Newstead Wood School Sixth Form

September 2017

Year 2 Psychology

Handbook

“The best years of your life are the ones in which you decide your problems are your own. You do not blame them on your mother, the

ecology, or the president. You realize that you control your own destiny.”

Albert Ellis (1913)

Name__________________________

Welcome to Psychology Year 2 Your psychology teacher can usually be found in the small staff workroom opposite Mr Blount’s office or in the Psychology Classroom (Room 611).

Year 2 Psychology

Advanced Learning in this subject: Psychology is the scientific study of the human mind and behaviour. At Year 2 level it is not enough to simply learn the findings of research. Psychology students actively consider psychology’s practical application in real-life situations and think creatively about alternative ways of investigating psychological events. They are psychologists thinking and working within the field, not simply observing it.

How is Year 2 different from Year 1? At Year 2, there is an expectation that students consolidate and extend their learning by reading around the subject (see reading list) as well as exploring the material covered in lessons. The topics are much more in depth and applied, covering subject areas in more depth and detail than Year 1. The main change at Year 2 is that you will be required to do more extended writing. Questions take the form of anything from multiple choice questions, shorter 6 or 8 mark factual questions, to application questions and essay questions requiring longer, essay-style 16 mark answers requiring in depth explanation and succinct evaluation skills. In addition, in Year 2 more marks are allocated for analysis, evaluation and application than for showing your knowledge and understanding. We study some of the key issues, debates and approaches within Psychology in addition to building upon to Year 1 topics and the following new topics: Relationships, Schizophrenia and Forensic Psychology.

In what different ways will you be expected to work? Psychology students who are passive in lessons often lack the engagement and understanding to perform to a high level in the subject. You will be expected to note-take and take an active role in class discussions. You will be expected to thoroughly consolidate your learning by reading a variety of textbooks and journals relating to class material (see reading list). You will also be expected to regularly complete exam questions both in class and for homework. At the end of each unit there will be an End of Unit assessment sat under exam conditions. This is absolutely essential preparation for your exams and will enable you to see what areas you must work on. You will have to complete independent and group tasks resulting in presentations to the rest of the class.

What do successful learners in this subject do? Successful Psychology students arrive on time and complete all homework on time and to a high standard. They also attend all support sessions as directed. They seek to improve already good work through speaking to staff outside of lessons and developing their work during individual and group support sessions. Successful students attend revision conferences and seek out further reading connected to material covered in class. Students who interact more in class receive higher grades on average than students who are passive in their learning. The best preparation for exams is the completion of AQA (A) Psychology past-papers that can be found on the website:

http://www.aqa.org.uk/qualifications/a-level/science/psychology-a/psychology-a-key-materials

Overview of the Year

Modules

Half Term 1

Approaches in Psychology Issues and Debates in Psychology

Half Term 2

Biopsychology Year 2 content MOCK EXAMS

Half Term 3

Schizophrenia

Half Term 4

Relationships

Half Term 5

Forensic Psychology

Half Term 6

Year 1 and Year 2 Public Exams

August

Results

Specification Overview

AQA A Psychology

Psychology Award 7181/7182

http://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/psychology/as-and-a-level/psychology-7181-7182/specification-at-a-glance Assessments:

Paper 1. Introductory Topics in Psychology

Social Influence

Memory

Attachment

Psychopathology 2 hour written exam, 96 marks in total, 33.3% of total A-Level. All sections will be assessed using multiple choice questions, short answer questions and extended writing questions. Each section is worth 24 marks total.

Paper 2. Psychology in Context

Approaches in Psychology

Biopsychology

Research Methods 2 hour written exam, 96 marks in total, 33.3% of total A-Level. All sections will be assessed using multiple choice questions, short answer questions and extended writing questions. Section A and B are worth 24 marks, Section C (Research Methods) is worth 48 marks.

Paper 3. Issues and Options in Psychology

Relationships Schizophrenia Aggression

2 hour written exam, 96 marks in total, 33.3% of total A-Level. All sections will be assessed using multiple choice questions, short answer questions and extended writing questions. Each section is worth 24 marks total.

Mark scheme for A2

There are three skills that are examined in the A2 exam: AO1: knowledge and understanding (identify, outline, describe, explain)

AO2: application of knowledge (contextualise, apply, research methods)

AO3: evaluation (strengths, limitations, applications, analyse, interpret)

The questions on the exam papers are sometimes separated into their AO1 and AO2/3 components but they can also be combined into 16 mark answers. - Short answers, where only AO1 is being assessed, are generally marked according to how many correct points

are made and whether responses are sufficiently elaborated to meet the marks available. - For longer answers requiring AO1, AO2 and AO3, examiners use mark schemes such as the one below for a 16

mark question:

Assessment Criteria for 16 mark questions

Marks Criteria 13-16 Knowledge is accurate and generally well detailed

Discussion is thorough and evident

The answer is clear, coherent and focused

Specialist terminology is used effectively

Minor detail and/or expansion of argument sometimes lacking

9-12 Knowledge is evident

Discussion is apparent and mostly effective

There are occasional inaccuracies

The answer is mostly clear and organised

Specialist terminology mostly used effectively

Lacks focus in places

5-8 Knowledge is present

Focus is mainly on description

Any discussion is only partly effective

The answer lacks clarity, accuracy and organisation in places.

Specialist terminology used inappropriately on occasions.

1-4 Knowledge is limited

Discussion is limited, poorly focused or absent

The answer as a whole lacks clarity, has many inaccuracies and is poorly organised.

Specialist terminology either absent or inappropriately used

0 No relevant content

Credit only given for evaluation of the methodology used in studies when made relevant to discussion of the psychological effects.

Examples of candidate work marked and annotated by the exam board is available at: http://store.aqa.org.uk/qual/gce/pdf/AQA-2181-W-TRB-CEXWPSYA34.PDF This link provides examples of exam questions together with answers from students of varying abilities. The examiner’s marks are given and reasons provided for their differing marks. N.B. THESE ARE ONLY AVAILABLE FOR THE OLD SPECIFICATION BUT STILL ACT AS A GOOD GUIDE.

Exemplar work

Topic: Aggression

Describe and evaluate the social learning theory of human aggression. [16 marks] Mark scheme Marks for this question: AO1 = 6 and AO3 = 10 Level Marks Description 4 13–16 Knowledge of the social learning theory of aggression is accurate and

generally well detailed. Evaluation is thorough and effective. The answer is clear, coherent and focused. Specialist terminology is used effectively. Minor detail and/or expansion of argument sometimes lacking.

3 9–12 Knowledge of the social learning theory of aggression is evident. Evaluation is apparent and mostly effective. There are occasional inaccuracies. The answer is mostly clear and organised. Specialist terminology mostly used effectively. Lacks focus on aggression in places.

2 5–8 Knowledge of the social learning theory of aggression is present. Focus is mainly on description. Any evaluation is only partly effective. The answer lacks clarity, accuracy and organisation in places. Specialist terminology used inappropriately on occasions.

1 1–4 Knowledge of the social learning theory of aggression is limited. Evaluation is limited, poorly focused or absent. The answer as a whole lacks clarity, has many inaccuracies and is poorly organised. Specialist terminology either absent or inappropriately used.

0 No relevant content. Possible content:

emphasis on learning aggression through observation and imitation of role model

concept of identification and influences on identification – status, attractiveness, similarity etc.

internalisation of aggressive model

modelling of aggression is influenced by observation of consequences – vicarious reinforcement

learning of aggression can be internal, taking place without immediate outward demonstration

concept of self-efficacy – mediational processes, e.g. attention, retention, motivation, and motor

reproduction affect learning, coming between observation of aggressive behaviour and demonstration of that behaviour

credit detail of Bandura’s research on learnt aggression where they contribute to description of theory.

Possible evaluation points:

use of evidence to support/refute the theory of aggression

difficulty demonstrating cause and effect – although the Bandura research was able to control variables

and did demonstrate that aggression was affected by modelling it is difficult to show cause and effect in real life aggression

explains some forms of aggression better than others, e.g. cannot easily explain impulsive aggressive

behaviours

sees behaviour as environmentally determined whereas some behaviour may be innate

mediating cognitive factors have to be inferred so cannot measure extent of their influence

comparison with alternative explanations, e.g. deindividuation or biological approaches.

Credit other relevant evaluation points. Only credit evaluation of the methodology used in studies when made relevant to discussion of the theory of aggression. Response A Social learning theory (SLT) is an approach to explaining aggression that focuses on

environmental influences and argues that we learn aggression from observing and imitating a model.

Like behaviourism, SLT suggests that behaviour that is positively reinforced will be more likely to be

repeated. Social learning theorists also believe that if an individual sees someone else rewarded for a

particular behaviour they are also more likely to imitate the behaviour. This is known as vicarious

reinforcement. With respect to aggression, if a person sees someone else being rewarded (vicarious

reinforcement) for behaving aggressively then that person is more likely to be aggressive themselves in

the future.

According to SLT behaviour is not automatically imitated but it depends on mediating

cognitive factors. There are four factors/stages:

Attention – first the child must observe the model aggression and pay attention to the

aggressive acts.

Retention – Then the child stores the information in the LTM and remembers the

aggressive behaviour.

Reproduction – The child must be able to produce the aggressive behaviour, they must

have the skills and capabilities to show aggression.

Motivation – The child is motivated to produce aggression, for example through direct

reinforcements where they learn from the consequences of imitating the aggressive

behaviour or vicarious reinforcement where they learn through the consequences of others

imitating the aggressive behaviour. Psychologist also argue that the model must have similar or high

status in order for child to observe.

To evaluate SLT, it has practical applications because it has been found that aggression

can be learnt through observing and imitating models such as parents. Therefore this can

be used by parents or siblings to show appropriate and calmer behaviour to children so that they can grow

up to become less aggressive. Therefore, the research and the theory are

important in the area of applied psychology. There is empirical evidence to support SLT, for example

Bandura carried out research where children observed an adult model behaving aggressively to a bobo

doll and when the children were then placed in the room with the toys and the bobo doll they too imitated

the aggressive behaviour they had observed. The children in the control group who had observed the adult

in the same room but not behaving aggressively, showed no aggressive behaviour towards the bobo doll.

This offers support to the SLT of aggression by showing under controlled conditions that children do

imitate aggressive behaviours observed.

However, such studies have been criticised. For example, the use of an adult hitting a doll lacks ecological

validity because it is highly unlikely an adult would behave in such a way in real life. Although the

children did imitate this behaviour in Bandura’s study, in real life they may not behave like this and

show the same aggressive behaviour. This is a flaw in the research and weakens the support for SLT.

A further criticism of social learning theory is that it can be seen as environmentally oversimplified, as

it has too much emphasis on the role of nurture (learning) and ignores the role of nature such as biology

(testosterone levels). Research in prisons has shown that prisoners with high testosterone levels are more

likely to have committed violent crimes and are more aggressive in prison, linking aggressive behaviour

to testosterone levels and biology (nature) not nurture (environment). Therefore, a multidimensional

approach should be considered as aggression is a complex behaviour.

Examiner commentary Knowledge of the social learning theory of aggression is generally accurate and well detailed. There is sound knowledge of mediating cognitive factors, vicarious reinforcement and a comparison to the Behaviourist approach. Although there is some detail/expansion missing occasionally e.g. at the end of the description there is a sentence regarding the ‘status’ of the model that needs clarifying – this is unusual in the answer as a whole. The evaluation is reasonably thorough, well-focused and used effectively. There is good expansion of the evaluative points chosen, e.g. with outline of supporting evidence to back-up the points made (e.g. Bandura). The evidence is presented succinctly and used effectively rather than a long description of the study. There are a number of strengths and weaknesses of Social learning theory discussed. The answer is clear, coherent and focused with appropriate use of specialist terminology (e.g. mediating cognitive processes; vicarious reinforcement etc.). This is a Level 4 answer – meeting all the criteria on the mark-scheme for this level. Mark awarded = 14

Expectations in Psychology In order to provide you with the most effective support in your learning, the following processes will be maintained across the department:

- Punctuality: All students are expected to arrive to lessons on time. Any student who is late for the first time will be spoken to by the teacher regarding why they are late. If the student is late for a second time they will not participate in the lesson and will be expected to catch up in their own time.

- Absence: All students should notify their teacher in advance if they know they will be absent from a lesson.

The teacher will organise with the student how to catch up on the work they will miss. If it is an unplanned absence the student should contact the teacher before the next lesson to complete any work missed or ensure they find out the work from another member of the class. Any lessons missed when students have been marked in the register will be followed up by e-mail to the student and parents via SIMS. If absence becomes a reoccurring issue, parents will be directly contacted via telephone.

- Deadlines: Students will always be given sufficient time to complete work and work should be completed to

the given deadline. Students should see the teacher before the work is due in if they are having difficulties and explain why the deadline may not be met, if this is the case. The teacher and student together will decide on the appropriate strategy relevant to the given situation.

- Consequences of missed deadlines: If a deadline is missed and there is no appropriate explanation, students

will not be allowed to participate in the lesson and will be expected to go to the library to complete the work before returning to the lesson. It is then the student’s responsibility to catch up on the class work missed in their own time. If a second deadline is missed the same procedure will be followed and the information will be communicated via e-monitoring to your parents. If deadlines become a reoccurring issue, parents will be directly contacted via telephone.

- Learning Environment: Elements of topics are taught to students by students and therefore every student

should assume responsibility for the learning of their classmates. Class discussions are based on prior learning and independent study – all students should come to the lesson fully prepared in order to be able to engage meaningfully in the lessons. Discussion is encouraged and students are expected to be polite and open-minded, not speaking over any other individuals in the class at any time.

- Study periods and independent study: Students will be set reading and activities prior to a lesson and

should use their independent study time to complete this. Students should also use their independent study time as follows: to consolidate their class notes and make revision notes; to practise exam-style questions and prepare for End of Unite assessments; and to engage in wider reading from a variety of textbooks and other sources. You should expect to spend around 8 hours a week completing Psychology work outside of lessons, regardless of whether specific work has been set. It is very easy to feel overwhelmed by the huge content of Psychology – the best way to overcome this is to be a proactive learner and dedicate time to consolidation and revision of material throughout the course.

- Learning Conversations – you will be given continual feedback about your work and will be encouraged to

ask questions and seek clarification on how to improve. If specific concerns arise, your teacher may ask for you to come and have a chat to discuss concerns and set subject-specific targets to improve.

How we will support you….. Your teacher will provide you with regular feedback regarding your progress and will offer support to ensure you achieve your personal target grade. This support will include:

- constructive comments on your written work - meetings during study periods to clarify and explain ideas - support workshops on exam skills and revision of topic areas (after school).

o N.B. All students are welcome to attend support workshops, however if needed you may be specifically asked to attend in which case it is vital that you assume this opportunity.

-

What to do when stuck…

‘We all make mistakes, but only the wise learn from their mistakes’ Winston Churchill

Class teacher Your teachers are available throughout the day to speak to. A good time to catch your teacher might be after the lesson, at break, lunchtime or after school. They will arrange specific times with you to offer support as it is needed, but you are responsible for your own learning. If you need support, the onus is on you to seek help, which will of course then be provided. If you struggle to catch your teacher then e-mail them to arrange a time to meet/voice your concerns.

Classmates It is highly recommended that you spend time discussing ideas with your classmates, both to help in your collective understanding and to serve as a means for deepening your evaluative involvement in the subject.

Moodle On the Psychology Moodle page you will find past exam papers with mark schemes, powerpoints and lesson handouts, a list of key terms and lots of useful resources. Make sure when you log-on you select the A2 Psychology resources option. Moodle also provides “discussion” forums which you can use to raise and discuss questions relating to the subject.

Support sessions

Support sessions are run throughout the year (both at lunchtime and after school) to support you with developing key skills such as how to structure essays or to revisit particular topics. We will notify you of specific dates and times during the course of the year. If you are seen to be struggling in a specific area or need to catch up on work missed, you may be directed to attend these sessions. In addition, anyone is welcome to attend throughout the year for additional support.

Email Staff will respond to e-mails sent, but it may on occasion take some time, please don’t think you are being ignored.

Mrs Devereux: mdevereux@newsteadwood.bromley.sch.uk

Leadership and Enrichment opportunities

Become an active member of the Psychology Society

Teach your peers and students in other years (opportunities throughout the year)

Support the department in developing learning and resources

Attend lectures by external speakers and trips arranged to enrich your learning (we hope to attend the Zimbardo conference costing approximately £25)

Become a Student Subject Leader

We also like to encourage you to use your initiative and be proactive, so if you have an idea regarding an enrichment or leadership opportunity, come and speak to us to see how you can take this forward.

Resources and Equipment

Textbook: The Complete Companion for AQA Psychology A Level: Year 2 Student Book: A Level and

Year 2 Mike Cardwell and Cara Flanagan. 4th Edition. ISBN: 9780198338680 (Paperback)

Publication Date: July 2016

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Complete-Companion-AQA-Psychology-

Level/dp/0198338686/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_14_img_0?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=QAHAEQSJ0GMHS6B

B0XV4

All students should purchase this book and bring it to their first Psychology lesson.

Resources are also frequently referenced from: AQA Psychology for A-level Year 2

Cara Flanagan, Dave Berry, Matt Jarvis, Rob Liddle

Publisher: Illuminate Publishing. Publication Date: Dec 2015. ISBN: 978-1-908682-41-3

https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/Books/AQA-Psychology-Level-Year-2-Student-Book/1908682418

Other textbooks, journals and reading materials are available in the Library, on Moodle and the Student J Drive or in Room 611. If you are particularly interested in a specific area, ask your teacher as they may

have additional reading that can be provided for you.

Journals

We recommend that you subscribe to a journal that is aimed at A Level Students. A current copy of Psychology Review from Philip Allen Updates is always available in the Reference section of the library. This publication may also be ordered through the department at the beginning of the school year. A letter with subscription details will be given in late September.

Revision Guides

The following are recommendations. Copies of many of these can be found in the library.

‘A2 Psychology Exam Companion for the AQA A Syllabus’ – Clare Charles, Psychology Press, 2010 (ISBN: 978-1-84872-046-6)

‘Psychology A2 - The Exam Companion: Third Edition’ – Cara Flanagan and Mike Cardwell, OUP O

Oxford. (ISBN: 978-0-19-912985-0)

‘Student Support Materials for AQA A2 Psychology Unit3: Relationships– Eleanor Hills (2011) (ISBN: 978-0-00-742161-9)

‘Student Support Materials for AQA A2 Psychology Unit3: Forensic Psychology – Mike Cardwell (2011) (ISBN: 978-0-00-742162-6)

‘Student Support Materials for AQA A2 Psychology Unit 4: Psychopathology – Alison Lee (2011) (ISBN: 978-0-00-741841-1)

Please note that some of these revision guides are not yet updated for the new specification – please check this before purchasing (the specification was updated in 2016).

Useful Links

British Psychological Society Comprehensive resource bank for the study and practice of psychology in the UK

http://www.bps.org.uk/

British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy – with a section for students, including career advice events and membership application

www.bacp.co.uk

Royal College of Psychiatrists with excellent “leaflet”-style resources on many AS and A2 topics

www.rcpsych.ac.uk

American Psychological Association Especially good for coverage of and links to current topics and issues in mental health

www.apa.org

ClickPsych.com very useful links for ‘A’ level Psychology and some brain training games!

http://www.clickpsych.com/

Higher Education Academy – Psychology Network There are resources relating to the AQA A syllabus and a list of general resources about psychology.

http://www.psychology.heacademy.ac.uk//html/a_level_resources.asp

All in the Mind – over 40 recorded 30-minute programmes exploring the limits and potential of the human mind; includes topics such as violent teen behaviour and psychopathic brain/genes on BBC Radio 4 I-Player.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b

006qxx9/episodes/player

Psychlotron Teaching Resource Bank Downloadable lessons/slides/activities relevant to AS and A2 units.

http://www.psychlotron.org.uk/

PsyOnline has a Student Room which contains a large section of links and information linking to the specification.

http://www.psyonline.org.uk/

The PsiCafe This site aims to provide links to good quality websites about psychology.

http://www.psy.pdx.edu/PsiCafe/

Extension Reading

If you are planning to study psychology at university you should be engaging in extended reading over the coming years. Here are some books you may find of interest:

‘The Mind Game’ – Hector McDonald

‘Lord of the Flies’ – William Golding

‘Man’s Search for Meaning’ – Viktor E Frankl

‘Prozac Nation’ – Elizabeth Wurtzel

‘The Lucifer Effect – Understanding How Good People Turn Evil’ – Phillip Zimbardo

‘The Cry for Myth’ – Rollo May

‘The Denial of Death’ – Ernest Becker

Progression Students who have studied Psychology in recent years have gone on to (amongst other things):

What?

Experimental Psychology

Clinical Psychology

Organisational and Social Psychology

Counselling

Teaching

Medicine

Travelling/Gap Year

Neuroscience

Physiotherapy The following link provides more information about possible future careers in psychology: http://www.prospects.ac.uk/options_psychology_job_options.htm If you are considering following a degree in Psychology you should try to ensure you have completed some relevant work experience. Ask your teachers for more advice.

Advice from Former Students Every year the A2 students are asked to evaluate their learning and are asked what advice they would give to students for Psychology. Here is what the A2 students of 2012 said:

“Keep good detailed notes and keep up to date on essay/homework questions”

“Do practice questions when revising for exams.”

“Make sure you can effectively structure an essay. Also see AO2 vocabulary.”

“Consolidate notes as you go and split topics clearly so it is easier to revise.”

“Definitely take it!”

“Your vision will become clear only when you look into your heart. Who looks outside, dreams. Who looks inside, awakens”

C.Jung

Where?

Manchester University

Oxford University

Cambridge University

Lancaster University

Sussex University

Nottingham University

Many more…..