CAIE
Sociology
(9699)
2025
May/June Paper 12
Questions & Answers
Q1.
Short Answer
4 marks
Describe two features of a laboratory experiment.
Model Answer:
A laboratory experiment is carried out in a controlled environment where the researcher can control or manipulate variables.
Explanation: This is a key feature because laboratory experiments aim to isolate the effect of the independent variable.
Model Answer:
It allows the researcher to test cause-and-effect relationships under standardised conditions.
Explanation: Standardisation helps ensure that any change in the dependent variable can be linked to the manipulated variable.
Q2a.
Structured
8 marks
Explain two reasons why some social groups are difficult to study.
Model Answer:
Some social groups are difficult to study because they may be hidden or hard to access, such as criminal gangs or elite groups, so researchers cannot easily identify or contact members.
Explanation: Access problems make it difficult to gather data from these groups.
Model Answer:
Some groups may be suspicious of researchers or unwilling to participate, which reduces the likelihood of honest responses and makes research more difficult.
Explanation: Lack of trust or cooperation can limit the quality and amount of data collected.
Q2b.
Structured
6 marks
Explain two strengths of online questionnaires.
Model Answer:
Online questionnaires are cheap and quick to distribute to large numbers of people.
Explanation: They reduce printing, postage, and administration costs while reaching many respondents rapidly.
Model Answer:
They can increase anonymity, which may encourage respondents to give more honest answers.
Explanation: Anonymity can reduce social desirability bias and improve the validity of responses.
Q3a.
Structured
10 marks
'The peer group is the most important influence in shaping age identity.' Explain this view.
Model Answer:
The peer group influences age identity because people often learn how to behave, dress and speak in ways that fit their age group through interaction with friends of a similar age.
Explanation: Peers provide norms and expectations that shape how age is expressed and understood.
Model Answer:
Peer groups can create pressure to conform, so individuals may adopt age-related styles and attitudes to gain acceptance and avoid exclusion.
Explanation: Conformity to peer norms helps explain why peer groups are seen as powerful in shaping identity.
Model Answer:
Peer groups are especially important in childhood and adolescence, when young people spend much of their time with friends and may be less influenced by adults.
Explanation: This supports the view that peers are central in the formation of age identity.
Q3b.
Structured
6 marks
Using sociological material, give one argument against this view.
Model Answer:
One argument against the view is that the family may be more important than the peer group in shaping age identity, because parents and siblings influence values, behaviour and expectations from an early age.
Explanation: This challenges the claim that peers are the most important influence.
Q4.
Essay
26 marks
Evaluate the view that female identity is very different from fifty years ago.
Model Answer:
A strong answer would assess changes in female identity over time, including greater educational and employment opportunities, changing family roles, feminism, and media representations, while also considering continuity such as persistent gender inequality, traditional expectations, and differences by class, ethnicity and age.
Explanation: This is the expected evaluative focus for an essay question.
Q5.
Essay
26 marks
Evaluate the use of structured interviews in sociological research.
Model Answer:
A strong answer would evaluate structured interviews in terms of reliability, comparability, practicality, and the ability to collect quantitative data, while also discussing limitations such as lack of flexibility, possible interviewer bias, and reduced validity compared with less structured methods.
Explanation: This captures the main strengths and weaknesses expected in an evaluative essay on structured interviews.