Numbers
WJEC A-Level Psychology 601-5719-7
Psychology Past to Present — The Five Approaches
Topic overviewThe Biological Approach: assumptions of the approach and applying the assumptions to the formation of relationshipsThe Biological Approach: love chemicals, strengths and weaknessesBiological Therapy: Drug Therapy or Psychosurgery — how the approach is used in therapyBiological Therapy: Drug Therapy or Psychosurgery — effectiveness of the therapyClassic Evidence (Biological): Raine, Buchsbaum and LaCasse (1997) — methodology and findingsClassic Evidence (Biological): Raine, Buchsbaum and LaCasse (1997) — conclusionsThe Psychodynamic Approach: assumptions of the approachThe Psychodynamic Approach: personality, defence mechanisms and the formation of relationshipsThe Psychodynamic Approach: strengths and weaknesses of the approachPsychodynamic Therapy: Dream Analysis or Group Analysis Psychotherapy — how the approach is usedPsychodynamic Therapy: Dream Analysis or Group Analysis Psychotherapy — effectiveness of the therapyClassic Evidence (Psychodynamic): Bowlby (1944) — methodology, procedures and findingsClassic Evidence (Psychodynamic): Bowlby (1944) — conclusions, ethical issues and social implicationsThe Behaviourist Approach: assumptions of the approachThe Behaviourist Approach: applying the assumptions to relationships, strengths and weaknessesBehaviourist Therapy: Aversion Therapy or Systematic Desensitisation — how the approach is usedBehaviourist Therapy: Aversion Therapy or Systematic Desensitisation — effectiveness of the therapyClassic Evidence (Behaviourist): Watson and Rayner (1920) — methodology, procedures and findingsClassic Evidence (Behaviourist): Watson and Rayner (1920) — conclusionsThe Cognitive Approach: assumptions of the approach and applying the assumptions to the formation of relationshipsThe Cognitive Approach: strengths and weaknesses of the approachCognitive Therapy: Cognitive Behavioural Therapy or Rational Emotive Behaviour TherapyCognitive Therapy: Cognitive Behavioural Therapy or Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (2)Classic Evidence (Cognitive): Loftus and Palmer (1974) — methodology, procedures and findingsClassic Evidence (Cognitive): Loftus and Palmer (1974) — conclusionsThe Positive Approach: assumptions of the approachThe Positive Approach: applying the assumptions to the formation of relationshipsThe Positive Approach: strengths and weaknesses of the approachPositive Therapy: Mindfulness or Quality of Life Therapy — how the approach is used in therapyPositive Therapy: Mindfulness or Quality of Life Therapy — assumptions in practice, effectiveness and ethicsClassic Evidence (Positive): Myers and Diener (1995) — methodology, procedures and findingsClassic Evidence (Positive): Myers and Diener (1995) — conclusionsComparison of the Five Approaches: biological approach and psychodynamic approachComparison of the Five Approaches: behaviourist approach, cognitive approach and positive approach
Contemporary Debates
Topic overviewHow to Explore a Contemporary DebateDebate: The Ethics of Neuroscience — what is at the core of the debateDebate: The Ethics of Neuroscience — arguments on each side of itDebate: The Mother as Primary Care-Giver of an Infant — what is at the core of the debateDebate: The Mother as Primary Care-Giver of an Infant — arguments on each side of itDebate: Using Conditioning Techniques to Control the Behaviour of ChildrenDebate: Using Conditioning Techniques to Control the Behaviour of Children — arguments on each sideDebate: Reliability of Eye-Witness Testimony (Including Children) — what is at the core of the debateDebate: Reliability of Eye-Witness Testimony (Including Children) — arguments on each side of itDebate: Relevance of Positive Psychology in Today's Society — what is at the core of the debateDebate: Relevance of Positive Psychology in Today's Society — arguments on each side of it
Principles of Research and Application of Research Methods
Topic overviewSocial Psychology Context Study: Milgram (1963) — methodology and proceduresSocial Psychology Context Study: Milgram (1963) — findings, ethical issues and social implicationsDevelopmental Psychology Context Study: Kohlberg (1968) — methodology, procedures and findingsDevelopmental Psychology Context Study: Kohlberg (1968) — conclusionsDeciding on a Research Question: aim of the research and null hypothesesDeciding on a Research Question: variables, operationalisation and extraneous variablesMethodologies: experiments, quasi-experiments and participant observationsMethodologies: non-participant observation, content analysis and interviewsMethodologies: correlational studies, case studies and self-reportsLocation of Research: conducting research in a laboratory and in the fieldLocation of Research: conducting research on-lineParticipants and Sampling: target populations, sampling frames and opportunity samplingParticipants and Sampling: systematic sampling, stratified sampling and quota samplingParticipants and Sampling: self-selected sampling and observational sampling techniquesExperimental Design: independent groups and repeated measuresExperimental Design: matched pairsLevels of Measurement: nominal data and ordinal dataLevels of Measurement: interval data and ratio dataGraphical Representation: bar charts and histogramsGraphical Representation: scatter diagrams and choosing a display for the level of measurementDescriptive Statistics: the mean, the median and the modeDescriptive Statistics: the range, the standard deviation and choosing a measureReliabilityValidity: internal validity and external validityValidity: specific validity issues and ways of dealing with issues of validityEthics in Psychological Research: confidentiality, deception, protection from harm and risk to valuesEthics in Psychological Research: valid consent, working with vulnerable individuals and ways of dealing with ethical issuesApplication of Research Methods to a Novel Scenario (AS): identifying the method and the variablesApplication of Research Methods to a Novel Scenario (AS): judging the reliability, validity and ethics
Mathematical Requirements for Psychology (Appendix A: AS Unit 2 and A2 Unit 4)
Topic overviewArithmetic and Numerical Computation: standard form and significant figuresArithmetic and Numerical Computation: estimating and checking a resultHandling Data: means, medians, modes and ranges, percentages and percentage changeHandling Data: reading a table of data and orders of magnitudeAlgebraGraphs: plotting and labelling a graph, gradients and interceptsGraphs: reading a value off a curve and choosing the right form of graph
Addictive BehavioursAddictive
Autistic Spectrum BehavioursAutistic spectrum
Topic overviewAutistic Spectrum Behaviours: characteristics, biological and individual differences explanationsAutistic Spectrum Behaviours: social psychological explanations and evaluating those explanationsAutistic Spectrum Behaviours: methods of modifying the behaviour and evaluating those methods
Bullying BehavioursBullying
Criminal BehavioursCriminal
SchizophreniaSchizophrenia
StressStress
Controversies in Psychology
Topic overviewControversy: Cultural Bias — issue, and why it is controversialControversy: Cultural Bias — applying psychological knowledge to itControversy: Cultural Bias — judgements and conclusionsControversy: Ethical Costs of Conducting Research — issue, and why it is controversialControversy: Ethical Costs of Conducting Research — applying psychological knowledge to itControversy: Ethical Costs of Conducting Research — judgements and conclusionsControversy: Non-Human Animals — issue, and why it is controversialControversy: Non-Human Animals — applying psychological knowledge to itControversy: Non-Human Animals — judgements and conclusionsControversy: Scientific Status — issue, and why it is controversialControversy: Scientific Status — applying psychological knowledge to itControversy: Scientific Status — judgements and conclusionsControversy: Sexism — issue, and why it is controversialControversy: Sexism — applying psychological knowledge to itControversy: Sexism — judgements and conclusions
Applied Research Methods
Topic overviewPersonal Investigations: Research Methods Skills — planning an investigationPersonal Investigations: Research Methods Skills — carrying it out ethically and analysing the dataAdditional Methodologies (Unit 4): brain scansAdditional Methodologies (Unit 4): longitudinal studies and cross-sectional studiesAssessing Reliability: inter-rater reliability and test-retest reliabilityAssessing Reliability: split-half reliabilityAssessing Validity: predictive validity, face validity and content validityAssessing Validity: concurrent validity and construct validityGraphical Representation: Distribution Curves — normal distribution and its propertiesGraphical Representation: Distribution Curves — what a distribution shows about a data setInferential Statistics: choosing a statistical test, parametric and non-parametric testsInferential Statistics: calculating test values and choosing a significance levelApplication of Research Methods to Novel Scenarios (A2): identifying the method and the variablesApplication of Research Methods to Novel Scenarios (A2): judging the reliability, validity and ethics
Autistic Spectrum Behaviours
- 3 subtopics
- 9 things to know
- A2 Unit 3 Section A
- Autistic Spectrum Behaviours, three of six studied
What Autistic Spectrum Behaviours covers
Autistic Spectrum Behaviours is one of six nominated behaviours on A2 Unit 3 of WJEC Psychology, Psychology: Implications in the Real World, and learners study three of the six. 35 recall questions across 3 subtopics.
Where it is assessed
A2 Unit 3 Section A
Psychology: Implications in the Real World, three behaviours studied of six.
Check the WJEC specification ↗The 3 subtopics
Each one has its own page.
- Autistic Spectrum Behaviours: characteristics, biological and individual differences explanationsThe two core domains and sensory differences in autism, the amygdala, chloride and genetic explanations, gender differences in diagnosis, the Sally-Anne task and weak central coherence theory.Open →
- Autistic Spectrum Behaviours: social psychological explanations and evaluating those explanationsRecall questions on social psychological explanations and evaluating those explanations.Open →
- Autistic Spectrum Behaviours: methods of modifying the behaviour and evaluating those methodsRecall questions on methods of modifying the behaviour and evaluating those methods.Open →
What you need to know
Answer each one before you reveal it.
Your recallNot started
Key term
What gender differences appear in autism diagnosis, and why?
Numbers
How does the double empathy problem challenge empathising-systemising theory?
Key term
What is PECS and what learning principle does it use?
Key term
Outline the six phases of PECS.
Evaluation
How does an RDI parent act as a guide, what is the weakness of RDI's evidence base, and what ethical objection is made to such programmes?
Numbers
What does the extreme male brain account of autism claim, and what is one criticism of it?
Key term
What are the two core domains used to characterise autistic spectrum behaviours?
Key term
What two dimensions does empathising-systemising theory propose, and what profile does it predict?
Take Autistic Spectrum Behaviours further
The same content, four other ways.
Questions from this topic
Each one with the model answer underneath.
- 1
What are the two core domains used to characterise autistic spectrum behaviours?
Model answer
Differences in social communication and social interaction, and restricted or repetitive patterns of behaviour, interests and activities; the profile varies so widely between individuals that it is described as a spectrum.
- 2
What sensory differences are commonly reported by autistic people?
Model answer
Both hyper-reactivity and hypo-reactivity to sensory input: adverse responses to particular sounds or textures and excessive smelling or touching of objects on the one hand, and apparent indifference to pain or temperature on the other, alongside fascination with lights or movement.
- 3
What does the amygdala theory of autism propose?
Model answer
Baron-Cohen et al. (2000) proposed that the amygdala, part of the social brain, develops and functions differently in autistic people, contributing to differences in processing faces, eye gaze and emotional expression.
- 4
What does the chloride ions at birth explanation of autism propose?
Model answer
Tyzio et al. (2014) found that a surge of oxytocin during birth normally lowers intracellular chloride so that GABA switches from excitatory to inhibitory; in rodent models of autism this switch failed, leaving GABA excitatory.
- 5
Which drug was used to test the chloride hypothesis, and what did it do?
Model answer
Bumetanide, which blocks chloride entry into the neurone, restored the GABA switch and reduced autistic-like behaviours in the rodent offspring.
- 6
What evidence points to a genetic predisposition to autism?
Model answer
Twin studies from Folstein and Rutter (1977) onwards find much higher concordance in monozygotic than dizygotic pairs, and siblings of autistic children are more likely to be autistic; the pattern is polygenic rather than the work of any single gene.
What is inside Levo
Six ways to work the same material.
Autistic Spectrum Behaviours revision questions
- What does Autistic Spectrum Behaviours cover in WJEC A-Level Psychology?
- 3 subtopics: autistic spectrum behaviours: characteristics, biological and individual differences explanations, autistic spectrum behaviours: social psychological explanations and evaluating those explanations and autistic spectrum behaviours: methods of modifying the behaviour and evaluating those methods. Each one has its own page with questions and model answers.
- How is Autistic Spectrum Behaviours organised?
- By the WJEC 601-5719-7 specification, subtopic by subtopic, so it matches the order you are taught it in.
Every question in Autistic Spectrum Behaviours, on a schedule.
Attempt a question from memory, write the correct version, then attempt it again. Levo records the jump between your first attempt and your last, and brings each question back on the day you are due to forget it.
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