Edexcel A Level Psychology
Edexcel A Level Psychology Topic 7: Child Psychology Exam Questions
Free Edexcel A Level Psychology exam questions for Topic 7: Child Psychology, with a mark scheme for every pack. Covers attachment, the Strange Situation, cultural differences, deprivation and privation, daycare and the van IJzendoorn and Kroonenberg meta-analysis.
Topic 7: Child Psychology exam questions
1 question pack of real past exam questions, each with its mark scheme. Do not stop after a few: answer as many as you can without notes, then mark every answer with the mark scheme. The more questions you do, the more quickly you will spot how examiners ask about each idea.
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A-Level Psychology Flashcards for 2027 Onwards
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About Edexcel A Level Psychology Topic 7: Child Psychology
Child Psychology is Topic 7 of Edexcel A Level Psychology and is one of the option topics on Paper 2, Applications of Psychology. It explores how children form attachments and what happens when early relationships are disrupted. You study Bowlby's theory and maternal deprivation, Ainsworth's Strange Situation and attachment types, cultural differences, the effects of deprivation and privation including case studies of extreme privation, and the effects of daycare on development. Methods include observations, longitudinal and cross-cultural research, meta-analysis and ethical issues of researching children. The classic study is van IJzendoorn and Kroonenberg (1988), and you study contemporary research too.
What you need to know
- Bowlby's theory Attachment is innate and adaptive, with a critical period, monotropy and an internal working model. The maternal deprivation hypothesis predicts long-term harm if the bond is broken early.
- Ainsworth's Strange Situation A controlled observation of infants with their caregiver and a stranger, classifying secure (type B), insecure-avoidant (type A) and insecure-resistant (type C) attachment.
- Deprivation and privation Deprivation is the loss of an attachment; privation is never forming one. Case studies of extreme privation and research on institutionalised children suggest recovery is possible with good later care.
- Daycare Research considers whether daycare harms or benefits social and cognitive development, depending on quality, quantity and age of starting.
- Classic study: van IJzendoorn and Kroonenberg (1988) A meta-analysis of 32 Strange Situation studies from eight countries. Secure attachment was the most common type overall, avoidant attachment was relatively high in West Germany, resistant attachment was relatively high in Israel and Japan, and variation within cultures was greater than between them.
- Methods Observations, longitudinal and cross-sectional designs, cross-cultural research, meta-analysis, and ethical guidelines for research with children (UNCRC).
Common mistakes in Topic 7: Child Psychology
- Confusing deprivation with privation.
- Saying van IJzendoorn and Kroonenberg ran their own Strange Situations; it was a meta-analysis of existing studies.
- Claiming secure attachment was rare in Japan or Israel; it was still the most common type there.
- Describing daycare as always harmful; findings depend on quality, hours and the child's age.
- Ignoring the ethics of observing distressed infants when evaluating the Strange Situation.
Try three Topic 7: Child Psychology exam-style questions
1. Explain the difference between deprivation and privation. (2 marks)
Show the mark scheme answer
Deprivation is when a child forms an attachment but it is later broken or lost, for example through separation; privation is when a child never forms an attachment in the first place.
2. Describe the findings of van IJzendoorn and Kroonenberg (1988). (4 marks)
Show the mark scheme answer
Secure attachment was the most common type in all countries; insecure-avoidant attachment was more common in Western European countries such as West Germany; insecure-resistant attachment was more common in Israel and Japan; variation within cultures was about 1.5 times greater than variation between cultures.
3. Evaluate the use of meta-analysis in child psychology. (4 marks)
Show the mark scheme answer
Strength: it combines many studies, giving a large sample; so findings are more generalisable and patterns such as cultural differences are easier to identify; Weakness: studies may differ in methods and samples; and some countries contribute far fewer studies, so comparisons may be biased.
Topic 7: Child Psychology FAQs
What does Edexcel A Level Psychology Topic 7 Child Psychology cover?
It covers Bowlby's theory and maternal deprivation, Ainsworth's Strange Situation and attachment types, cultural differences, deprivation and privation, daycare, research methods with children, van IJzendoorn and Kroonenberg (1988) and contemporary studies.
Which paper is Child Psychology examined in?
Child Psychology is one of the option topics on Paper 2, Applications of Psychology.
What ethical issues matter in Child Psychology research?
Researchers must get parental consent, protect children from distress, respect their right to withdraw (for example if an infant becomes very upset) and follow UNCRC principles about children's rights.
