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Positivism, interpretivism and social facts

Past-paper questions pack

Name
Class
Date set
Date due
Score/ 244

Questions are numbered; the mark schemes (the answer key) follow on separate pages so the question pages can be handed out alone. www.alevelsociologytutor.com

AQA AQA AS and A-level Sociology past-paper questions since 2016 · 18 parts · mark schemes follow the questions · www.alevelsociologytutor.com · Questions and mark schemes © AQA

1. June 2025 · Paper 1 · Q6 · 10 marks · AO1=5,AO2=3,AO3=2
0 6 Outline and explain two reasons why interpretivists prefer to use qualitative methods. [10 marks]
2. June 2025 · AS Paper 2 · Q2 · 16 marks · AO1=6,AO2=5,AO3=5
0 2 Evaluate the disadvantages of using official statistics in sociological research. [16 marks]
3. June 2024 · AS Paper 2 · Q2 · 16 marks · AO1=6,AO2=5,AO3=5
0 2 Evaluate the advantages of using positivist methods in sociological research. [16 marks]
4. June 2024 · Paper 3 · Q6 · 20 marks · AO1=8,AO2=6,AO3=6
0 6 Read Item C below and answer the question that follows. Item C Positivists argue that Sociology can be regarded as scientific. They argue that society should be studied using the principles and procedures of the natural sciences. They prefer the use of scientific methods to study people and look for cause and effect relationships in helping to make predictions about human behaviour. However, others argue that scientific methods are not always suitable for studying human behaviour because people have consciousness and free will. There is also disagreement about how science should be defined. Applying material from Item C and your knowledge, evaluate the extent to which Sociology can be regarded as scientific. [20 marks]
5. June 2023 · Paper 1 · Q6 · 10 marks · AO1=5,AO2=3,AO3=2
0 6 Outline and explain two reasons why sociologists may choose to use research methods that produce quantitative data. [10 marks]
6. June 2023 · Paper 3 · Q5 · 10 marks · AO1=5,AO2=3,AO3=2
0 5 Outline and explain two reasons why interpretivists prefer to use qualitative methods of research. [10 marks]
7. June 2022 · Paper 1 · Q6 · 10 marks · AO1=5,AO2=3,AO3=2
0 6 Outline and explain two reasons why official statistics should not be seen as social facts. [10 marks]
8. June 2022 · Paper 3 · Q5 · 10 marks · AO1=5,AO2=3,AO3=2
0 5 Outline and explain two reasons why some sociologists choose unstructured interviews in their research. [10 marks]
9. November 2021 · Paper 1 · Q6 · 10 marks · AO1=5,AO2=3,AO3=2
0 6 Outline and explain two arguments against the positivist view that sociology can be scientific. [10 marks]
10. November 2021 · Paper 3 · Q6 · 20 marks · AO1=8,AO2=6,AO3=6
0 6 Read Item C below and answer the question that follows. Item C Before they begin research, sociologists have to make choices about which research methods to use. Positivists favour methods that are more likely to generate quantitative data as they want to discover laws of human behaviour. Others prefer methods that enable a sociologist to gain a deeper understanding of why people behave in certain ways. Alternatively, it could be argued that practical and ethical factors are more important influences on a sociologist’s choice of research method. Applying material from Item C and your knowledge, evaluate the view that theoretical factors are the most important influence on a sociologist’s choice of research method. [20 marks]
11. November 2020 · Paper 1 · Q6 · 10 marks · AO1=5,AO2=3,AO3=2
0 6 Outline and explain two problems of using primary qualitative methods in sociological research. [10 marks]
12. November 2020 · AS Paper 2 · Q2 · 16 marks · AO1=6,AO2=5,AO3=5
0 2 Evaluate the disadvantages of using self-completion questionnaires in sociological research. [16 marks]
13. June 2019 · AS Paper 1 · Q6 · 20 marks · AO1=8,AO2=8,AO3=4
0 6 Read Item B below and answer the question that follows. Item B Investigating pupils’ decisions on future education and careers At various stages in school, all children are faced with decisions about their future. For example, some pupils may choose to go to university for a variety of reasons. Other pupils may consider options such as apprenticeships or going directly into a job. Some sociologists may use structured interviews to study pupils’ decisions on their future education and choice of career. They are conducted face to face in a formal way, as each interviewee is usually asked the same questions in the same order. However, structured interviews may be influenced by the assumptions of the researcher about how and why career choices are made. Applying material from Item B and your knowledge of research methods, evaluate the strengths and limitations of using structured interviews to investigate pupils’ decisions on their future education and careers. [20 marks]
14. June 2019 · Paper 3 · Q5 · 10 marks · AO1=5,AO2=3,AO3=2
0 5 Outline and explain two reasons why sociologists’ research may not always be objective. [10 marks]
15. June 2018 · Paper 3 · Q6 · 20 marks · AO1=8,AO2=6,AO3=6
0 6 Read Item C below and answer the question that follows. Item C Structured interviews are a relatively cheap way of studying a sample. Positivist sociologists favour structured interviews because they produce reliable data that can be used to test hypotheses. However, critics argue that structured interviews are inflexible and that their results lack validity. Applying material from Item C and your knowledge, evaluate the advantages of using structured interviews in sociological research. [20 marks]
16. June 2017 · AS Paper 2 · Q2 · 16 marks · AO1=6,AO2=5,AO3=5
0 2 Evaluate the importance of theoretical factors when choosing sociological research methods. [16 marks]
17. Specimen set 1 · Paper 1 · Q6 · 10 marks · AO1=5,AO2=3,AO3=2
0 6 Outline and explain two arguments against the view that sociology is a science. [10 marks]
18. Specimen set 1 · Paper 3 · Q5 · 10 marks · AO1=5,AO2=3,AO3=2
0 5 Outline and explain two advantages of using official statistics in sociological research. [10 marks]

Mark schemes

1. June 2025 · Paper 1 · Q6
Mark scheme June 2025 Paper 1 Q6
2. June 2025 · AS Paper 2 · Q2
Mark scheme June 2025 Paper 2 Q2
3. June 2024 · AS Paper 2 · Q2
Mark scheme June 2024 Paper 2 Q2
4. June 2024 · Paper 3 · Q6
Mark scheme June 2024 Paper 3 Q6
5. June 2023 · Paper 1 · Q6
Mark scheme June 2023 Paper 1 Q6
6. June 2023 · Paper 3 · Q5
Mark scheme June 2023 Paper 3 Q5
7. June 2022 · Paper 1 · Q6
Mark scheme June 2022 Paper 1 Q6
8. June 2022 · Paper 3 · Q5
Mark scheme June 2022 Paper 3 Q5
9. November 2021 · Paper 1 · Q6
Mark scheme November 2021 Paper 1 Q6
10. November 2021 · Paper 3 · Q6
Mark scheme November 2021 Paper 3 Q6
11. November 2020 · Paper 1 · Q6
Mark scheme November 2020 Paper 1 Q6
12. November 2020 · AS Paper 2 · Q2
Mark scheme November 2020 Paper 2 Q2
13. June 2019 · AS Paper 1 · Q6
Mark scheme June 2019 Paper 1 Q6
14. June 2019 · Paper 3 · Q5
Mark scheme June 2019 Paper 3 Q5
15. June 2018 · Paper 3 · Q6
Mark scheme June 2018 Paper 3 Q6
16. June 2017 · AS Paper 2 · Q2
Mark scheme June 2017 Paper 2 Q2
17. Specimen set 1 · Paper 1 · Q6
Mark scheme Specimen set 1 Paper 1 Q6
18. Specimen set 1 · Paper 3 · Q5
Mark scheme Specimen set 1 Paper 3 Q5