Example Answer for Question 09 Paper 1: A Level Psychology, June 2017 (AQA)

Section B – Memory: Q9 [4 Marks]

The test examining List A was testing recall in short-term memory (STM). STM codes information acoustically and because the words in List A are acoustically similar (e.g. the sound very similar), this would explain why participants found it difficult to recall the words in List A immediately after the presentation.

The test examining List B was testing recall in long-term memory (LTM). LTM codes information semantically (by meaning), and because the words in List B are semantically similar (e.g. huge, large and great are all words meaning the same thing), this would explain why participants found it difficult to recall the words in List B after 30 minutes.

Please Note: These answers have been produced without the knowledge of the mark scheme and merely reflect my attempt at producing a model answer on the day of the exam.