Psychology · Units 3 and 4

Psychology, practice exam 1

Extended response: Should the school day start later?

120 marks
34 pages
40 multiple choice
15 minutes reading
2 h 30 min writing

Marks by area of study

Unit 3 AOS 1: 33 marksUnit 3 AOS 2: 27 marksUnit 4 AOS 1: 17 marksUnit 4 AOS 2: 18 marksKey science skills: 25 marks

Section B: short-answer and extended-response questions (80 marks)

Q	Context	Marks
1	Early one morning, Bridget is jogging barefoot along a beach when she steps on a sharp shell.	6
2	At a Victorian primary school, fire drills are held several times each term.	9
3	Noah is 16. Over the past year he has found it very hard to fall asleep on school nights.	10
4	Rohan and Sienna are paramedics who were called to the same serious car crash late at night.	11
5	Declan, a 34-year-old barista, developed encephalitis, a viral infection that causes swelling of the brain.	8
6	A team of psychologists investigated whether a short period of exercise before a stressful task reduces…	11
7	Jasper, 22, has an intense fear of dogs.	10
8	Ana is a 45-year-old legal secretary.	5
9	Should the school day start later?	10

Section A: what each question tests (40 marks)

Q	Key knowledge	Area of study
1	Conscious and unconscious responses; somatic and autonomic nervous systems	Unit 3 AOS 1
2	Structures involved in neurotransmission across the synapse	Unit 3 AOS 1
3	Excitatory effect of glutamate	Unit 3 AOS 1
4	Lock-and-key process at receptor sites	Unit 3 AOS 1
5	Distinguishing neuromodulators from neurotransmitters	Unit 3 AOS 1
6	Long-term depression and synaptic pruning	Unit 3 AOS 1
7	Role of cortisol in chronic stress	Unit 3 AOS 1
8	Stages of the General Adaptation Syndrome	Unit 3 AOS 1
9	Interpreting descriptive data; correlation is not causation	Unit 3 AOS 1
10	The gut–brain axis as bidirectional communication	Unit 3 AOS 1
11	Extraneous variables limiting causal conclusions	Units 3–4 Key science skills
12	Coping flexibility	Unit 3 AOS 1
13	Classical conditioning: identifying stimuli and responses	Unit 3 AOS 2
14	Vicarious reinforcement in observational learning	Unit 3 AOS 2
15	Stages of observational learning: retention	Unit 3 AOS 2
16	Stages of observational learning: reproduction	Unit 3 AOS 2
17	Three-phase model of operant conditioning	Unit 3 AOS 2
18	Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander approaches to learning	Unit 3 AOS 2
19	Atkinson–Shiffrin model: short-term memory	Unit 3 AOS 2
20	Analysing data about the capacity of short-term memory	Unit 3 AOS 2
21	Maintenance rehearsal in the multi-store model	Unit 3 AOS 2
22	Evaluating a conclusion: an uncontrolled variable that varies with the IV	Units 3–4 Key science skills
23	Role of the cerebellum in implicit memory	Unit 3 AOS 2
24	Mnemonics: acrostics and acronyms	Unit 3 AOS 2
25	Using EEG, EMG and EOG to identify REM sleep	Unit 4 AOS 1
26	Characteristics of NREM Stage 3 sleep	Unit 4 AOS 1
27	Strengths and limitations of physiological measures of sleep	Unit 4 AOS 1
28	Ultradian NREM–REM cycles across a night	Unit 4 AOS 1
29	Zeitgebers and sleep hygiene: evening light	Unit 4 AOS 1
30	Identifying experimental designs	Units 3–4 Key science skills
31	Comparing the effects of sleep deprivation with BAC	Unit 4 AOS 1
32	Counterbalancing to control order effects	Units 3–4 Key science skills
33	The mental wellbeing continuum	Unit 4 AOS 2
34	Biological protective factors	Unit 4 AOS 2
35	Classifying protective factors	Unit 4 AOS 2
36	Domains of social and emotional wellbeing	Unit 4 AOS 2
37	Cultural determinants of health: self-determination	Unit 4 AOS 2
38	Systematic errors and accuracy	Units 3–4 Key science skills
39	Use of deception in research	Units 3–4 Key science skills
40	Debriefing after deception	Units 3–4 Key science skills