Key term
AQA GCSE Psychology 8182
Memory
Perception
Development
Research Methods
Topic overviewHypotheses and variablesSampling methodsExperimental designs and types of experimentInterviews, questionnaires, case studies and observationsResearch procedures, reliability and validityEthical issues in psychological researchTypes of data, calculations and averagesCorrelation, graphs and the normal distribution
Social Influence
Language, Thought and Communication
Brain and Neuropsychology
Brain and Neuropsychology
- 4 subtopics
- 12 things to know
- Paper 2
What Brain and Neuropsychology covers
Brain and Neuropsychology is examined in Paper 2, Social context and behaviour. It covers the nervous system, fight or flight and the James-Lange theory, neurons, synaptic transmission and Hebb's theory, brain structure, localisation and Penfield's study and brain scanning, Tulving's gold memory study and brain damage.
Where it is assessed
Paper 2
Social context and behaviour, 1 hour 45 minutes and 50% of the GCSE.
Check the AQA specification ↗The 4 subtopics
Each one has its own page.
- The nervous system, fight or flight and the James-Lange theoryThe central and peripheral, somatic and autonomic nervous systems, the sympathetic and parasympathetic branches, the fight or flight response and the James-Lange theory of emotion.Open →
- Neurons, synaptic transmission and Hebb's theorySensory, relay and motor neurons, synaptic transmission and reuptake, excitation and inhibition, and Hebb's theory of learning and neuronal growth.Open →
- Brain structure, localisation and Penfield's studyThe four lobes and the cerebellum, localisation of function, the motor, somatosensory, visual, auditory and language areas, and Penfield's study of the interpretive cortex.Open →
- Brain scanning, Tulving's gold memory study and brain damageCognitive neuroscience, CT, PET and fMRI scans, Tulving's gold memory study, and the effects of a stroke or injury on motor abilities and behaviour.Open →
What you need to know
Answer each one before you reveal it.
Your recallNot started
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What does Hebb's theory of learning and neuronal growth claim?
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Describe the method of Penfield's study.
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Describe the method of Tulving's 'gold' memory study.
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What did Tulving find in his 'gold' memory study?
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What are the two main divisions of the human nervous system?
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Describe the basic structure of a neuron.
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What are the main functions of the frontal lobe?
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What makes up the central nervous system, and what does it do?
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What does a sensory neuron do?
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What are the main functions of the temporal lobe?
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What is cognitive neuroscience?
Take Brain and Neuropsychology further
The same content, four other ways.
Commonly confused
Pairs that lose marks when they are blurred together.
Central nervous system vs Peripheral nervous system
Central nervous system: the brain and the spinal cord. Peripheral nervous system: the nerves outside the brain and spinal cord.
Somatic nervous system vs Autonomic nervous system
Somatic nervous system: the division controlling voluntary movement of the skeletal muscles. Autonomic nervous system: the division controlling involuntary functions such as heart rate and digestion.
Sympathetic nervous system vs Parasympathetic nervous system
Sympathetic nervous system: the branch that arouses the body for fight or flight. Parasympathetic nervous system: the branch that calms the body and restores a resting state.
Questions from this topic
Each one with the model answer underneath.
- 1
What are the two main divisions of the human nervous system?
Model answer
The two main divisions are the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system.
- 2
What makes up the central nervous system, and what does it do?
Model answer
The central nervous system is the brain and the spinal cord. The CNS processes incoming information and decides how the body should respond.
- 3
What does the peripheral nervous system do?
Model answer
The peripheral nervous system carries messages between the central nervous system and the rest of the body. The PNS divides into the somatic and autonomic nervous systems.
- 4
What does the somatic nervous system do?
Model answer
The somatic nervous system controls voluntary movement of the skeletal muscles. The somatic system also carries information from the sense organs to the CNS.
- 5
What does the autonomic nervous system do?
Model answer
The autonomic nervous system controls involuntary functions such as heart rate, breathing and digestion. The autonomic system works automatically, without conscious effort.
- 6
What are the two branches of the autonomic nervous system?
Model answer
The sympathetic branch arouses the body and triggers the fight or flight response. The parasympathetic branch calms the body and returns it to a resting state.
What is inside Levo
Six ways to work the same material.
Brain and Neuropsychology revision questions
- What does Brain and Neuropsychology cover in AQA GCSE Psychology?
- 4 subtopics: the nervous system, fight or flight and the james-lange theory, neurons, synaptic transmission and hebb's theory, brain structure, localisation and penfield's study and brain scanning, tulving's gold memory study and brain damage. Each one has its own page with questions and model answers.
- How is Brain and Neuropsychology organised?
- By the AQA 8182 specification, subtopic by subtopic, so it matches the order you are taught it in.
Every question in Brain and Neuropsychology, 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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