Key term
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
Psychology Past to Present — The Five Approaches
The Biological Approach: love chemicals, strengths and weaknesses
- 3 things to know
- AS Unit 1
Overview
The chemicals linked to moving from attraction to attachment and the serotonin finding in new lovers, then the approach's methodological and practical strengths, twin studies, and the charges of reductionism and determinism.
What you need to know
Answer each one before you reveal it.
Your recallNot started
Numbers
Which team reported that people newly in love had serotonin levels resembling those of people with obsessive-compulsive disorder?
Evaluation
How do twin studies act as a strength for this approach?
Questions from this subtopic
Each one with the model answer underneath.
- 1
Which chemicals are associated with the shift from attraction to long-term attachment?
Model answer
Oxytocin and vasopressin, which are linked to bonding, trust and maintaining a pair bond.
- 2
Which team reported that people newly in love had serotonin levels resembling those of people with obsessive-compulsive disorder?
Model answer
Marazziti and colleagues (1999).
- 3
Give a methodological strength of the biological approach.
Model answer
It uses objective, measurable and replicable techniques such as PET, fMRI and EEG, which gives it strong scientific credibility.
- 4
Give a practical strength of the biological approach.
Model answer
It has produced effective real-world treatments, such as the drugs that allow many people with severe mental illness to live in the community.
- 5
How do twin studies act as a strength for this approach?
Model answer
Higher concordance rates in monozygotic than dizygotic twins for conditions such as schizophrenia provide empirical support for a genetic contribution to behaviour.
- 6
Explain why the biological approach is criticised as reductionist.
Model answer
It explains complex human experience purely in terms of genes, brain structure and chemicals, ignoring thought, emotion, upbringing and culture.
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