Cambridge IGCSE Sociology: Positivism, Interpretivism and Research Choices — Practice Questions (0495)

These are original questions written for Marlbridge, for revision and practice on this content. They are not reproduced past-paper questions, and they do not replicate the exam’s exact structure, question count or mark tariffs — examination boards hold copyright in their own papers. Use these alongside the official past papers available free from your board.

Related: Positivism, interpretivism and research choices revision notes

This practice set covers key question 1.1 of Cambridge IGCSE Sociology (0495), How do sociologists approach the study of society? It follows the shape the 0495 syllabus describes for the compulsory Paper 1 Question 1: source-based questions, short answers, a short essay evaluating a methodological view, and a research plan.

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Source A (invented for practice)

A researcher wanted to find out whether part-time paid work affects the school performance of 16-year-olds in a large city. She sent an online questionnaire to 1,200 students in eight schools, selected using a stratified sample by school type and gender; 540 replied. 62% of students who worked more than 10 hours a week said their grades had fallen, compared with 21% of those who did not work. She then carried out unstructured interviews with 15 working students. Several said they worked to support their families and felt teachers did not understand their situation.

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Questions

(a)(i) Using Source A, identify the percentage of students working more than 10 hours a week who said their grades had fallen. [1]

(a)(ii) Using Source A, explain why the researcher’s study is an example of triangulation. [3]

(a)(iii) Using Source A, explain two problems with the evidence in the study. [4]

(b) Define the terms correlation and causation. [4]

(c) Explain three features of the interpretivist approach. [6]

(d) Evaluate the view that sociology should follow the scientific method. [14]

(e) You have been asked to investigate how young people use social media to express their identity. Explain the primary research methods, sampling and secondary evidence you would use, and give reasons for your choices. [8]

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Answers and mark guidance

(a)(i) [1]

62%. Accept “62 per cent”; no mark without the figure.

(a)(ii) [3]

The study uses more than one method — a quantitative online questionnaire and qualitative unstructured interviews (1) — to study the same topic (1), so findings from one can be checked and deepened by the other; for example, interviews explain why working students’ grades fall (1).

(a)(iii) [4]

Two problems, 2 marks each (1 for the problem, 1 for applying it to the source):

• Response rate — only 540 of 1,200 replied (45%), so those who answered may differ from those who did not, reducing representativeness.
• Self-reported grades — students said their grades had fallen; this may be inaccurate, so validity is questionable.
• Correlation not causation — working students may already have had lower grades for other reasons, such as poverty.
• Small interview sample — 15 students limits generalisability.
• Online questionnaire — students without reliable internet access may be excluded.

(b) [4]

• Correlation (2): a relationship in which two variables change together, for example as hours of work rise, reported grades fall.
• Causation (2): one variable directly produces a change in another. A correlation does not prove causation, because a third factor may be responsible.

(c) [6]

Three features, 2 marks each (identify + develop):

• Micro view — studies small-scale interaction rather than whole social structures.
• Meanings and motivations — aims to understand why people act as they do from their own point of view.
• Qualitative, in-depth data — uses methods such as unstructured interviews and participant observation to gain rich detail.
• Verstehen — the researcher tries to see the world as participants do (Weber).
• Validity over reliability — accepts that research may be hard to repeat if it gives a true picture.

(d) [14]

Levels guidance: 11–14 marks for a balanced, well-developed answer with clear evaluation and a conclusion; 7–10 for a mostly one-sided or less developed answer; 4–6 for limited points; 1–3 for simple assertions.

Arguments for (positivist):

• Society has social facts that can be measured objectively, as Durkheim argued in Suicide (1897).
• Standardised, quantitative methods are reliable and allow patterns, trends and causes to be found.
• Large representative samples allow generalisation and can inform policy.
• Hypothesis testing keeps the researcher’s values out.

Arguments against (interpretivist):

• People, unlike chemicals, give meaning to their actions, so understanding requires verstehen.
• Quantitative methods impose the researcher’s categories and may lack validity.
• Statistics such as suicide or crime figures are socially constructed by officials.
• People react to being studied (Hawthorne effect), unlike objects in a laboratory.

Evaluation and conclusion: many sociologists combine both through triangulation; the choice depends on the research aim. Credit a reasoned judgement.

(e) [8]

The syllabus states that no subject knowledge of the topic is needed and that you are not expected to evaluate your methodology. Credit:

• Primary method(s) with reasons — for example semi-structured interviews to explore meanings young people attach to posts (validity), possibly with a short questionnaire on frequency of use (patterns).
• Sampling — a sampling frame such as school registers with parental consent; a stratified sample by age and gender so different groups are represented; or snowball sampling to reach users of particular platforms.
• Secondary evidence — content analysis of public posts, or published reports on young people’s internet use, with reasons (cheap, shows actual behaviour).
• Practical and ethical points — informed consent from young people and parents, confidentiality, avoiding harm.

Levels: 7–8 for a clear, justified plan covering all three elements; 4–6 for a plan with some reasons; 1–3 for listed methods with little justification.

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Frequently asked questions

How much should I write for (d)? Enough to develop at least two points on each side and a conclusion; depth of explanation earns more than number of points.

Do I lose marks for evaluating my plan in (e)? No marks are given for evaluation in (e), so spend your time justifying choices instead.

Can I quote figures from the source in (a)(iii)? Yes — using the source’s own details is what “using Source A” requires.

Related pages: research approaches, data and investigation study guide | Research methods and inequality practice questions