The question asks you to critically evaluate psychological research and theory using the module materials. The word ‘critically’ indicates that you should make a judgement backed by a reasoned discussion of the evidence involved and describe the merit of the psychological theories discussed. The word ‘evaluate’ indicates that you need to consider how valid different explanations are with respect to the claim that cognitive processes bias our perceptions of the world.
Do remember that you are not being asked to offer your personal opinion; you will need to provide evidence from psychological theories and research to support your position.
The content words for Option B are ‘Do cognitive processes bias how we perceive the world?’. This means that you need to consider relevant research evidence and theory, focusing on the extent to which our cognitive processes may simplify or distort (i.e., bias) our impressions of the physical and social world. You are asked to focus your essay on materials from Weeks 9, 12 and 13.