Specifications that use this resource:

AS and A-level Psychology 7181; 7182

Switching to AQA: from Edexcel

To save you time and help you compare our A-level Psychology with the Edexcel specification, we’ve created some comparison tables.

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For further information and resources, head to the subject pages of our new A-level Psychology specification.

Assessment structure

Paper 1

AQA – A-level Psychology	Edexcel – A-level Psychology
Introductory topics in psychology	Foundations in psychology
Written exam	Written exam
2 hours	2 hours
96 marks (33.3% of A-level)	90 marks (35% of A-level)

Paper 2

AQA – A-level Psychology	Edexcel – A-level Psychology
Psychology in context	Applications of psychology
Written exam	Written exam
2 hours	2 hours
96 marks (33.3% of A-level)	90 marks (35% of A-level)

Paper 3

AQA – A-level Psychology	Edexcel – A-level Psychology
Issues and options in psychology	Psychological skills
Written exam	Written exam
2 hours	2 hours
96 marks (33.3% of A-level)	80 marks (30% of A-level)

Subject content

Paper 1

AQA – A-level Psychology	Edexcel – A-level Psychology
1. Social influence 1.1 Types of conformity 1.2 Conformity to social roles 1.3 Explanations for obedience 1.4 Explanations of resistance to social influence 1.5 Minority influence 1.6 Role of social influence in social change 2. Memory 2.1 Multi-store model of memory 2.2 Long term memory 2.3 Working memory model 2.4 Forgetting 2.5 Factors affecting accuracy of eye witness testimony 2.6 Improving the accuracy of eye witness testimony 3. Attachment 3.1 Caregiver-infant interactions 3.2 Animal studies of attachment 3.3 Explanations of attachment 3.4 Ainsworth’s Strange Situation 3.5 Bowlby’s theory of maternal deprivation 3.6 Influence of early attachment on childhood and adult relationships 4. Psychopathology 4.1 Definitions of abnormality 4.2 Behavioural, emotion and cognitive characteristics of phobias, depression and OCD 4.3 Behavioural approach to explaining and treating phobias 4.4 Cognitive approach to explaining and treating depression 4.5 Biological approach to explaining and treating OCD	For each of the topics students need to know: 1.1 Content (see detail) 1.2 Methods 1.3 Studies (one classic study and one contemporary study) 1.4 Key questions – one key question of relevance to today’s society, discussed as a contemporary issue for society rather than an academic argument 1.5 Practical investigation – one practical research exercise to gather data relevant to topics covered 1.6 Issues and debates 1. Social psychology 1.1 Content 1.1.1 Theories of obedience 1.1.2 Research into obedience 1.1.3 Factors affecting obedience 1.1.4 Explanations and research into prejudice 1.1.5 Factors affecting prejudice 1.1.6 Individual differences in obedience/prejudice 1.1.7 Developmental Psychology in obedience/prejudice 1.2 Methods 1.3 Studies 1.4 Key questions 1.5 Practical investigation 1.6 Issues and debates 2. Cognitive psychology 2.1 Content 2.1.1 The working memory model 2.1.2 The multi-store model of memory 2.1.3 Explanation of long-term memory 2.1.4 Reconstructive memory 2.1.5 Individual differences in memory 2.1.6 Developmental Psychology in memory 2.2 Methods 2.3 Studies 2.4 Key questions 2.5 Practical investigation 2.6 Issues and debates 3. Biological psychology 3.1 Content 3.1.1 The central nervous system 3.1.2 The effects of recreational drugs on the transmission process in the central nervous system 3.1.3 The structure of the brain 3.1.4 The role of evolution and natural selection to explain human behaviour, including aggression 3.1.5 Biological explanations of aggression as an alternative to Freud’s psychodynamic explanation 3.1.6 The role of hormones to explain human behaviour such as aggression 3.1.7 Individual differences 3.1.8 Developmental psychology (role of evolution in human development/the role of hormones in human development) 3.2 Methods 3.3 Studies 3.4 Key questions 3.5 Practical investigation 3.6 Issues and debates 4. Learning theories 4.1 Content 4.1.1 The main features of classical conditioning 4.1.2 Pavlov (1972) experiment with salivation in dogs 4.1.3 The main features of operate conditioning 4.1.4 Properties of reinforcement 4.1.5 Behaviour modification 4.1.6 The main features of social learning theory 4.1.7 Social learning 'stages' of attention, retention, reproduction and motivation (reinforcement) 4.1.8 Bandura (1961, 1963) original Bobo doll experiment 4.1.9 Bandura (1965) Bobo doll experiment with vicarious reinforcement 4.1.10 How learning theories explain the maintenance and acquisition of phobias 4.1.11 Treatments for phobias 4.1.12 Individual differences 4.1.13 Development Psychology 4.2 Methods 4.3 Studies 4.4 Key questions 4.5 Practical investigation 4.6 Issues and debates

AQA – A-level Psychology

Edexcel – A-level Psychology

1. Social influence

1.1 Types of conformity
1.2 Conformity to social roles
1.3 Explanations for obedience
1.4 Explanations of resistance to social influence
1.5 Minority influence
1.6 Role of social influence in social change

2. Memory

2.1 Multi-store model of memory
2.2 Long term memory
2.3 Working memory model
2.4 Forgetting
2.5 Factors affecting accuracy of eye witness testimony
2.6 Improving the accuracy of eye witness testimony

3. Attachment

3.1 Caregiver-infant interactions
3.2 Animal studies of attachment
3.3 Explanations of attachment
3.4 Ainsworth’s Strange Situation
3.5 Bowlby’s theory of maternal deprivation
3.6 Influence of early attachment on childhood and adult relationships

4. Psychopathology

4.1 Definitions of abnormality
4.2 Behavioural, emotion and cognitive characteristics of phobias, depression and OCD
4.3 Behavioural approach to explaining and treating phobias
4.4 Cognitive approach to explaining and treating depression
4.5 Biological approach to explaining and treating OCD

For each of the topics students need to know:

1.1 Content (see detail)
1.2 Methods
1.3 Studies (one classic study and one contemporary study)
1.4 Key questions – one key question of relevance to today’s society, discussed as a contemporary issue for society rather than an academic argument
1.5 Practical investigation – one practical research exercise to gather data relevant to topics covered
1.6 Issues and debates

1. Social psychology

1.1 Content
1.1.1 Theories of obedience
1.1.2 Research into obedience
1.1.3 Factors affecting obedience
1.1.4 Explanations and research into prejudice
1.1.5 Factors affecting prejudice
1.1.6 Individual differences in obedience/prejudice
1.1.7 Developmental Psychology in obedience/prejudice

1.2 Methods
1.3 Studies
1.4 Key questions
1.5 Practical investigation
1.6 Issues and debates

2. Cognitive psychology

2.1 Content
2.1.1 The working memory model
2.1.2 The multi-store model of memory
2.1.3 Explanation of long-term memory
2.1.4 Reconstructive memory
2.1.5 Individual differences in memory
2.1.6 Developmental Psychology in memory

2.2 Methods
2.3 Studies
2.4 Key questions
2.5 Practical investigation
2.6 Issues and debates

3. Biological psychology

3.1 Content
3.1.1 The central nervous system
3.1.2 The effects of recreational drugs on the transmission process in the central nervous system
3.1.3 The structure of the brain
3.1.4 The role of evolution and natural selection to explain human behaviour, including aggression
3.1.5 Biological explanations of aggression as an alternative to Freud’s psychodynamic explanation
3.1.6 The role of hormones to explain human behaviour such as aggression
3.1.7 Individual differences
3.1.8 Developmental psychology (role of evolution in human development/the role of hormones in human development)

3.2 Methods
3.3 Studies
3.4 Key questions
3.5 Practical investigation
3.6 Issues and debates

4. Learning theories

4.1 Content
4.1.1 The main features of classical conditioning
4.1.2 Pavlov (1972) experiment with salivation in dogs
4.1.3 The main features of operate conditioning
4.1.4 Properties of reinforcement
4.1.5 Behaviour modification
4.1.6 The main features of social learning theory
4.1.7 Social learning 'stages' of attention, retention, reproduction and motivation (reinforcement)
4.1.8 Bandura (1961, 1963) original Bobo doll experiment
4.1.9 Bandura (1965) Bobo doll experiment with vicarious reinforcement
4.1.10 How learning theories explain the maintenance and acquisition of phobias
4.1.11 Treatments for phobias
4.1.12 Individual differences
4.1.13 Development Psychology

4.2 Methods
4.3 Studies
4.4 Key questions
4.5 Practical investigation
4.6 Issues and debates

Paper 2

AQA – A-level Psychology	Edexcel – A-level Psychology
5. Approaches in psychology 5.1 Learning approach 5.2 Cognitive approach 5.3 Biological approach 5.4 Psychodynamic approach 5.5 Humanistic psychology 5.6 Comparison of approaches 6. Biopsychology 6.1 Divisions of the nervous system 6.2 Structure and functions of neurons and synaptic transmission 6.3 Endocrine system 6.4 Fight or flight response 6.5 Localisation of function in the brain 6.6 Ways of studying the brain 6.7 Biological rhythms 7. Research methods Research methods: Experimental method: lab and field, natural and quasi experiments Observational techniques: Naturalistic, controlled, overt, covert, participant Self-report: questionnaires and interviews Correlations: analysis of the relationship between co-variables Content analysis Case studies Scientific processes: Aims Hypotheses: directional and non-directional Sampling: random, systematic, stratified, opportunity, volunteer Pilot studies Experimental designs: Independent measures, repeated measures and matched pairs designs Observational design: behavioural categories, time and event sampling Variables: independent and dependent, extraneous variables, operationalisation of variables Control: standardisation, counterbalancing and randomisation Demand characteristics and investigator effects Ethics Peer review Implications of psychological research for the economy Reliability: across all methods; test-retest and inter-rater reliability Validity: across all methods; face validity, concurrent validity, ecological validity and temporal validity Features of science: objectivity, empirical method, replicability and falsifiability, theory construction, hypothesis testing, paradigms and paradigms shifts Reporting psychological investigations: abstract, introduction, method, results, discussion and referencing Data handling and analysis: Quantitative and qualitative data Primary and secondary data: including meta-analysis Descriptive statistics: measures of central tendency, measures of dispersion, percentages and positive, negative and zero correlations Graphs and charts Distributions: normal and skewed Correlation co-efficient Levels of measurement: nominal, ordinal and interval Content analysis and coding: thematic analysis Inferential testing: Sign test Probability and significance: Statistical tables and critical values, Type I and Types II errors When to use the following tests: Spearman's rho Pearson's r Wilcoxon, Mann-Whitney related t-test unrelated t-test Chi-square test	Mandatory content: topic 5; Clinical Psychology Optional topics (student must study one): criminological psychology, child psychology, health psychology For each of the topics students need to know: Content (see detail) Methods Studies (one classic study and one contemporary study) Key questions – one key question of relevance to today’s society, discussed as a contemporary issue for society rather than an academic argument Practical investigation – one practical research exercise to gather data relevant to topics covered Issues and debates 5. Clinical psychology 5.1 Content 5.1.1 Diagnosis of mental disorders 5.1.2 Classification systems 5.1.3 Schizophrenia and one other disorder from anorexia nervosa, obsessive-compulsive disorder and unipolar depression for schizophrenia Description of symptoms and features The function of neurotransmitters as a theory/explanation One other biological theory/explanation One non-biological theory/explanation For the other disorder chosen: Description of symptoms and features Two explanations: one biological and one non-biological 5.1.4 For schizophrenia and the other disorder – two treatments for each disorder (must come from different topic areas) 5.1.5 Individual differences 5.1.6 Developmental psychology 5.2 Methods 5.3 Studies 5.4 Key questions 5.5 Practical investigation 5.6 Issues and debates Optional topics: Criminological psychology: biological and social explanations of crime, cognitive interview technique, treatments, eye witness testimony and jury decision making Child psychology: attachment, day care, cross-cultural research and autism Health psychology: drug taking, explanations and treatments 6. Criminal psychology 6.1 Content: Explanations of crime and anti-social behaviour, with consideration given to gender differences 6.1.1 Biological explanations 6.1.2 Social explanations 6.1.3 Cognitive interview and ethical interview techniques 6.1.4 The use of psychological formulation - Two treatments for offenders 6.1.5 One cognitive – behavioural treatment 6.1.6 One biological treatment 6.1.7 Factors influencing eye witness testimony 6.1.8 Factors influencing jury decision making 6.1.9 Individual differences 6.1.10 Developmental Psychology 6.2 Methods 6.3 Studies 6.4 Key questions 6.5 Practical investigation 6.6 Issues and debates 7. Child psychology 7.1 Content 7.1.1 Bowlby’s work on attachment 7.1.2 Ainsworth’s work on attachment 7.1.3 Research into deprivation 7.1.4 research into privation 7.1.5 Research into day care 7.1.6 Criss-cultural research into attachment types 7.1.7 Autism 7.1.8 Individual differences 7.1.9 Developmental Psychology 7.2 Methods 7.3 Studies 7.4 Key questions 7.5 Practical investigation 7.6 Issues and debates 8. Health psychology 8.1 Content 8.1.1 Issues around drug taking 8.1.2 One biological explanation each for alcohol, heroin and nicotine 8.1.3 One learning explanation for alcohol, heroin and nicotine 8.1.4 Two treatments for alcohol, heroin and nicotine addiction 8.1.5 One anti-drug campaign 8.1.6 Individual differences 8.1.7 Developmental Psychology 8.2 Methods 8.3 Studies 8.4 Key questions 8.5 Practical investigation 8.6 Issues and debates

AQA – A-level Psychology

Edexcel – A-level Psychology

5. Approaches in psychology

5.1 Learning approach
5.2 Cognitive approach
5.3 Biological approach
5.4 Psychodynamic approach
5.5 Humanistic psychology
5.6 Comparison of approaches

6. Biopsychology

6.1 Divisions of the nervous system
6.2 Structure and functions of neurons and synaptic transmission
6.3 Endocrine system
6.4 Fight or flight response
6.5 Localisation of function in the brain
6.6 Ways of studying the brain
6.7 Biological rhythms

7. Research methods

Research methods:

Experimental method: lab and field, natural and quasi experiments
Observational techniques: Naturalistic, controlled, overt, covert, participant
Self-report: questionnaires and interviews
Correlations: analysis of the relationship between co-variables
Content analysis
Case studies

Scientific processes:

Aims
Hypotheses: directional and non-directional
Sampling: random, systematic, stratified, opportunity, volunteer
Pilot studies
Experimental designs: Independent measures, repeated measures and matched pairs designs
Observational design: behavioural categories, time and event sampling
Variables: independent and dependent, extraneous variables, operationalisation of variables
Control: standardisation, counterbalancing and randomisation
Demand characteristics and investigator effects
Ethics
Peer review
Implications of psychological research for the economy
Reliability: across all methods; test-retest and inter-rater reliability
Validity: across all methods; face validity, concurrent validity, ecological validity and temporal validity
Features of science: objectivity, empirical method, replicability and falsifiability, theory construction, hypothesis testing, paradigms and paradigms shifts
Reporting psychological investigations: abstract, introduction, method, results, discussion and referencing

Data handling and analysis:

Quantitative and qualitative data
Primary and secondary data: including meta-analysis
Descriptive statistics: measures of central tendency, measures of dispersion, percentages and positive, negative and zero correlations
Graphs and charts
Distributions: normal and skewed
Correlation co-efficient
Levels of measurement: nominal, ordinal and interval
Content analysis and coding: thematic analysis

Inferential testing:

Sign test
Probability and significance: Statistical tables and critical values, Type I and Types II errors

When to use the following tests:

Spearman's rho
Pearson's r
Wilcoxon, Mann-Whitney
related t-test
unrelated t-test
Chi-square test

Mandatory content: topic 5; Clinical Psychology

Optional topics (student must study one): criminological psychology, child psychology, health psychology

For each of the topics students need to know:

Content (see detail)
Methods
Studies (one classic study and one contemporary study)
Key questions – one key question of relevance to today’s society, discussed as a contemporary issue for society rather than an academic argument
Practical investigation – one practical research exercise to gather data relevant to topics covered
Issues and debates

5. Clinical psychology

5.1 Content
5.1.1 Diagnosis of mental disorders
5.1.2 Classification systems
5.1.3

Schizophrenia and one other disorder from anorexia nervosa, obsessive-compulsive disorder and unipolar depression for schizophrenia
Description of symptoms and features
The function of neurotransmitters as a theory/explanation
One other biological theory/explanation
One non-biological theory/explanation

For the other disorder chosen:

Description of symptoms and features
Two explanations: one biological and one non-biological

5.1.4 For schizophrenia and the other disorder – two treatments for each disorder (must come from different topic areas)
5.1.5 Individual differences
5.1.6 Developmental psychology

5.2 Methods
5.3 Studies
5.4 Key questions
5.5 Practical investigation
5.6 Issues and debates

Optional topics:

Criminological psychology: biological and social explanations of crime, cognitive interview technique, treatments, eye witness testimony and jury decision making
Child psychology: attachment, day care, cross-cultural research and autism
Health psychology: drug taking, explanations and treatments

6. Criminal psychology

6.1 Content: Explanations of crime and anti-social behaviour, with consideration given to gender differences
6.1.1 Biological explanations
6.1.2 Social explanations
6.1.3 Cognitive interview and ethical interview techniques
6.1.4 The use of psychological formulation - Two treatments for offenders
6.1.5 One cognitive – behavioural treatment
6.1.6 One biological treatment
6.1.7 Factors influencing eye witness testimony
6.1.8 Factors influencing jury decision making
6.1.9 Individual differences
6.1.10 Developmental Psychology

6.2 Methods
6.3 Studies
6.4 Key questions
6.5 Practical investigation
6.6 Issues and debates

7. Child psychology

7.1 Content
7.1.1 Bowlby’s work on attachment
7.1.2 Ainsworth’s work on attachment
7.1.3 Research into deprivation
7.1.4 research into privation
7.1.5 Research into day care
7.1.6 Criss-cultural research into attachment types
7.1.7 Autism
7.1.8 Individual differences
7.1.9 Developmental Psychology

7.2 Methods
7.3 Studies
7.4 Key questions
7.5 Practical investigation
7.6 Issues and debates

8. Health psychology

8.1 Content
8.1.1 Issues around drug taking
8.1.2 One biological explanation each for alcohol, heroin and nicotine
8.1.3 One learning explanation for alcohol, heroin and nicotine
8.1.4 Two treatments for alcohol, heroin and nicotine addiction
8.1.5 One anti-drug campaign
8.1.6 Individual differences
8.1.7 Developmental Psychology

8.2 Methods
8.3 Studies
8.4 Key questions
8.5 Practical investigation
8.6 Issues and debates

Paper 3

AQA – A-level Psychology	Edexcel – A-level Psychology
8. Issues and debates in psychology 8.1 Gender and culture in psychology 8.2 Free will and determinism 8.3 Nature-nurture debate 8.4 Holism and reductionism 8.5 Idiographic and nomothetic approaches 8.6 Ethical implications and social sensitivity Option 1 – choose one from: 9. Relationships 9.1 Evolutionary explanations for partner preference 9.2 Factors affecting attraction 9.3 Theories of romantic relationships 9.4 Virtual relationships in social media 9.5 Parasocial relationships 10. Gender 10.1 Sex and gender 10.2 Role of chromosomes and hormones 10.3 Cognitive explanations of gender development 10.4 Psychodynamic explanations of gender development 10.5 Social learning theory as applied to gender development 11.Cognition and development 11.1 Piaget 11.2 Vygotsky 11.3 Bailliargeon 11.4 The development of social cognition Option 2 – choose one from: 12. Schizophrenia 12.1 Classification of schizophrenia 12.2 Biological explanations of schizophrenia 12.3 Psychological explanations of schizophrenia 12.4 Drug therapy 12.5 Cognitive behavioural therapy 12.6 Interactionist approach 13. Eating behaviour 13.1 Explanations for food preferences 13.2 Neural and hormonal mechanisms involved in controlling eating behaviour 13.3 Biological explanations for anorexia nervosa 13.4 Psychological explanations for anorexia nervosa 13.5 Biological explanations for obesity 13.6 Psychological explanations for obesity 14. Stress 14.1 The physiology of stress 14.2 Role of stress in illness 14.3 Measuring stress 14.4 Individual differences in stress 14.5 Managing and coping with stress Option 3 – choose one from: 15. Aggression 15.1 Neural and hormonal mechanisms in aggressions 15.2 The ethological explanation on aggression 15.3 Social psychological explanations of aggression 15.4 Institutional aggression 15.5 Media influences on aggression 16. Forensic psychology 16.1 Problems in defining and measuring crime 16.2 Offender profiling 16.3 Biological explanations of offending behaviour 16.4 Psychological explanations of offending behaviour 16.5 Dealing with offending behaviour 17. Addiction 17.1 Describing addiction: physical and psychological dependence 17.2 Risk factors in the development of addiction 17.3 Explanations for nicotine addiction 17.4 Explanations for gambling addiction 17.5 Reducing addiction 17.6 Application of the theory of planned behaviour and Prochaska’s six-stage model of behaviour change	9. Psychological skills 9.1 Methods 9.2 Synoptic review of studies 9.3 Issues and debates Methods: Types of data: qualitative and quantitative data; primary and secondary data. Sampling techniques: random, stratified, volunteer and opportunity. Experimental/research designs: independent groups, repeated measures and matched pairs. Hypotheses: null, alternate, experimental; directional and non-directional. Questionnaires and interviews: open, closed (including ranked scale questions); structured, semi-structured and unstructured interviews; self-report data. Experiments: laboratory and field; independent and dependent variables. Observations: tallying; event and time sampling; covert, overt, participant, non-participant; structured observations; naturalistic observations. Additional research methods and techniques: twin and adoption studies, animal experiments, case studies as used in different areas of psychology, scanning (CAT, PET, fMRI), content analysis, correlational research, longitudinal and cross sectional, cross-cultural and meta-analysis. Control issues: counterbalancing, order effects, experimenter effects, social desirability, demand characteristics, participant variables, situational variables, extraneous variables, confounding variables, operationalisation of variables. Descriptive statistics: Measures of central tendency, frequency tables, graphs (bar chart, histogram, scatter diagram), normal distribution (including standard deviation), skewed distribution, sense checking data, measures of dispersion (range, standard deviation). Produce, handle, interpret data-including drawing comparisons (eg between means of two sets of data). Students do not need to know formulae but are expected to be competent in simple mathematical steps. Inferential statistics: Decision making and interpretation. Levels of measurement. Appropriate choice of statistical test. The criteria for and use of Mann-Whitney U, Wilcoxon, Spearman’s, chi squared (for difference) tests. Directional and non-directional testing. Use of critical value tables, one- and two-tailed testing. Levels of significance, including knowledge of standard statistical terminology such as p equal to or greater than (eg p≤.05). Rejecting hypotheses. Type I and type II errors. The relationship between significance levels and p values. Observed and critical values. Methodological issues: validity (internal, predictive, ecological), reliability, generalisability, objectivity, subjectivity (researcher bias), credibility. Analysis of qualitative data: thematic analysis and grounded theory. Conventions of published psychological research: abstract, introduction, aims and hypotheses, method, results, discussion; the process of peer review. Ethical issues in research using humans: BPS Code of Ethics and Conduct, 2009, including risk assessment when carrying out research in psychology. Ethical issues in research using animals: Scientific Procedures Act 1986 and Home Office regulations. Synoptic review of studies: Draw on and compare studies from the classic study section throughout the qualification. Review synoptically the classic studies of psychology in terms of issues and debates. Use principles of understanding, evaluation and synopticity on unseen material. Issues and debates: Ethical issues in research (animal and human). Practical issues in the design and implementation of research. Reductionism in the explanation of behaviour. Comparisons of ways of explaining behaviour using different themes. Psychology as a science. Cultural and gender issues in psychological research. The role of both nature and nurture in psychology. An understanding of how psychological understanding has developed over time. The use of psychology in social control. The use of psychological knowledge in society. Issues related to socially-sensitive research.

AQA – A-level Psychology

Edexcel – A-level Psychology

8. Issues and debates in psychology

8.1 Gender and culture in psychology
8.2 Free will and determinism
8.3 Nature-nurture debate
8.4 Holism and reductionism
8.5 Idiographic and nomothetic approaches
8.6 Ethical implications and social sensitivity

Option 1 – choose one from:

9. Relationships

9.1 Evolutionary explanations for partner preference
9.2 Factors affecting attraction
9.3 Theories of romantic relationships
9.4 Virtual relationships in social media
9.5 Parasocial relationships

10. Gender

10.1 Sex and gender
10.2 Role of chromosomes and hormones
10.3 Cognitive explanations of gender development
10.4 Psychodynamic explanations of gender development
10.5 Social learning theory as applied to gender development

11.Cognition and development

11.1 Piaget
11.2 Vygotsky
11.3 Bailliargeon
11.4 The development of social cognition

Option 2 – choose one from:

12. Schizophrenia

12.1 Classification of schizophrenia
12.2 Biological explanations of schizophrenia
12.3 Psychological explanations of schizophrenia
12.4 Drug therapy
12.5 Cognitive behavioural therapy
12.6 Interactionist approach

13. Eating behaviour

13.1 Explanations for food preferences
13.2 Neural and hormonal mechanisms involved in controlling eating behaviour
13.3 Biological explanations for anorexia nervosa
13.4 Psychological explanations for anorexia nervosa
13.5 Biological explanations for obesity
13.6 Psychological explanations for obesity

14. Stress

14.1 The physiology of stress
14.2 Role of stress in illness
14.3 Measuring stress
14.4 Individual differences in stress
14.5 Managing and coping with stress

Option 3 – choose one from:

15. Aggression

15.1 Neural and hormonal mechanisms in aggressions
15.2 The ethological explanation on aggression
15.3 Social psychological explanations of aggression
15.4 Institutional aggression
15.5 Media influences on aggression

16. Forensic psychology

16.1 Problems in defining and measuring crime
16.2 Offender profiling
16.3 Biological explanations of offending behaviour
16.4 Psychological explanations of offending behaviour
16.5 Dealing with offending behaviour

17. Addiction

17.1 Describing addiction: physical and psychological dependence
17.2 Risk factors in the development of addiction
17.3 Explanations for nicotine addiction
17.4 Explanations for gambling addiction
17.5 Reducing addiction
17.6 Application of the theory of planned behaviour and Prochaska’s six-stage model of behaviour change

9. Psychological skills

9.1 Methods
9.2 Synoptic review of studies
9.3 Issues and debates

Methods:

Types of data: qualitative and quantitative data; primary and secondary data.
Sampling techniques: random, stratified, volunteer and opportunity.
Experimental/research designs: independent groups, repeated measures and matched pairs.
Hypotheses: null, alternate, experimental; directional and non-directional.
Questionnaires and interviews: open, closed (including ranked scale questions); structured, semi-structured and unstructured interviews; self-report data.
Experiments: laboratory and field; independent and dependent variables.
Observations: tallying; event and time sampling; covert, overt, participant, non-participant; structured observations; naturalistic observations.
Additional research methods and techniques: twin and adoption studies, animal experiments, case studies as used in different areas of psychology, scanning (CAT, PET, fMRI), content analysis, correlational research, longitudinal and cross sectional, cross-cultural and meta-analysis.
Control issues: counterbalancing, order effects, experimenter effects, social desirability, demand characteristics, participant variables, situational variables, extraneous variables, confounding variables, operationalisation of variables.

Descriptive statistics:

Measures of central tendency, frequency tables, graphs (bar chart, histogram, scatter diagram), normal distribution (including standard deviation), skewed distribution, sense checking data, measures of dispersion (range, standard deviation).
Produce, handle, interpret data-including drawing comparisons (eg between means of two sets of data).
Students do not need to know formulae but are expected to be competent in simple mathematical steps.

Inferential statistics:

Decision making and interpretation.
- Levels of measurement.
- Appropriate choice of statistical test. The criteria for and use of Mann-Whitney U, Wilcoxon, Spearman’s, chi squared (for difference) tests. Directional and non-directional testing.
- Use of critical value tables, one- and two-tailed testing.
- Levels of significance, including knowledge of standard statistical terminology such as p equal to or greater than (eg p≤.05). Rejecting hypotheses. Type I and type II errors. The relationship between significance levels and p values.
- Observed and critical values.
Methodological issues: validity (internal, predictive, ecological), reliability, generalisability, objectivity, subjectivity (researcher bias), credibility.
Analysis of qualitative data: thematic analysis and grounded theory.
Conventions of published psychological research: abstract, introduction, aims and hypotheses, method, results, discussion; the process of peer review.
Ethical issues in research using humans: BPS Code of Ethics and Conduct, 2009, including risk assessment when carrying out research in psychology.
Ethical issues in research using animals: Scientific Procedures Act 1986 and Home Office regulations.

Synoptic review of studies:

Draw on and compare studies from the classic study section throughout the qualification.
Review synoptically the classic studies of psychology in terms of issues and debates.
Use principles of understanding, evaluation and synopticity on unseen material.

Issues and debates:

Ethical issues in research (animal and human).
Practical issues in the design and implementation of research.
Reductionism in the explanation of behaviour.
Comparisons of ways of explaining behaviour using different themes.
Psychology as a science.
Cultural and gender issues in psychological research.
The role of both nature and nurture in psychology.
An understanding of how psychological understanding has developed over time.
The use of psychology in social control.
The use of psychological knowledge in society.

Issues related to socially-sensitive research.

Specifications that use this resource:

AS and A-level Psychology 7181; 7182