Mark Scheme (Results)
October 2019
Pearson Edexcel International Advanced
Subsidiary In Physchology (WPS04) Paper 1:
Clinical Psychology And Psychological Skills
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October 2019
Publications Code WPS04_01_MS_20200122
All the material in this publication is copyright
© Pearson Education Ltd 2019
General Marking Guidance
All candidates must receive the same treatment. Examiners
must mark the first candidate in exactly the same way as they
mark the last.
Mark schemes should be applied positively. Candidates must
be rewarded for what they have shown they can do rather than
penalised for omissions.
Examiners should mark according to the mark scheme not
according to their perception of where the grade boundaries
may lie.
There is no ceiling on achievement. All marks on the mark
scheme should be used appropriately.
All the marks on the mark scheme are designed to be awarded.
Examiners should always award full marks if deserved, i.e. if
the answer matches the mark scheme. Examiners should also
be prepared to award zero marks if the candidate’s response
is not worthy of credit according to the mark scheme.
Where some judgement is required, mark schemes will
provide the principles by which marks will be awarded and
exemplification may be limited.
When examiners are in doubt regarding the application of the
mark scheme to a candidate’s response, the team leader must
be consulted.
Crossed out work should be marked UNLESS the candidate has
replaced it with an alternative response.
CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY
Question Answer Mark
Number
AO1 (2 marks)
1(a) (2)
Credit up to two marks for an accurate description
For example;
Disordered thinking is when a train of thought becomes muddled
and confused (1) with sufferers often giving irrelevant or random
points during speech (1).
Look for other reasonable marking points.
Question Answer Mark
Number
AO1 (2 marks), AO3 (2 marks)
1(b) (4)
Credit up to two marks for accurate identification of function (AO1)
Credit up to two marks mark for justification/exemplification of function
(AO3)
For example;
The number of neurotransmitter receptors for dopamine have
been found to be higher in schizophrenic patients, increasing the
reuptake of dopamine (1) supported by Wong et al. (1986) who
carried out PET scans on schizophrenic patients finding an
increased density of dopamine receptors (1).
Dopamine regulates perception, cognition and attention in the
pre-frontal cortex with higher levels over-exciting these brain
functions (1) which Kapur (2003) suggests can result in a stimulus
being more noticeable/salient to the sufferer which can give it
more meaning/aberrant salience resulting in delusions and
hallucinations (1).
Look for other reasonable marking points.
Question Answer Mark
Number
AO1 (2 marks), AO3 (2 marks)
1(c) (4)
Credit one mark for accurate identification of each way (AO1)
Credit one mark for justification/exemplification of each way (AO3)
For example;
A patient with schizophrenia can attend family therapy sessions
with family members and/or caregivers for support (1). Pharoah
et al (2010) found a positive impact on patient recovery, a
reduction in relapse and improved social functioning as a result of
family therapy (1).
Family therapy can increase family members knowledge of
schizophrenia which helps them understand the symptoms and
reduce relapse (1). Vaughn and Leff (1976) found that the chance
of relapse was 6% in a family without misunderstanding and
negativity compared to 47% relapse in families with negativity
(1).
Look for other reasonable marking points.
Question Answer Mark
Number
AO1 (4 marks)
2 (4)
Credit up to four marks for an accurate description (AO1)
For example;
Rosenhan used a total of three women and five men, who were all
sane, for the eight confederates that assumed the role of pseudo-
patients which included Rosenhan himself (1). Each pseudo-
patients telephoned a hospital for an appointment, and when at
the admissions office they gave one symptom of hearing an
unfamiliar same sex voice saying 'empty', 'hollow', and 'thud' (1).
When admitted to the psychiatric ward the pseudo patients
stopped simulating any symptoms of abnormality and behaved
and spoke ordinarily (1). Pseudo-patients made observations while
on the ward about their experiences in the mental health
institutions and how the staff treated patients (1).
Look for other reasonable marking points.
Question Answer Mark
Number
AO2 (2 marks), AO3 (2 marks)
3 (4)
Credit one mark for accurate identification of each strength in relation to
the scenario (AO2)
Credit one mark for justification/exemplification of each strength (AO3)
For example;
Consideration is given to Bryony’s usual daily functioning so will
consider behaviour such as not washing herself within her normal
context before it is determined to be abnormal (1). This allows for
individual differences to be included in any judgements of
behaviour, so they are a more valid determination of Bryony’s
functioning (1).
Indications of failure to function adequately, such as not eating for
two days and going to work in pyjamas, can result in practical
help regardless of how long the symptoms have been evident (1).
This helps Bryony receive early intervention from her Doctor to
help her function daily, which is often quicker than awaiting a full
clinical diagnosis (1).
Generic answers score 0 marks.
Look for other reasonable marking points.
Question Answer Mark
Number
AO2 (6 marks)
4 (6)
Credit up to six marks for an accurate procedure in relation to the
scenario (AO2)
For example;
Andreas could select participants who have been diagnosed with
schizophrenia but are not yet undertaking a drug treatment
programme (1). He would need ethical approval to have a control
group without drug treatments to measure against as this
deprives patients of medical interventions (1). Andreas could
review patient case histories to score the severity of symptoms
prior to drug treatment as a baseline measure for improvements
(1). Someone other than Andreas would randomly allocate the
participants to two drug treatment groups where neither Andreas
or the participants would know which drug they were taking (1).
One group could receive the new drug treatment for 10 weeks and
the other group could receive a placebo drug treatment for 10
weeks (1). Andreas could record the success of each drug
treatment by recording the severity of symptoms in the five weeks
following the end of the trials (1).
Generic answers score 0 marks.
Look for other reasonable marking points.
Question Answer Mark
Number
AO1 (2 marks), AO3 (2 marks)
5 (4)
Credit one mark for accurate identification of each way (AO1)
Credit one mark for justification/exemplification of each way (AO3)
For example;
The HCPC standards require practitioners to regulate their own
actions in their daily practice and contact with patients (1) so
practitioners are following standards effectively at all times which
ensures overall clinical practice is of a high standard (1).
The HCPC standards require practitioners to be registered with the
Council and abide by the standards to remain on the register (1)
so that patients can check the status and professional registration
of the practitioner offering treatment to be sure they are fit to
practice (1).
Look for other reasonable marking points.
Question Answer Mark
Number
AO2 (2 marks), AO3 (2 marks)
6 (4)
Credit one mark for accurate identification of each improvement (AO2)
Credit one mark for justification/exemplification of each improvement
(AO3)
For example;
We could collect more than two sources for analysis from a wider
range of media outlets for a larger sample (1). This would
increase the representativeness of our findings to show how other
sources of media, such as television, represent attitudes to mental
health (1).
We could ask individuals not involved in the practical to select the
articles we would use for analysis (1). This means the source
selection will not be influenced by our own understanding of
mental health so increases the objectivity of source selection (1).
Answers must relate to the clinical practical of a content analysis
that explores attitudes to mental health.
Generic answers score 0 marks.
Look for other reasonable marking points.
Question Indicative Content Mark
Number
7 AO1 (6 marks), AO3 (10 marks) (16)
AO1
Height and bodyweight were measured to calculate BMI.
Nutritional status was operationalised using measures such as fasting
plasma glucose (FPG) levels
333 inpatients diagnosed with schizophrenia using the DSM-IV-TR, all aged
between 16 and 80 years old.
Patients were from nine psychiatric hospitals in Niigata Prefecture, Japan.
Participants were matched on age and sex with a control group of 191
healthy volunteers.
BMI and nutritional status of patients with schizophrenia and the control
group was compared.
Any physical illness or changes in drug therapy were controlled for and
these patients were removed from the study.
AO3
BMI is an objective measure of nutritional status as it is calculated based on
physical evidence so is not influenced by the researcher’s judgement of
underweight or obesity.
The use of BMI measures gives an accurate and consistent comparison
point between schizophrenic inpatients and the general population to
measure nutritional status increasing internal validity.
Operationalising the measurement of nutritional status by using empirically
testable, objective measures gives the study credible scientific status.
The large sample of 333 inpatients with a wide age range has good
representativeness of inpatients with schizophrenia in Japanese hospitals,
increasing generalisability of findings to this target group.
The sample was not representative of cultural differences in nutritional
status for patients with schizophrenia as it did not include patients beyond
Japan.
The nine hospitals may not represent the treatment of all patients in Japan,
therefore the findings of the study are limited to the hospitals in Niigata
Prefecture and not all areas of Japan.
The use of a matched control group gives baseline comparisons stronger
credibility as Suzuki et al. (2014) were comparing their group with similar
individuals.
Controlling for variables such as drug treatment changes increases the
internal validity as Suzuki et al. (2014) can be sure they are testing the link
between schizophrenia and nutrition and not side effects of new drugs.
The results for underweight in schizophrenic patients are consistent with
results found by Kitabayashi et al. (2006) who also found higher rates of
underweight in schizophrenic patients, giving the study higher reliability.
The study has practical value for treatments and support for schizophrenic
patients in Japan to improve their nutritional physical health as well as their
mental wellbeing during hospital stays.
Look for other reasonable marking points.
Level Mark Descriptor
AO1 (6 marks), AO3 (10 marks)
Candidates must demonstrate a greater emphasis on evaluation/conclusion vs
knowledge and understanding in their answer.
Knowledge & understanding is capped at maximum 6 marks.
0 No rewardable material.
Level 1 1-4 Demonstrates isolated elements of knowledge and understanding. (AO1)
A conclusion may be presented, but will be generic and the supporting
Marks
evidence will be limited. Limited attempt to address the question. (AO3)
Level 2 5-8 Demonstrates mostly accurate knowledge and understanding. (AO1)
Candidates will produce statements with some development in the form of
Marks
mostly accurate and relevant factual material, leading to a superficial
conclusion being made. (AO3)
Level 3 9-12 Demonstrates accurate knowledge and understanding. (AO1)
Arguments developed using mostly coherent chains of reasoning leading
Marks
to a conclusion being presented. Candidates will demonstrate a grasp of
competing arguments but evaluation may be imbalanced. (AO3)
Level 4 13-16 Demonstrates accurate and thorough knowledge and understanding.
Marks (AO1)
Displays a well-developed and logical evaluation, containing logical chains
of reasoning throughout. Demonstrates an awareness of competing
arguments, presenting a balanced conclusion. (AO3)
PSYCHOLOGICAL SKILLS
Question Answer Mark
Number
AO2 (1 mark)
8(a) (1)
Credit one mark for accurate identification
Independent groups design (1).
Look for other reasonable ways to express answer.
Question Answer Mark
Number
AO2 (1 mark), AO3 (1 mark)
8(b) (2)
Credit one mark for accurate identification of strength in relation to the
scenario (AO2)
Credit one mark for justification/exemplification of strength (AO3)
For example;
A random sample of employees would ensure every employee in
the workplace had an equal chance of selection (1). This can
eliminate researcher bias as Marco could not select employees
whom he knew the characteristics of to skew the findings to meet
the aim of his investigation (1).
Look for other reasonable marking points.
Generic answers score 0 marks.
Question Answer Mark
Number
AO2 (2 marks), AO3 (2 marks)
8(c) (4)
Credit one mark for accurate identification of each weakness in relation
to the scenario (AO2)
Credit one mark for justification/exemplification of each weakness (AO3)
For example;
The operationalisation of helping and not helping is subjective as
each manager may interpret this differently (1). This reduces the
accuracy of the findings as they may not represent a valid test of
positive reinforcement or positive punishment on helping
behaviour at work (1).
Marco would not be able to be present to observe every time an
employee helped another employee and tally the behaviour (1).
This decreases the reliability of his results as not every incident of
helping or not helping is being recorded for analysis (1).
Look for other reasonable marking points.
Generic answers score 0 marks.
Question Answer Mark
Number
AO2 (2 marks)
9(a) (2)
Credit up to two marks for an accurate suggestion in relation to the
scenario
For example;
A correlation method can look for a relationship between violent
video games and behaviour in adulthood by sampling adults at
just one point in time (1) which is less time consuming than
following participants over a longitudinal time frame from
childhood to adulthood to look at their violence as adults (1).
Generic answers score 0 marks.
Look for other reasonable marking points.
Question Answer Mark
Number
AO2 (1 mark), AO3 (1 mark)
9(b) (2)
Credit one mark for accurate identification of weakness in relation to the
scenario (AO2)
Credit one mark for justification/exemplification of weakness (AO3)
For example;
A correlation will only show Kathryn if there is a relationship
between video games in childhood and aggressive behaviour as an
adult (1) but her findings will not show whether one causes the
other as there could be other variables influencing aggressive
behaviour (1).
Generic answers score 0 marks.
Look for other reasonable marking points.
Question Answer Mark
Number
AO2 (2 marks)
9(c) (2)
Credit up to two marks for an accurate description in relation to the
scenario
For example;
A spearman’s rank would be used because the number of recorded
offences and games played is at least ordinal data (1) and there
are related scores of violent video games and aggressive offences
from the same individuals (1).
Generic answers score 0 marks.
Look for other reasonable marking points.
Question Answer Mark
Number
AO2 (1 mark)
10(a) (1)
Credit one mark for a correct answer
16.67% (1).
Reject all other answers.
Question Answer Mark
Number
AO2 (1 mark)
10(b) (1)
Credit one mark for a correct ratio
13:7 (1).
Look for other reasonable ways to express answer.
Question Answer Mark
Number
AO2 (3 marks)
10(c) (3)
Credit one mark for appropriate title.
Credit one mark for appropriate labelling of axes.
Credit one mark for correct plots.
For example;
A bar chart to show who students in college are
most likely to be friends with.
120
110
100
90
Number of students
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
More friends More friends
Group Did not
studying the studying a complete
same subject different the
subject questionnaire
Look for other reasonable marking points.
Question Answer Mark
Number
AO2 (1 mark), AO3 (1 mark)
10(d) (2)
Credit one mark for accurate use of the data (AO2)
Credit one mark for appropriate conclusion (AO3)
For example;
Over half (65%) of the 100 college students who responded have
friends studying the same subjects (1) therefore college students
show a preference for friendships with students who have similar
interests (1).
Look for other reasonable marking points.
Question Indicative Content Mark
Number
11 AO1 (4 marks), AO2 (4 marks) (8)
AO1
Working memory consists of the phonological loop where auditory
information is processed, such as words and sounds.
The central executive is responsible for delegation of tasks to
different subsystems and any deficit results in delayed processing.
Evidence for the components of working memory has come from PET
scanning suggesting specific brain locations for processing.
Skinner claimed language develops because of operant conditioning
during conversational attempts.
AO2
Interventions suggested by Alloway et al. (2009) can improve
capacity in the phonological loop for auditory information so they
could help children with dyslexia.
The central executive has limited evidence so interventions to
improve processing speed and capacity may not work.
Findings about brain functioning by Boets et al. (2012) link to PET
scanning evidence found for working memory, so interventions
would not help with dyslexia.
Interventions that reward and praise children’s use of language, such
as a token economy, may work better to encourage children with
dyslexia in developing their reading and writing skills.
Look for other reasonable marking points.
Level Mark Descriptor
AO1 (4 marks), AO2 (4 marks)
Candidates must demonstrate an equal emphasis between knowledge and
understanding vs application in their answer.
0 No rewardable material
Level 1 1–2 Demonstrates isolated elements of knowledge and understanding. (AO1)
Marks Provides little or no reference to relevant evidence from the context
(scientific ideas, processes, techniques and procedures). (AO2)
Level 2 3–4 Demonstrates mostly accurate knowledge and understanding. (AO1)
Marks Discussion is partially developed, but is imbalanced or superficial occasionally
supported through the application of relevant evidence from the context
(scientific ideas, processes, techniques and procedures). (AO2)
Level 3 5–6 Demonstrates accurate knowledge and understanding. (AO1)
Marks Arguments developed using mostly coherent chains of reasoning. Candidates
will demonstrate a grasp of competing arguments but discussion may be
imbalanced or contain superficial material supported by applying relevant
evidence from the context (scientific ideas, processes, techniques and
procedures (AO2)
Level 4 7–8 Demonstrates accurate and thorough knowledge and understanding. (AO1)
Marks Displays a well-developed and logical balanced discussion, containing logical
chains of reasoning. Demonstrates a thorough awareness of competing
arguments supported throughout by sustained application of relevant
evidence from the context (scientific ideas, processes, techniques or
procedures). (AO2)
Question Indicative Content Mark
Number
12 AO1 (8 marks), AO3 (12 marks) (20)
AO1
Practical issues focus on the methodology used in psychological research.
When designing research, the researcher should consider if the research is
to explore a topic descriptively or to test a hypothesis.
Researchers must consider the variables they are testing and
operationalise these in the research design.
Researchers have to consider the participant sample in relation to what
they are studying and how to access representative participants.
Psychologists need to consider whether to gather quantitative or
qualitative data about their research aim.
When implementing their research psychologists should follow the
appropriate ethical requirements for human or animal participants, such as
the BPS or Scientific Procedures Act.
The generalisability of animal research into human behaviour should be
considered in the design of research that uses animal participants.
To avoid researcher bias they can plan for single-blind or double-blind
procedures if this can be met in the implementation of the study.
AO3
The nature of research can determine methodology decisions, such as an
experimental method to look for cause and effect, this is an important
practical issue as it increases the validity of the research.
Bartlett (1932) used stories and images in his research, highlighting the
practical consideration of real life memory to increase research validity.
It is important to fully operationalise variables in order to have clear and
objective measures of the topic being studied, for example Milgram (1963)
measured voltage consistently in all his variations.
To represent a target group a stratified sample could be used but this can
be impractical due to time, money and access to matched participants.
Access to a sample may limit the researcher such as in Raine et al. (1997)
who had a gender split that did not fully represent proportions of female to
male murderers, so it may be important to continue with research even if
the sample is not as generalisable as they would like.
Quantitative data can increase the reliability of the research as it can be
replicated and retested, thus adding credibility.
Qualitative data can increase validity of research to reflect real experience,
such as diary entries by the participants in Rosenhan (1973) which is
important when looking at personal experiences of mental health.
Ethics may be balanced against the ‘greater good’ of outcomes, although
this is not always well considered such as Watson and Rayner (1920) who
caused distress, so it is important to consider ethical issues.
The use of animals can be generalised as they share similar brain
structures, so where the use of humans is impractical the participants can
be replaced with animals such as rodents to research a topic.
The practical design of a study may limit the reliability of the findings, for
example Van iJzendoorn and Kroonenberg (1988) did a meta-analysis but
cannot be sure of the design and implementation of the original research.
Look for other reasonable marking points.
Level Mark Descriptor
AO1 (8 marks), AO3 (12 marks)
Candidates must demonstrate a greater emphasis on assessment/conclusion vs
knowledge and understanding in their answer.
Knowledge & understanding is capped at maximum 8 marks.
0 No rewardable material.
Level 1 1–4 Demonstrates isolated elements of knowledge and understanding. (AO1)
Marks
Generic assertions may be presented. Limited attempt to address the
question. (AO3)
Level 2 5–8 Demonstrates mostly accurate knowledge and understanding. (AO1)
Marks
Candidates will produce statements with some development in the form of
mostly accurate and relevant factual material, leading to a generic or
superficial assessment being presented. (AO3)
Level 3 9–12 Demonstrates accurate knowledge and understanding. (AO1)
Marks
Arguments developed using mostly coherent chains of reasoning, leading to
an assessment being presented which considers a range of factors.
Candidates will demonstrate understanding of competing arguments/factors
but unlikely to grasp their significance. The assessment leads to a
judgement but this will be imbalanced. (AO3)
Level 4 13–16 Demonstrates accurate and thorough knowledge and understanding. (AO1)
Marks
Displays a logical assessment, containing logical chains of reasoning
throughout which consider a range of factors. Demonstrates an
understanding of competing arguments/factors but does not fully consider
the significance of each which in turn leads to an imbalanced judgement
being presented. (AO3)
Level 5 17–20 Demonstrates accurate and thorough knowledge and understanding. (AO1)
Marks Displays a well-developed and logical assessment, containing logical chains
of reasoning throughout. Demonstrates a full understanding and awareness
of the significance of competing arguments/factors leading to a balanced
judgement being presented. (AO3)
