A Level Psychology OCR Practice Exam

Which of the following did NOT contribute to the written record of Little Hans's life?

1. Written observations by Hans's father

2. Diary entries made by Hans himself

3. Conversations recorded by Hans's father

4. Analysis and comments by Freud

The correct answer is: Diary entries made by Hans himself

The choice indicating that diary entries made by Hans himself did not contribute to the written record of Little Hans's life is correct because there is no evidence to suggest that Hans ever kept a diary or documented his thoughts and experiences in writing. The primary sources of information about Little Hans came from his father’s detailed written observations, conversations that Hans’s father recorded, and the analysis and interpretations provided by Sigmund Freud. Freud relied heavily on the accounts and records compiled by Hans’s father to formulate his theories about the child’s phobia and psychosexual development, but personal diary entries from Hans himself are not part of that documentation. This distinction highlights the reliance on adult interpretations and observations rather than on a child's personal narrative, which was not available in this case.