Psychology AS
The Scream
Psychology is the study of mind and behaviour. The term psychology originates from the greek ‘psyche’ – the mind; and ‘logos’ – the study of.
This fascinating area is currently offered at the College to AS Level and then in partnership with Coleg Morgannwg for A2 Level. We follow the aqa examination board and cover the following topics:
AS Examinations
Unit 1 – PSYA1
Cognitive Psychology, Developmental Psychology and Research Methods
50% of the total AS marks, 25% of the total A2 marks
1 hour 30 minutes
Structured compulsory questions based on Cognitive Psychology, Developmental
Psychology and Research Methods.
Questions include short answer, stimulus material and one 12-mark question requiring extended writing in which QWC will be assessed.
Available January and June
Topics in more detail:
Cognitive Psychology – Memory
Models of memory • The multi-store model, including the concepts of encoding, capacity and duration. Strengths and weaknesses of the model • The working memory model, including its strengths and weaknesses
Memory in everyday life • Eyewitness testimony (EWT) and factors affecting the accuracy of EWT, including anxiety, age of witness • Misleading information and the use of the cognitive interview • Strategies for memory improvement
Developmental Psychology – Early Social Development
Attachment • Explanations of attachment, including learning theory, and evolutionary perspective, including Bowlby • Types of attachment, including insecure and secure attachment and studies by Ainsworth • Cultural variations in attachment • Disruption of attachment, failure to form attachment (privation) and the effects of institutionalisation
Attachment in everyday life • The impact of different forms of day care on children’s social development, including the effects on aggression and peer relations • Implications of research into attachment and day care for child care practices
Research Methods
Methods and techniques Candidates will be expected to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the following research methods, their advantages and weaknesses:
• Experimental method, including laboratory, field and natural experiments
• Studies using a correlational analysis
• Observational techniques
• Self-report techniques including questionnaire and interview
• Case studies
Investigation design Candidates should be familiar with the following features of investigation design:
• Aims
• Hypotheses, including directional and non-directional
• Experimental design (independent groups, repeated measures and matched pairs)
• Design of naturalistic observations, including the development and use of behavioural categories
• Design of questionnaires and interviews
• Operationalisation of variables, including independent and dependent variables
• Pilot studies
• Control of extraneous variables
• Reliability and validity
• Awareness of the British Psychological Society (BPS) Code of Ethics
• Ethical issues and ways in which psychologists deal with them
• Selection of participants and sampling techniques, including random, opportunity and volunteer sampling
• Demand characteristics and investigator effects
Data analysis and presentation Candidates should be familiar with the following features of data analysis, presentation and interpretation:
• Presentation and interpretation of quantitative data including graphs, scattergrams and tables
• Analysis and interpretation of quantitative data. Measures of central tendency including median, mean, mode. Measures of dispersion including ranges and standard deviation
• Analysis and interpretation of correlational data. Positive and negative correlations and the interpretation of correlation coefficients
• Presentation of qualitative data
• Processes involved in content analysis
Unit 2 – PSYA2
Biological Psychology, Social Psychology and Individual Differences
50% of the total AS marks, 25% of the total A2 marks
1 hour 30 minutes
Three compulsory structured questions, one based on the Biological Psychology
content, one based on the Social Psychology content and one based on the Individual
Differences content.
Questions include short answer, stimulus material and one or more 12-mark questions requiring extended writing in which QWC will be assessed.
Available January and June
Topics in more detail:
Biological Psychology – Stress
Stress as a bodily response • The body’s response to stress, including the pituitary-adrenal system and the sympathomedullary pathway in outline • Stress-related illness and the immune system
Stress in everyday life • Life changes and daily hassles • Workplace stress • Personality factors, including Type A behaviour • Distinction between emotion-focused and problem-focused approaches to coping with stress • Psychological and physiological methods of stress management, including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and drugs
Social Psychology – Social Influence
Social influence • Types of conformity, including internalisation and compliance • Explanations of why people conform, including informational social influence and normative social influence • Obedience, including Milgram’s work and explanations of why people obey
Social influence in everyday life • Explanations of independent behaviour, including how people resist pressures to conform and pressures to obey authority • The influence of individual differences on independent behaviour, including locus of control • Implications for social change of research into social influence
Individual Differences – Psychopathology (Abnormality)
Defining and explaining • Definitions of abnormality, including deviation from social norms, failure to function adequately and deviation from ideal mental health, and limitations of abnormality associated with these definitions of psychological abnormality
• Key features of the biological approach to psychopathology
• Key features of psychological approaches to psychopathology including the psychodynamic, behavioural and cognitive approaches
Treating abnormality • Biological therapies, including drugs and ECT
• Psychological therapies, including psychoanalysis, systematic de-sensitisation
and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
Careers
Psychology can open up a whole array of different career paths for you due to its varied nature, including:
Couselling Social Work
Forensic Science Teaching
Police Nursing
Student Guidance can be downloaded by clicking here
Further infomaton on this course can be found by clicking here.
Example Essays
Abnormality and Normality
Conformity
Obedience and Milgram
Stress and Illness
Treating Mental Disorders
For help with the research activity on Organisation of Information in memory click here
Want to post a question or revision tip for AS Memory – click here and use our Learning Wall
Want to post a question or revision tip for AS Attachments click here and use our Learning Wall.
Sign up to the Student Room to share ideas and support.
For more excellent revision support follow the link to Psychology Exchange
For Pratice Papers click here
For Mark Schemes click here
For support and advice you can contact Mr Norton on paul.norton@tonypandycollege.co.uk
