PSYCHOLOGY REVISION CHECKLIST
TOPIC
4.1.1 SOCIAL INFLUENCE
i.
Types of conformity and explanations
ii.
Conformity to social roles; Zimbardo
iii.
Explanations for obedience; Milgram
iv.
Explanations of resistance to social influence
v.
Minority influence
vi.
Social influence leading to social change
4.1.2 MEMORY
i.
Multi-store memory model and features
ii.
Types of long-term memory
iii.
Working memory model and features
iv.
Explanations for forgetting
v.
Factors affecting eyewitness testimony
vi.
Improving accuracy of eyewitness testimony
4.1.3 ATTACHMENT
i.
Caregiver-infant interactions; Schaffer
ii.
Animal studies; Harlow and Lorenz
iii.
Explanations of attachment; Bowlby
iv.
Ainsworth’s Strange Situation; Van Ijzendoorn
v.
vi.
Bowlby’s theory of maternal deprivation; Romanian
orphans
Influence of early attachment on child and adult
relationships
4.1.4 PSYCHOPATHOLOGY
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
Definitions of abnormality
Behavioural, emotional and cognitive characteristics
of phobias, depression and OCD
Behavioural approach to explaining and treating
phobias
Cognitive approach to explaining and treating
depression
Biological approach to explaining and treating OCD
4.2.1 APPROACHES
i.
ii.
Learning approaches: behaviourist, Pavlov, Skinner,
social learning theory, Bandura
Cognitive approach; emergence of cognitive
neuroscience
iii.
Biological approach
iv.
Psychodynamic approach; Freud
v.
Humanistic approach; Maslow, the influence on
counselling
vi.
Comparison of approaches
After lesson
2 wks before exam
Questions
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4.2.2 BIOPSYCHOLOGY
i.
Divisions of the nervous system
ii.
Structure and function of neurons; synaptic
transmission
iii.
Endocrine system
iv.
Fight or flight response
v.
Localisation of brain function and hemispheric
lateralisation; Broca’s and Wernicke’s
vi.
Ways of studying the brain; scanning techniques
vii.
Biological rhythms; circadian, infradian, ultradian;
endogenous pacemakers and exogenous zeitgebers
4.2.3 RESEARCH METHODS
i.
Experimental method
ii.
Observational techniques
iii.
Self-report techniques
iv.
Correlations
v.
Content analysis
vi.
Case studies
4.2.3.1 SCIENTIFIC PROCESSES
i.
Aims
ii.
Hypothesis
iii.
Sampling
iv.
Pilot studies
v.
Experimental designs
vi.
Observational designs
vii.
Questionnaire construction
viii.
Variables
ix.
Control
x.
Demand characteristics and investigator effects
xi.
Ethics’ BPS code of ethics
xii.
Peer review
xiii.
Psychology in the economy
xiv.
Reliability; assessing reliability
xv.
Types of validity
xvi.
Features of science
xvii.
Reporting psychological investigations
4.2.3.2 DATA HANDLING AND ANALYSIS
i.
Quantitative and qualitative data
ii.
Primary and secondary data; meta-analysis
iii.
Descriptive statistics
iv.
Presentation of data
v.
Analysis and interpretation of correlation; coefficients
vi.
Levels of measurement; nominal, ordinal, interval
vii.
Content analysis and coding; thematic analysis
4.2.3.3 INFERENTIAL TESTING
i.
Sign test
ii.
Probability and significance; critical values
iii.
Factors affecting choice of statistical test; when to use
Spearman’s rho, Pearson’s r, Wilcoxon, MannWhitney, related/un-related t-test, Chi-squared test
4.3.1 ISSUES AND DEBATES IN PSYCHOLOGY
i.
Gender and culture bias; universality
ii.
Free will and determinism; casual explanations
iii.
Nature-nurture debate; interactionist approach
iv.
Holism and reductionism
v.
Idiographic and nomothetic approaches
vi.
Ethical implications of research and theory; social
sensitivity
4.3.2 RELATIONSHIPS
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
Evolutionary explanations for partner preference
Factors affecting attraction: self-disclosure; physical
attractiveness; filter theory
Theories of romantic relationships: social exchange
theory; equity theory; Rusbult’s investment model;
Duck’s phase model of breakdown
Virtual relationships in social media: self-disclosure in
virtual relationships; effects of absence of gating
Parasocial relationships: levels; absorption addiction
model; attachment theory
4.3.3 GENDER
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
vi.
Sex and gender; stereotypes; androgyny and
measuring androgyny; Bem Sex Role Inventory
Chromosomes and hormones (testosterone,
oestrogen and oxytocin); atypical sex chromosome
patterns: Klinefelter’s and Turner’s syndrome
Cognitive explanations; Kohlberg’s theory; gender
identity; gender stability and constancy; schema
theory
Psychodynamic explanation; Freud’s psychoanalytic
theory; Oedipus & Electra complex; identification and
internalisation
Social learning theory; influence of culture and media
on gender roles
Atypical gender development; gender identity
disorder; biological and social explanations
4.3.4 COGNITION AND DEVELOPMENT
i.
Piaget’s theory of cognitive development; schema,
assimilation, accommodation and equilibration; stages
of development; characteristics; object permanence,
conservation, egocentrism and class inclusion
ii.
iii.
iv.
Vygotsky’s theory of cognitive development; zone of
proximal development and scaffolding
Baillargeon’s explanation of early infant abilities;
knowledge of the physical world; violation of
expectation research
Development of social cognition; Selman’s levels of
perspective-taking; theory of mind and autism; SallyAnne study; mirror neuron systems
4.3.5 SCHIZOPHRENIA
i.
Classification of schizophrenia; positive symptoms;
negative symptoms; reliability and validity of diagnosis
ii.
Biological explanations
iii.
Psychological explanations
iv.
Drug therapy
v.
vi.
Cognitive behavioural therapy and family therapy’
token economies
Importance of the interactionist approach in
explanation and treatment; diathesis-stress model
4.3.6 EATING BEHAVIOUR
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
vi.
Explanations for food preferences; evolutionary,
neophobia and taste aversion; learning, social and
cultural influences
Neural and hormonal mechanisms in control of eating
behaviour; hypothalamus, ghrelin and leptin
Biological explanations for anorexia nervosa; genetic
and neural
Psychological explanations for anorexia nervosa;
family systems theory, enmeshment, autonomy and
control; social learning theory, modelling,
reinforcement and media; cognitive theory, distortion
and irrational beliefs
Biological explanations for obesity; genetic and neural
Psychological explanations for obesity; restraint
theory, disinhibition and the boundary model; success
and failure of dieting
4.3.7 STRESS
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
Physiology of stress; general adaption syndrome;
hypothalamic pituitary-adrenal system;
sympathomedullary pathway; cortisol
Stress in illness; immunosuppression and
cardiovascular disorders
Sources of stress; life changes and daily hassles;
workplace stress, workload and control
Measuring stress; self-report scales, Social
Readjustment Rating Scales and Hassles and Uplifts
Scale; psychological measuring, skin and conductance
response
v.
vi.
Individual differences; personality types A, B and C;
associated behaviour, commitment, challenge and
control
Managing and coping with stress; drug therapy, stress
inoculation therapy and biofeedback; gender
differences; social support; types, instrumental,
emotional and esteem
4.3.8 AGGRESSION
i.
Neural and hormonal mechanisms; genetic factors
ii.
Ethological explanation; evolutionary explanations
iii.
Social psychological explanations
iv.
v.
Institutional aggression in prison settings:
dispositional and situational
Media influences: computer games; desensitisation,
disinhibition, cognitive priming
4.3.9 FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGY
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
Problems defining crime; measuring crime, official
statistics, victim surveys and offender surveys
Offender profiling; top-down approach, organised and
disorganised offenders; bottom-up approach,
investigative psychology; geographical profiling
Biological explanations; historical approach, atavistic
form; genetic and neural
Psychological explanations; Eysenck’s criminal
personality theory; cognitive explanations, level of
moral reasoning and cognitive distortions, hostile
attribution, bias and minimilisation; differential
association theory; psychodynamic explanations
Dealing with offending behaviour; custodial
sentencing aims and psychological effects; recidivism;
behaviour modification; anger management and
restorative justice
4.3.10 ADDICTION
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
vi.
Describing addiction; physical and psychological
dependence, tolerance and withdrawal syndrome
Risk factors in development; genetic vulnerability,
stress, personality, family influences and peers
Explanations for nicotine addiction; neurochemistry,
dopamine; learning theory, cue reactivity
Explanations for gambling addiction; learning theory,
partial and variable reinforcement; cognitive theory,
cognitive bias
Reducing addiction; drug therapy; behavioural
intervention, aversion therapy and covert
sensitisation; cognitive behavioural therapy
Applications to change addictive behaviour; theory of
unplanned behaviour; Prochaska’s six-stage model