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🇬🇧 Scottish Higher · flashcards
Scottish Higher Higher Modern Studies Flashcards
52 question-and-answer cards covering Higher Modern Studies as it is examined in Scottish Higher. 24 of them are printed below, taken from across the deck — no signup, no paywall on the preview.
24 sample cards from the Higher Modern Studies deck
Sampled from the end of the deck, so these are different cards from the ones shown on the syllabus page.
Explain the difference between a crime and a civil wrong.
A crime is an act against the state/society that is punishable by the criminal justice system (e.g. assault, theft). A civil wrong is a dispute between individuals/organisations (e.g. breach of contract) resolved through the civil courts, usually seeking compensation.
Name the three main criminal courts in Scotland and one feature of each.
Justice of the Peace Court (minor offences, lay magistrates); Sheriff Court (most cases, solemn or summary procedure); High Court of Justiciary (most serious crimes such as murder/rape, with a jury).
How many jurors sit in a Scottish criminal jury, and how many are needed for a guilty verdict?
15 jurors; a simple majority of at least 8 is needed to return a guilty verdict.
List the aims/purposes of punishment in the justice system.
Deterrence, retribution, protection of the public (incapacitation), rehabilitation, and reparation.
State two causes of crime according to sociological explanations.
Poverty and inequality (lack of opportunity/economic strain), and social/environmental factors such as poor housing, peer influence, drug/alcohol misuse, and inadequate education.
Identify two consequences of crime on victims and communities.
Victims may suffer physical/psychological harm and financial loss; communities can experience fear of crime, reduced property values, and breakdown of social cohesion.
Outline the individualist explanation of inequality.
The view that inequality results from individual choices, behaviour, effort and ability — people are responsible for their own success or poverty (linked to right-wing/New Right thinking).
Outline the collectivist (structural) explanation of inequality.
The view that inequality is caused by the structure of society — factors beyond an individual's control such as class, discrimination, unequal access to education/jobs — requiring government intervention to address (linked to left-wing thinking).
What is the 'cycle of deprivation'?
The idea that poverty is passed from one generation to the next, as disadvantage (poor health, low income, low educational attainment) creates conditions that trap families in repeated cycles of poverty.
For a World Power study (e.g. the USA), name two factors that give a country world power status.
Economic strength (large GDP, global trade and currency influence) and military power (large, advanced armed forces with global reach), alongside political and cultural (soft power) influence.
Identify two socio-economic inequalities that exist within the USA.
Racial inequality (e.g. African Americans and Hispanics having lower median incomes and higher poverty/incarceration rates than white Americans) and unequal access to healthcare and education.
How does the USA exert influence on the wider world? Give two examples.
Through economic power (the dollar as a reserve currency, multinational companies, trade) and military/political power (membership and leadership of NATO, military bases worldwide, UN Security Council permanent seat).
What is meant by a 'World Issue' in Modern Studies, and give an example.
A significant international problem that affects many countries and is difficult to solve, such as underdevelopment/poverty in Africa, armed conflict, or terrorism.
Name two social and economic factors that cause underdevelopment.
Social: poor health (e.g. disease such as HIV/AIDS, malaria), low literacy and education. Economic: debt, reliance on primary product exports, lack of investment and infrastructure.
Identify two consequences of a world issue such as conflict.
Loss of life and creation of refugees/displaced people, and economic damage including destroyed infrastructure, disrupted food supply, and damaged trade.
What is the role of the United Nations (UN) in tackling global problems?
To maintain international peace and security (peacekeeping, Security Council resolutions), promote human rights, deliver humanitarian aid, and coordinate development through agencies like WHO, UNICEF and the WFP.
Name two international organisations (other than the UN) and their roles.
NATO — a military alliance providing collective defence; and NGOs such as Oxfam or the Red Cross — delivering humanitarian aid, development projects and emergency relief.
State two strengths and two limitations of UN responses to global problems.
Strengths: provides large-scale humanitarian aid and a forum for international cooperation/peacekeeping. Limitations: Security Council vetoes by permanent members can block action, and it depends on member states for funding and troops.
What does it mean to assess the 'effectiveness' of a response to a global problem?
To judge how successful an action or organisation has been in actually reducing or solving the problem, weighing positive outcomes against ongoing failures, limitations and unintended consequences using evidence.
In source analysis, what is meant by 'objectivity' and its opposite?
Objectivity means being factual, balanced and free from personal bias or opinion. Its opposite is subjectivity/bias — where a view is influenced by personal feelings, selective facts, or exaggeration.
List three signs that a source may be biased or lacking objectivity.
Use of emotive or exaggerated language, presenting only one side of an argument, and using selective evidence, sweeping generalisations, or unsupported opinion stated as fact.
In the 'Drawing and Supporting Conclusions' skill, what must every conclusion include?
A clear conclusion that directly answers the question/heading, supported by evidence drawn and synthesised from the source(s), ideally linking and cross-referencing more than one source.
Name three factors used to evaluate the reliability of a source.
The origin/author (who wrote it and their expertise or bias), the date (is it up to date or outdated), and the sample size/methodology (large or small, how data was gathered), plus whether the source is balanced or one-sided.
What does 'synthesising evidence' mean when making a supported decision?
Combining and cross-referencing evidence from several different sources that link or support one another, then weighing it against other options to justify a single overall recommendation or decision.
What this deck covers
The Higher Modern Studies deck follows the Scottish Higher Higher Modern Studies syllabus — 4 chapters and 16 topics — so questions land on material that is genuinely examinable rather than trivia around it. That works out to roughly 13.0 cards per chapter.
Answers are written to be recallable, not just readable — averaging about 189 characters, which is long enough to carry the reasoning and short enough to say out loud.
A deck like this earns its keep on the second and third pass. Read the syllabus first so you know the shape of the subject, then use the cards to find the specific facts that have not stuck.
Higher Modern Studies flashcards FAQ
How many Higher Modern Studies flashcards are in this Scottish Higher deck?
52 cards. This page previews 24 of them, sampled evenly across the deck so you can judge the difficulty before installing anything.
Are these Scottish Higher flashcards free?
Yes. The preview here is free to read with no signup, and the full 52-card deck is free inside the Examius app.
What do the Higher Modern Studies cards cover?
They follow the Scottish Higher Higher Modern Studies syllabus — 4 chapters and 16 topics — so the questions track what is actually examinable.
How should I use these flashcards?
Read the syllabus first so you know the shape of the subject, then drill the deck. Examius schedules each card with spaced repetition, so cards you keep missing come back sooner and ones you know drift further apart.