referring to the stimulus material in your answers.

1. (a) Identify the research method used and outline two characteristics of the method. [3]

(b) Describe the sampling method used in the study. [3]

(c) Suggest an alternative or additional research method giving one reason for your choice. [3]

Describe the ethical considerations that were applied in the study and explain if further ethical
2. [6]
considerations coul-d be applied.

3. Discuss how the researcher could ensure that the results of the study are credible. [9]
 Stimulus 2

Treatment of obesity is problematic. Research shows that although people may initially lose weight as a
result of treatment, they often return to their original weight after a few years. Management of obesity
often takes place in primary care (that is, the family doctor) but it seems that family doctors are somewhat
negative about their own role in obesity treatment. It seems that doctors
5 have little enthusiasm for managing patients’ weight, prescribing anti-obesity drugs, or referring obese
patients for surgery. They also feel that obesity management could interfere with a good relationship with
patients.

The aim of this qualitative study was to explore how family doctors felt about weight management
strategies and how the doctors’ relationships with their obese patients could be affected.

10 Twenty-one family doctors in London of various cultural backgrounds agreed to be interviewed for the
study. There were 10 males and 11 females ranging in age from 30 to 59 years.

The researchers used semi-structured interviews. Family doctors were asked questions about their obese
patients (for example, “How did you feel about managing this patient?”) and also broader questions about
managing obesity in general (for example, “What do you think is the best way to help patients who are
obese?”). The interviews were audiotaped and later transcribed. The data was analysed using inductive
content analysis.

Findings indicated that the doctors primarily saw obesity as a problem that was caused by, and should be
managed by, the patients themselves. According to the doctors, many patients were reluctant to accept
personal responsibility for their problems and thought that doctors could
20 perform miracles.

This conflict of responsibility frustrated the doctors because when patients do not take ownership of their
problem, they do not try to change their lifestyle. Even when doctors accepted responsibility, they believed
there were no effective treatments to prescribe. Doctors were well aware of the stigma of being obese, but
also recognized that obesity was often just one of many problems in
25 a patient’s life. The primary concern of doctors was to maintain good relationships with their patients and,
therefore, they were prepared to offer treatments for obesity even though they did not believe these
treatments would be effective.
 Set C

Answer the questions, referring to the stimulus material in your answers.

1. (a) Identify the research method used and outline two characteristics of the method. [3]

(b) Describe the sampling method used in the study. [3]

(c) Suggest an alternative or additional research method giving one reason for your choice. [3]

Describe the ethical considerations in reporting the results and explain additional ethical
2. [6]
considerations that could be taken into account when applying the findings of the study.

3. Discuss the possibility of generalizing the findings of the study. [9]

Set D
Answer the questions, referring to the stimulus material in your answers.

1. (a) Identify the research method used and outline two characteristics of the method. [3]

(b) Describe the sampling method used in the study. [3]

(c) Suggest an alternative or additional research method giving one reason for your choice. [3]

Describe the ethical considerations that were applied in the study and explain if further ethical
2. [6]
considerations could be applied.

3. Discuss how the researcher could ensure that the results of the study are credible. [9]