Developmental psychology

Examine potential effects of deprivation and/or trauma in childhood on later development.

Refer to the paper 2 assessment criteria when awarding marks.

The command term “examine” requires candidates to consider the relationships between deprivation and/or trauma in childhood and later development. Candidates may address deprivation and/or trauma experiences but they do not have to specifically identify them as deprivation or trauma situations.

Research may include, but is not limited to:
• Rutter et al.’s (2001) and Rutter’s (1981) studies on the consequences of deprivation
• case study of Genie
• Bowlby’s maternal deprivation hypothesis
• Cockett and Tripp’s (1994) study on long-term attachment deprivation effects
• Cyrulnik’s theory of resilience
• Koluchova’s case study showing the possibility to reverse the effects of deprivation
• Tedeschi and Calhoun’s (2004) theory on the positive aspects emerging from the struggle with trauma.

In order to respond to the command term “examine”, candidates may refer to:
• research explaining how resilience and protective factors reduce the impact of deprivation or trauma in childhood
• biological, cognitive or sociocultural factors in relation to potential effects of deprivation or trauma in childhood on later development
• traditional deterministic theories of deprivation
• research showing that deprivation or trauma may lead to positive growth
• short-term versus long-term effects of deprivation or trauma
• methodological and ethical considerations.

Candidates may make reference to animal studies as part of their response, and credit should be awarded for this as long as they relate the findings to human development.

Candidates may examine a small number of potential effects of deprivation/trauma in order to demonstrate depth of knowledge, or may examine a larger number of potential effects of deprivation/trauma in order to demonstrate breadth of knowledge. Both approaches are equally acceptable.