How to make your own practice papersPaper 2, Section B (Unseen Study)

Section B of Paper 2 requires the analysis of an unseen study. The analysis needs to be based on concepts, four of which will be stated in the question. Ideally, you’ll be provided with some practice papers. If you’re not, here’s a simple way to make one.

Step One – The Concepts: First you need the concepts. You can choose these yourself, or use a concept-die, wheel-spinner, pull them out of a hat, or some other way to choose them randomly. Embed them into this question format:

Section B: Discuss the following with reference to two or more of the following concepts: ………………………………………

You can spin this wheel to choose your four concepts.

 

 

Step Two – The Study: Now you need a 150-200 word summary of a study. The study should come from one of the four contexts and use one of the six research methods in the guide. ChatGPT, or your preferred AI, can make this summary for you.

Here are the key parts to your prompt:

• Aims, methods, results and conclusion
• 150-200 words
• Peer-reviewed (may as well practice with real studies)
• Choose a context: human relationships, human development, health and well-being, or learning and cognition
• Choose a specific method:
  • Experiment: true or quasi
  • Observation: overt/covert, participant/non-participant, naturalistic or controlled*
  • Interview: semi-structured, focus group or structured*
  • Questionnaire
  • Case study
  • Correlational study
• Not well-known

*Tip: You could simply ask for a qualitative observation or qualitative interview and it will probably give you one of these.

Prompt Template: Feel free to copy/paste this template into ChatGPT to make your own practice papers.

“Can you please give me a summary of the aims, methods, results and conclusions of a peer-reviewed study in 150-200 words that comes from the context of (insert context) and uses the research method of (insert method)? Make it one that’s not well-known.”

Example

The following study summary was created by ChatGPT with the prompt: “Can you please summarise the aims, methods, results and conclusions in 200 words of a study I’ve probably never seen before that used qualitative observational methods in the field of human relationships?”

Discuss the following study with reference to two or more of the following concepts: causality, responsibility, perspective and measurement.

A lesser-known qualitative observational study is Kathy Charmaz’s work on relationships among individuals living with chronic illness, particularly in Good Days, Bad Days (1991).

Aims: The study aimed to understand how chronic illness reshapes personal relationships and identity, focusing on how individuals maintain, renegotiate, or lose social connections over time.

Methods: Charmaz used qualitative, naturalistic observation combined with in-depth interviews. She spent extended periods observing participants in everyday settings such as homes and support groups, recording interactions with family, friends, and caregivers. Detailed field notes captured subtle relational dynamics, including dependency, support, and withdrawal.

Results: The study found that chronic illness often altered relationship balance, shifting individuals from equal partners to dependent roles. Some relationships strengthened through empathy and shared coping, while others deteriorated due to strain, misunderstanding, or stigma. Participants frequently engaged in “identity work” to preserve dignity and avoid being defined solely by illness.

Conclusions: Charmaz concluded that relationships are central to how individuals experience and manage chronic illness. The quality of social interactions significantly affects emotional well-being and self-concept. The study highlights that relationship changes are not purely personal but shaped by social expectations around health, independence, and productivity, emphasizing the need for more socially aware support systems.

Read my example answer here.