AQA A-Level Psychology Specification Checklists

SOCIAL INFLUENCE Notes Exam Key

Questions Words
Internalisation
Types of conformity Identification
Compliance
Informational social
Explanations for influence
conformity Normative social
influence
Group size
Variables affecting Unanimity of majority
conformity Task difficulty
Asch
Conformity to social Zimbardo’s Stanford
roles Prison Experiment
Explanations for Agentic state
obedience Legitimacy of authority
Proximity
Situational variables Location
affecting obedience Milgram
Uniform
Dispositional The Authoritarian
explanations for Personality
obedience
Explanations of Social Support
resistance to social
Locus of control
influence
Consistency
Minority influence Commitment
Flexibility
Drawing attention to
the issue
Cognitive conflict
Social change Consistency
The Augmentation
Principle
The snowball effect
 AQA A-Level Psychology Specification Checklists

MEMORY Notes Exam Key

Questions Words
The multi-store Sensory register
model of memory Short-term memory
Long-term memory
Features of Coding
memory stores
(working and Capacity
multi) Duration
Episodic
Types of long-
term memory Semantic
Procedural
Central executive
The working Phonological loop
memory model Visuo-spatial sketchpad
Episodic buffer
Explanations for Proactive interference
forgetting Retroactive interference
Retrieval failure
Factors affecting Misleading information
the accuracy of Leading questions
eyewitness
Post-event discussion
testimony
Anxiety
Improving the
accuracy of
eyewitness The Cognitive Interview
testimony
 AQA A-Level Psychology Specification Checklists

ATTACHMENT Notes Exam Key

Questions Words
Reciprocity
Interactional
Caregiver- Synchrony
infant Stages of attachment
interactions as identified by
in humans Schaffer
Multiple Attachments
The Role of the Father
Animal Lorenz
Studies of Harlow
Attachment
Learning Theory
Bowlby’s Monotropic
Explanations Theory
of The Concept of a
attachment Critical Period
Internal Working
Model
Secure
Ainsworth’s Types Insecure-
Strange of Avoidant
Situation Attachment Insecure-
Resistant
Cultural Van Ijzendoorn and
Variations in Kroonenberg
Attachment
Bowlby’s Theory of Maternal
Deprivation
Romanian Effects
Orphan of
Studies Institutionalisation
The influence of early attachment on
childhood and adult relationships
The role of the internal working
model
 AQA A-Level Psychology Specification Checklists

PSYCHOPATHOLOGY Notes Exam Key

Questions Words
Deviation from social
norms
Definitions of Failure to function
abnormality adequately
Statistical Infrequency
Deviation from ideal
mental health
Behavioural
characteristics
Emotional
characteristics
Cognitive characteristics
Phobias and the The two-process model
Behavioural approach: Classical Conditioning
explaining and treating Operant Conditioning
Systematic
desensitisation
Relaxation
Use of hierarchy
Flooding
Behavioural
characteristics
Depression and the Emotional
Cognitive approach: characteristics
explaining and treating Cognitive characteristics
Beck’s negative triad
Ellis’s ABC model
Cognitive behaviour
therapy
Challenging irrational
thoughts
Behavioural
characteristics
OCD and the Biological Emotional
approach: explaining characteristics
and treating Cognitive characteristics
Genetic explanations
Neural explanations
Drug therapy
 AQA A-Level Psychology Specification Checklists

APPROACHES Notes Exam Key

Questions Words
Classical Pavlov’s research
Conditioning
Operant Types of Reinforcement
Conditioning Skinner’s research
Imitation
Identification
Social Learning Modelling
Theory Vicarious Reinforcement
The role of mediational processes
Bandura’s research
Internal Mental Processes
The role of schema
The use of theoretical models to
The Cognitive explain mental processing
Approach The use of computer models to
explain mental processing
The emergence of cognitive
neuroscience
The influence of genes on
behaviour
The influence of biological
structures on behaviour
The Biological The influence of neurochemistry
Approach on behaviour
Genotype
Phenotype
The genetic basis for behaviour
Evolution and behaviour
The role of the unconscious
The structure Id
The of personality Ego
Psychodynamic Superego
Approach Defence Repression
Mechanisms Denial
Displacement
Psychosexual stages
Free-will
Self-actualisation
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs
Humanistic Focus on the self
Psychology Congruence
The role of conditions of worth
The influence of counselling
psychology
 AQA A-Level Psychology Specification Checklists
COMPARISON OF APPROACHES
Behaviourism vs Social Learning
Theory
Behaviourism vs The Cognitive
Approach
Behaviourism vs The Biological
Approach
Behaviourism vs The
Psychodynamic Approach
Behaviourism vs Humanism
Social Learning Theory vs The
Cognitive Approach
Social Learning Theory vs The
Biological Approach
Social Learning Theory vs The
Psychodynamic Approach
Social Learning Theory vs
Humanism
The Cognitive Approach vs The
Biological Approach
The Cognitive Approach vs The
Psychodynamic Approach
The Cognitive Approach vs
Humanism
The Biological Approach vs The
Psychodynamic Approach
The Biological Approach vs
Humanism
The Psychodynamic Approach vs
Humanism
Revised?
Freewill/Determinism
Psychology as a science
Nature/Nurture
Freewill/Determinism
Psychology as a science
Nature/Nurture
Freewill/Determinism
Psychology as a science
Nature/Nurture
Freewill/Determinism
Psychology as a science
Nature/Nurture
Freewill/Determinism
Psychology as a science
Nature/Nurture
Freewill/Determinism
Psychology as a science
Nature/Nurture
Freewill/Determinism
Psychology as a science
Nature/Nurture
Freewill/Determinism
Psychology as a science
Nature/Nurture
Freewill/Determinism
Psychology as a science
Nature/Nurture
Freewill/Determinism
Psychology as a science
Nature/Nurture
Freewill/Determinism
Psychology as a science
Nature/Nurture
Freewill/Determinism
Psychology as a science
Nature/Nurture
Freewill/Determinism
Psychology as a science
Nature/Nurture
Freewill/Determinism
Psychology as a science
Nature/Nurture
Freewill/Determinism
Psychology as a science
Nature/Nurture
 AQA A-Level Psychology Specification Checklists

BIOPSYCHOLOGY Notes Exam Key

Questions Words
Central
The divisions of the Peripheral
nervous system Somatic
Autonomic
The structure and Sensory neurons
function of… Relay neurons
Motor neurons
Synaptic Transmission
Synaptic Transmission Neurotransmitters
Excitation
Inhibition
The function of the Glands
endocrine system Hormones
The fight or flight
Fight or flight response response
The role of adrenaline
Localisation of function
Hemispheric
lateralisation
Motor
Localisation of function Somatosensory
and hemispheric Visual
lateralisation Auditory
Language
Broca’s area
Wernicke’s area
Split-brain research
Plasticity
Functional recovery after trauma
fMRI
Ways of studying the EEG
brain ERP
Post-Mortem
Circadian
Infradian
Biological rhythms Ultradian
Difference between
rhythms
Endogenous Pacemakers
Exogenous Zeitgebers
Sleep-wake cycle
The sleep-wake cycle Effect of EP and EZ on
the sleep-wake cycle
 AQA A-Level Psychology Specification Checklists

RESEARCH METHODS 1 Notes Exam Key

Questions Words
Types of experiment
Laboratory
Experimental method Field experiments
Natural experiments
Quasi-experiments
Naturalistic
Observational Controlled
techniques and types Covert
of observation Overt
Participant
Non-participant
Questionnaires
Self-report techniques Interviews
Structured
Unstructured
Correlations
Analysis of the relationship between co-variables
The difference between correlations and
experiments
Content analysis
Case studies
 AQA A-Level Psychology Specification Checklists

RESEARCH METHODS: SCIENTIFIC PROCESSES Notes Exam Key Words

Questions
Aims Stating aims
The difference between aims and hypotheses
Hypotheses Directional
Non-directional
The difference between population and sample
Random
Sampling Systematic
Stratified
Opportunity
Volunteer
Implications of sampling Bias
techniques
Generalisation
Pilot studies Pilot studies
Aims of piloting
Repeated measures
Experimental designs Independent groups
Matched pairs
Behavioural categories
Observational design Event sampling
Time sampling
Open questions
Questionnaire construction Closed questions
Design of interviews
Questionnaire construction
Manipulation of variables
Control of variables
Independent variables
Variables Dependent variables
Extraneous variables
Confounding variables
Operationalisation of variables
Random allocation
Control Counterbalancing
Randomisation
Standardisation
Demand characteristics
Investigator effects
BPS Code of Ethics
Ethics Ethical issues in the design of studies
Ethical issues in the conduct of studies
Dealing with ethical issues in research
The role of peer review in the scientific process
The implications of research for the economy
Reliability across Test-retest
investigation: Ways of Inter-observer
assessing reliability Improving reliability
Face validity
Concurrent validity
Ecological validity
Validity Temporal validity
Assessment of validity
Improving validity
Methods of investigation
Objectivity
The empirical method
Replicability
Features of science Falsifiability
Theory construction
Hypothesis testing
Paradigms
Paradigm shifts
Abstract
Reporting psychological Introduction
investigations (Sections of a Method
scientific report) Results
Discussion
Referencing
 AQA A-Level Psychology Specification Checklists

RESEARCH METHODS: DATA HANDLING AND Notes Exam Key

ANALYSIS Questions Words
Quantitative data
Quantitative and Qualitative data
Qualitative The difference between
quantitative and qualitative
collection techniques
Primary and Primary data
Secondary Secondary data
Meta-analysis
Descriptive Mean
statistics Median
Mode
Calculation of mean, median
and mode
Measures of dispersion
Range
Standard deviation
Calculation of range
Calculation of percentages
Positive correlations
Negative correlations
Zero correlations
Graphs
Presentation and Tables
display of Scattergrams
quantitative data Bar charts
Histograms
Normal distributions
Distributions Skewed distributions
Characteristics of normal and
skewed distributions
Analysis and Correlation
interpretation Correlation coefficients
Levels of Nominal
measurement Ordinal
Interval
Content analysis
Coding
Thematic analysis
 AQA A-Level Psychology Specification Checklists

RESEARCH METHODS: INFERENTIAL TESTING Notes Exam Key

Questions Words
The sign test
Introduction to When to use the sign
statistical testing test
Calculation of the sign
test
Probability
Significance
Probability and Use of statistical tables
significance Critical values
Type I errors
Type II errors
Factors affecting the Level of measurement
choice of statistical test Experimental design
Spearman’s rho
Pearson’s r
When to use the Wilcoxon
following tests: Mann-Whitney
Related t-test
Unrelated t-test
Chi-Squared test
 AQA A-Level Psychology Specification Checklists

ISSUES AND DEBATES Notes Exam Key

Questions Words
Universality
Bias
Gender Bias
Gender and Culture in Androcentrism
psychology Alpha bias
Beta bias
Cultural bias
Ethnocentrism
Cultural relativism
Hard determinism
Soft determinism
Biological determinism
Freewill and Environmental
determinism determinism
Psychic determinism
Scientific emphasis on
causal explanations
Freewill
Nature
Nurture
Relative importance of
heredity in determining
Nature-Nurture debate behaviour
Relative importance of
environment in
determining behaviour
The interactionist
approach
Holism
Holism and Reductionism
reductionism Biological reductionism
Environmental
(stimulus-response)
reductionism
Idiographic approach to psychological
investigation
Nomothetic approach to psychological
investigation
Ethical implications of
Ethics studies and theories
Social sensitivity
 AQA A-Level Psychology Specification Checklists

COGNITION AND DEVELOPMENT Notes Exam Key

Questions Words
Piaget’s theory
Schemas
Assimilation
Accommodation
Piaget’s theory of Equilibration
cognitive development Stages of intellectual
development
Object permanence
Conservation
Egocentrism
Class inclusion
Vygotsky’s theory
Vygotsky’s theory of The zone of proximal
cognitive development development
Scaffolding
Baillargeon’s
Baillargeon’s explanation
explanation of early Knowledge of the
infant abilities physical world
Violation of expectation
research
Selman’s levels of
perspective-taking
Theory of mind
The development of Theory of mind as an
social cognition explanation for autism
The Sally-Anne study
The role of the mirror
neuron system in social
cognition
 AQA A-Level Psychology Specification Checklists

SCHIZOPHRENIA Notes Exam Key

Questions Words
Positive symptoms
Hallucinations
Delusions
Negative symptoms
Speech poverty
Classification of Avolition
Schizophrenia Reliability in diagnosis
Validity in diagnosis
Reliability and validity
in classification
Co-morbidity
Culture bias
Gender bias
Symptom overlap
Genetics
Biological explanations Neural correlates
for Schizophrenia The dopamine
hypothesis
Psychological Family dysfunction
explanations for Cognitive explanations
Schizophrenia Dysfunctional thought
processing
Drug therapy Typical antipsychotics
Atypical antipsychotics
Drug therapy
Cognitive behaviour
Treatment of therapy
Schizophrenia Family therapy
Treatment of
Schizophrenia
Management of Token economies
Schizophrenia Management of
Schizophrenia
Interactionist approach
Explaining
An interactionist Schizophrenia
approach Treating Schizophrenia
The Diathesis-Stress
model
 AQA A-Level Psychology Specification Checklists

FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGY Notes Exam Key

Questions Words
Offender Profiling The top-down approach
Organised types of
offender
Disorganised types of
offender
The bottom-up approach
Investigative Psychology
Geographical profiling
Biological explanations An historical approach
of offending behaviour Atavistic form
Genetics
Neural explanations
Psychological Eysenck’s theory of the
explanations of criminal personality
offending behaviour Cognitive explanations
Level of moral reasoning
Cognitive distortions
Hostile attribution bias
Minimalisation
Differential association
theory
Psychodynamic
explanations
Dealing with offending The aims of custodial
behaviour sentencing
The psychological effects
of custodial sentencing
Recidivism
Behaviour modification in
custody
Anger management
Restorative justice
programmes