IB Psychology 3.3 Human Relationships Questionbank

Context: Human relationships

On a crowded train, a passenger sees a stranger trip, fall to the floor and cry out in pain. The passenger winces, feels distressed, and immediately feels a strong urge to go and help, even though they have never met the stranger. Later, the passenger reads that brain-imaging research has found that some of the brain regions that are active when we feel pain ourselves are also active when we watch someone else in pain.

With reference to this scenario, explain how localization of function may help to account for the passenger's urge to help.

In the context of human relationships, evaluate cognitive explanations of relationship breakdown with reference to causality.

In the context of human relationships, evaluate how psychologists measure the rewards and costs on which social exchange theory relies.

Context: Human relationships

At a summer camp, two groups of campers from different schools have been rivals for years, trading insults and refusing to sit together at meals. The camp has arranged a joint project that neither group can complete on its own. As a camp organiser, you have been asked to build cooperation between the rival groups.

Explain how social identity theory could be used to build cooperation between the rival groups.

In the context of human relationships, evaluate the claim of social identity theory that social categorisation causes in-group favouritism.