HOME: 'AS' PSYCHOLOGY: 'AS' PSYCHIOLOGY TEACHING GUIDE CONTENTS

'AS' Psychology Teaching Guide
Morag Chase and Grahame Hill

Contents:

‘AS’ Psychology Teaching Guide: Introduction

• Format of the Book
• Links to Edexcel Specification
• Who is the Book for?
• What are the Key Teaching Strategies?
• Timing
• Differentiation
• Use of ICT
• General Objectives for Teachers of AS Level Psychology
• Lesson Plan

Unit 1: Cognitive, Social and Development Processes

• The Cognitive Approach
  • Key Assumptions of the Cognitive Approach
    • The Brain–computer Analogy
    • Humans are Information Processors, Receiving, Interpreting and Responding to Information
  • Methods Used in the Cognitive Approach
  • Case Studies of Brain-damaged Patients
  • Experiments
  • In-depth Area of Study: Memory
    • The Multi-store Model
    • Sensory Memory
    • Short-Term Memory (STM)
    • Long-Term Memory (LTM)
    • The Levels of Processing Model – Craik and Lockhart (1972)
  • In-depth Area of Study: Forgetting
  • Trace Decay
  • Cue-dependent Forgetting
  • Repression (Motivated Forgetting)
  • Studies in Detail
    • Craik and Tulving (1975) Depth of Processing and the Retention of Words in Episodic Memory
    • Loftus and Palmer (1974) Reconstruction of Automobile Destruction: An Example of the Interaction Between Language and Memory
    • Bower, G. H. (1972) Mental Imagery and Associative Learning
  • Key Application: How Accurate is Eyewitness Testimony?
    • Research Into Eyewitness Testimony
  • The Application of Cognitive Concepts to Explain a Contemporary Issue
    • The Debate Over Recovered Memory Versus False Memory Syndrome
    • The Debate Over the Similarities and Differences Between the Brain and a Computer
• The Social Approach
  • Key Assumptions of the Social Approach
    • The Influence of the Physical Presence of Individuals or Groups
    • The Implicit Influence of Culture and Society
  • Methods Used in the Social Approach
  • Surveys
  • Field Experiments
  • In-depth Area of Study: Obedience
    • Milgram’s Study of Obedience
    • Hofling et al’s Study of Obedience
    • Milgram’s Agency Theory of Obedience
    • Applications
    • Social Power Explanations of Obedience
    • Applications
  • In-depth Area of Study: Prejudice
    • Social Identity Theory of Prejudice
    • Stereotyping
    • Studies in Detail
    • Milgram’s (1963) Behavioural Study of Obedience
    • Evaluation of the Study
    • Hofling et al’s (1966) Study of Obedience
  • Key Application: The Reduction of Prejudice
  • The Application of Social Concepts to Explain a Contemporary Issue
  • The Debate Over Hypnosis as a Social (as Opposed to a Physiological) Phenomenon
  • The Debate
  • The Explanation
  • Key Concepts Useful for Explaining Debates from a Social Approach
• The Cognitive Developmental Approach
  • Key Assumptions of the Cognitive Developmental Approach
    • In order to understand children’s behaviour, it is important to look at their cognitive abilities and underlying mental processes
    • Mental concepts develop over time and change as the child gets older
  • Methods Used in the Cognitive Developmental Approach
  • Longitudinal Studies
  • Observations
  • Naturalistic Observations
  • Controlled Observations
  • Participant Observations
  • In-depth Area of Study: Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development
    • Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development
    • Major Concepts
    • Schemas
    • Operations
    • Readiness
    • Discovery Learning
    • Maturational Stages
  • In-Depth Area of Study: Alternative Theories of Cognitive Development
    • Vygotsky – Learning in a Social Context
    • Background
    • The Importance of Society
    • The Importance of Others
    • The Role of Language
    • The Zone of Proximal Development
    • Scaffolding
    • The Information Processing Theory of Cognitive Development
  • Studies in Detail
  • The Three Mountain Study on Egocentrism (Piaget and Inhelder (1956))
  • Egocentrism in Pre-school Children (Hughes 1975)
  • Conservation Accidents – Naughty Teddy (McGarrigle and Donaldson (1974))
  • Key Application: Influences on Education
    • Piaget and Applications to Education
    • Readiness
    • Curriculum
    • Teaching Methods
    • Vygotsky and Applications to Education
    • The importance of society in education
    • The role of instruction
    • The Zone of Proximal Development and scaffolding
    • The importance of more expert others
    • The Information processing theory and Applications to Education
  • The Application of Cognitive Developmental Concepts to Explain a Contemporary Issue
  • The Use of Computers in Schools
  • Piaget
  • Vygotsky
  • The Information Processing Theory
  • The Debate Over School Versus Home Tuition
  • Piaget
  • Discovery Learning
  • Stages of Development and Readiness
  • Egocentrism
  • Vygotsky
  • The Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)
  • Scaffolding
  • Learning Through Social Interaction
  • The Importance of Society

Unit 2: Individual Differences, Physiology and Behaviour

• The Learning Approach
  • Key Assumptions of the Learning Approach
    • The Majority of Behaviour is Learned from the Environment
    • Learning involves a relatively permanent change in behaviour and occurs through classical conditioning, operant conditioning and social learning
  • Methods Used in the Learning Approach
  • Laboratory Experiments
  • Animal Learning Studies
  • In-depth Area of Study: Classical Conditioning
  • Mechanisms of Classical Conditioning
  • Other Features of Classical Conditioning
  • The Law of Temporal Contiguity
  • Extinction
  • Spontaneous Recovery
  • Generalisation
  • Discrimination
  • Higher Order Conditioning
  • One-trial Learning
  • Classical Conditioning Studies in Humans
  • An Example of Classical Conditioning in Humans
  • Evaluation of Classical Conditioning as an Explanation of Human Behaviour
  • In-depth Area of Study: Operant Conditioning
  • The Work of Edward Thorndike
  • The Work of B. F. Skinner
  • Positive Reinforcement
  • Negative Reinforcement
  • Punishment
  • Features of Operant Conditioning
  • Avoidance Learning
  • Secondary Reinforcement
  • Extinction
  • Behaviour Shaping
  • Schedules of Reinforcement
  • Examples of Operant Conditioning in Humans
  • Language Development
  • Gender-specific Behaviour
  • Evaluation of Operant Conditioning as an Explanation of Human Behaviour
  • In-depth Area of Study: Social Learning Theory
    • The Mechanisms of Social Learning
    • Characteristics of Models That Make Them More Likely to be Imitated
    • An Example of Social Learning in Humans
    • Studies in Detail
    • The Case of Little Albert (Watson and Rayner (1920))
    • Transmission of Aggression Through Imitation of Aggressive Models – Bandura, Ross and Ross (1961)
    • The Effect of Verbal and Non-verbal Stimuli on the Frequency of Members of Two Verbal Response Classes – Greenspoon (1950)
  • Key Application: The Deliberate Alteration of Human Behaviour
    • Applications of Classical Conditioning
    • Systematic Desensitisation
    • Flooding
    • An Application of Social Learning Theory
    • Modelling
    • An Application of Operant Conditioning
    • Token Economy
  • The Application of Learning Concepts to Explain a Contemporary Issue
  • The Smacking Debate
  • Operant Conditioning
  • Classical Conditioning
  • Social Learning Theory
  • Anorexia Nervosa
  • Social Learning Theory
  • Classical Conditioning
  • Operant Conditioning
• The Psychodynamic Approach
  • Key Assumptions of the Psychodynamic Approach
    • The Importance of the Unconscious Mind and Unconscious Motivation
    • The Importance of Early Experience
  • Methods Used in the Psychodynamic Approach
  • Case Studies
  • Clinical Interviews
  • Symbol Analysis
  • In-depth Area of Study: Freud’s Theories
    • Freud’s Psychoanalytic Model of Personality
    • Freudian Defence Mechanisms
    • Freud’s Psychosexual Stages of Development
    • Freud’s Theory of Dreams
  • In-depth Area of Study: A Non-Freudian Psychodynamic Theory
    • Jung’s Analytical Psychology Theory of Personality
    • Jung’s Three Levels of Consciousness
    • Jung’s Ideas on the Influences of the Unconscious Psyche on Personality
    • Jung’s Personality Typologies
    • Jung’s Ideas on the Self-regulating Psyche
  • Studies in Detail
    • Freud (1909) “Analysis of a Phobia in a Five-year-old Boy” (The Little Hans Case Study)
    • Evaluation of the Study
    • Harris and Campbell (1999) “The Plans in Unplanned Pregnancy: Secondary Gain and the Partnership”
    • Evaluation of the Study
  • Key Application: Mental Health
  • The Application of Psychodynamic Concepts to Understanding Mental Health Issues
  • The Application of Psychodynamic Concepts to Explain a Contemporary Issue
  • The Debate Over the Effectiveness and Appropriateness of Psychoanalytic Therapies
  • The Debate
  • The Explanation
  • Key Concepts Useful for Explaining Unseen Debates from a Psychodynamic Approach
• The Physiological Approach
  • Key Assumptions of the Physiological Approach
    • The Importance of the Nervous System
    • The Importance of Genetic Influences
  • Methods Used in the Physiological Approach
  • Brain Scanning
  • EEG
  • Lesioning
  • Correlational Techniques in Twin, Adoption and Family Studies
  • In-depth Area of Study: Body Rhythms
  • Circadian Rhythms
  • Research on the Day/Night Cycle
  • Research on the Influence of Endogenous Pacemakers and Zeitgebers in Circadian Rhythms
  • Research into the Relationship Between EEG Criteria and Stages of Sleep
  • In-depth Area of Study: Theories of Sleep and Dreaming
  • The Restoration Theory of Sleep
  • Applications
  • The Evolutionary Theory of Sleep
  • Applications
  • Hobson and McCarley’s Physiological “Activation-synthesis” Theory of Dreaming
  • Studies in Detail
    • Dement and Kleitman (1957) “The Relation of Eye Movements During Sleep to Dream Activity: An Objective Method for the Study of Dreaming”
    • Evaluation of the Study
    • Sperry (1968) “Hemisphere Deconnection and Unity in Conscious Awareness”
  • Key Application: Shift-work and Jet-lag
  • The Application of Physiological Concepts to Explain the Effects of Shift-work and Jet-lag
  • The Application of Physiological Concepts to Explain a Contemporary Issue
  • The Ethical Debate Surrounding Genetic Influences on Behaviour
  • The Debate
  • The Explanation
  • Key Concepts Useful for Explaining Debates from a Physiological Approach

Unit 3: Coursework

• Ethics
  • The BPS Ethical Guidelines for the Use of Humans in Psychological Research
  • The Ethical Guidelines for the Use of Non-Human Animals in Psychological Research
  • Methods Used in Psychological Research
    • Experiments
    • Observations
    • Questionnaires
    • Interviews
    • Case Studies
    • Content Analysis
  • Research Methodology
  • Operationalisation of Variables
  • Levels of Measurement (Nominal, Ordinal, Interval, Ratio)
  • Independent Variable, Dependent Variable
  • Correlational Design
  • Hypotheses (Null, Experimental/Alternative)
  • Selection of Materials
  • Sampling Techniques (Random, Systematic, Opportunity, Quota, Volunteer)
  • Random Sampling
  • Systematic Sampling
  • Opportunity Sampling
  • Volunteer Sampling
  • Quota Sampling
  • Three Types of Participant Design – Repeated Measures, Independent Groups and Matched Pairs
  • Repeated Measures Design
  • Independent Measures Design
  • Matched Pairs Design
  • Counterbalancing
  • Situational and Participant Variables, and Control of these Variables
  • Descriptive Statistics
  • Measures of Central Tendency
  • Methods of Graphical Representation
  • Measures of Dispersion
  • Issues of Validity, Reliability and Generalisability
  • Validity
  • Reliability
  • Generalisability
• General Guidelines
  • Coursework Mark Scheme and Checklist
• Key Skills Opportunities
  • Communication Level 3
  • Application of Number Level 3
  • Information and Communication Technology Level 3
  • Revision Activities
  • Activities to identify and revise the content of the approaches
  • Activities/games to practise terms and definitions from the approaches
  • Activities to revise the topic structure of the approaches
  • Activities to familiarise students with exam questions and expected answers
  • A balloon debate to compare and contrast the relative strengths and weaknesses of the approaches

Authors:

Morag Chase has been teaching Psychology for 14 years and is Assistant Head of Psychology at a Sixth Form College with one of the largest Psychology departments in the country. She has also taught Psychology on university courses and in adult education as well as spending many years being an examiner for A Level.

Grahame Hill is an author of revision guides and an exercise book in Psychology. He contributed towards the creation of the Edexcel Psychology Specification.

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