Model Answer for Question 3 Paper 1: AS Psychology, June 2016 (AQA)

Section A – Social Influence

03 The study in question 02 involves a self-report. Outline what is involved in self-report. [3 marks]

Suggested Answer: A self-report is a non-experimental research method, where participants are asked questions about their experiences and/or beliefs, usually responding to a questionnaire or interview. For example, participants could have been interviewed about their views on Milgram’s research, using an unstructured interview technique, or they could have completed a questionnaire in relation to the value of the research and its ethical concerns (on a score out of 10).

Exam Hint: It was clear from this question that many students didn't know what the term 'self-report' meant. This highlights the importance of 'knowing the specification' as the word self-report is listed alongside interviews and questionnaires and this would have enabled students to successfully answer the question.