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Edexcel AS/A Level Psychology Student Book

Edexcel AS/A Level Psychology Student Book

Karren Smith

(2016)

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Book Details

Abstract

Edexcel AS/A Level Psychology Student Book

Table of Contents

Section Title Page Action Price
Cover Cover
Contents iii
How to use this book iv
Introduction to Psychology 2
Topic 1: Social psychology 16
1.1 Content 16
An introduction to social psychology 16
Obedience 17
Social impact theory of obedience 20
Milgram’s research into obedience and three of his variation studies 23
Variation studies 26
Factors affecting obedience and dissent/resistance to obedience 30
Individual differences in obedience and dissent/resistance to obedience 31
Prejudice 33
Factors affecting prejudice 39
1.2 Methods 42
Self-report data 42
Sampling techniques 45
Analysis of quantitative data 47
Analysis of qualitative data using thematic analysis 54
1.3 Studies 56
Intergroup Conflict and Cooperation: The Robber’s Cave Experiment (Sherif et al., 1954, 1961) 56
Replicating Milgram: Would people still obey today? (Burger, 2009) 60
Rethinking the psychology of tyranny: The BBC prison study (Reicher and Haslam, 2006) 63
Individual differences in ideological attitudes and prejudice: evidence from peer-report data (Cohrs et al., 2012) 67
1.4 Key questions 70
How can social psychology be used to explain heroism? 70
1.5 Practical investigation 73
1.6 Issues and debates (A level only) 80
Knowledge check 84
References 87
Topic 2: Cognitive psychology 88
2.1 Content 88
Introduction to cognitive psychology 88
The multi-store model of memory (Atkinson and Shiffrin, 1968) 89
Working memory model (Baddeley and Hitch, 1974) 95
Explanation of long-term memory – episodic and semantic memory (Tulving, 1972) 100
Reconstructive memory (Bartlett, 1932) 103
Individual differences in memory 106
Developmental psychology in memory 107
2.2 Methods 109
Experiments 109
Case studies of brain-damaged patients and the use of qualitative data 123
2.3 Studies 126
The influence of acoustic and semantic similarity on long-term memory for word sequences (Baddeley, 1966b) 126
Semantic knowledge in patient HM and other patients with bilateral medial and lateral temporal lobe lesions (Schmolck et al., 2002) 128
Reconstruction from memory in naturalistic environments (Steyvers and Hemmer, 2012) 132
Sebastián and Hernández-Gil’s (2012) study of the developmental pattern of digit span 135
2.4 Key questions 137
2.5 Practical investigation 139
2.6 Issues and debates (A level only) 149
Knowledge check 152
References 155
Topic 3: Biological psychology 156
3.1 Content 156
What is the central nervous system and how does it work? 157
The effect of recreational drugs on the transmission process in the central nervous system 159
Brain structure 161
Evolution 165
Biological explanation of aggression as an alternative to Freud’s psychodynamic explanation 167
The role of hormones (for example, testosterone) to explain human behaviour such as aggression 170
3.2 Methods 172
Correlational research 172
Analysing correlational data 174
Other biological methods 178
3.3 Studies 183
Classic study: Brain abnormalities in murderers indicated by positron emission tomography (Raine, A. et al., 1997) 183
Abnormal function of the posterior cingulate cortex in heroin-addicted users during restingstate and drug-cue stimulation task (Li et al., 2013) 185
Examining genetic and environmental effects on social aggression: a study of 6-year-old twins( Brendgen et al., 2005) 187
Prefrontal cortex AMPA receptor plasticity is crucial for cue-induced relapse to heroin-seeking (Van den Oever et al., 2008) 190
3.4 Key questions 193
3.5 Practical investigation 195
3.6 Issues and debates (A level only) 203
Issues of reductionism 204
Issues of socially sensitive research 205
Issues regarding the use of psychological knowledge in society 205
Issues relating to psychology as a science 206
Issues relating to how our psychological understanding has developed over time 206
Issues related to the nature versus nurture debate 207
Issues of social control 207
Practical issues in the design and implementation of research 208
Knowledge check 209
References 211
Topic 4: Learning theories 212
4.1 Content 212
Classical conditioning 213
Operant conditioning 216
Social learning theory 222
Learning theories and phobias 231
4.2 Methods 237
Human research 237
Animal research 240
Analysis of data 242
Scientific status of psychology 244
4.3 Studies 246
Watson and Rayner (1920) Conditioned emotional reactions 246
Capafóns et al. (1998): Systematic desensitization in the treatment of fear of flying 248
Becker et al. (2002): Eating behaviours and attitudes following prolonged exposure to television among ethnic Fijian adolescent girls 251
Bastian et al. (2012): Cyber-dehumanization: Violent video game play diminishes our humanity 253
4.4 Key questions 256
Should airline companies/airports offer treatment programmes to passengers with a fear of flying? 256
4.5 Practical investigation 259
Observing gender differences in behaviour on public transport 259
Analysing quantitative data 261
4.6 Issues and debates (A level only) 267
Knowledge check 270
References 273
Understanding examination questions 274
Preparing for your exams 1 276
Topic 5: Clinical psychology 282
5.1 Content 282
An introduction to clinical psychology 282
Diagnosing mental health disorders – the four 'Ds' of diagnosis 283
Classification systems 284
Schizophrenia 289
Treatments for schizophrenia 298
Unipolar depression 302
Treatments for depression 308
Anorexia nervosa 311
Treatments for anorexia nervosa 317
Evaluation 319
Obsessive–compulsive disorder 320
5.2 Methods 329
Researching mental health 330
The use of case studies 333
The use of interviews in clinical psychology 334
5.3 Key studies 336
5.4 Key question 351
5.5 Practical investigation 353
5.6 Issues and debates (A level only) 357
Knowledge check 360
References 363
Topic 6: Criminological psychology 364
6.1 Content 364
Understanding criminal behaviour 364
How does a psychologist understand the individual offender? 379
How do we treat offenders? 384
What influences the accuracy of eyewitnesses? 392
What influences the court process? 398
6.2 Methods 405
Undertaking criminological psychology research 405
6.3 Studies 412
Reconstruction of automobile destruction: An example of the interaction between language and memory (Lo\x1D us and Palmer, 1974) 412
Brief anger management programmes with offenders: Outcomes and predictors of change (Howells et al., 2005) 415
Eyewitness identification under stress in the London Dungeon (Valentine and Mesout, 2009) 417
Diversity and citizen participation: The effect of race on juror decision making (Bradbury and Williams, 2013) 418
6.4 Key questions 421
Is eyewitness testimony too unreliable to trust? 421
6.5 Practical investigation 423
Conducting criminological psychology research 423
6.6 Issues and debates (A level only) 431
Knowledge check 434
References 437
Topic 7: Child psychology 438
7.1 Content 438
Attachment 439
Bowlby’s work on attachment 440
Ainsworth’s work on attachment 444
Separation and deprivation 447
Privation 451
Day care 455
Cross-cultural research into attachment types 458
Autism 460
7.2 Methods 465
Naturalistic and structured observations 465
Using questionnaires and interviews as research methods in child psychology 466
Cross-cultural research 466
Ethical issues when researching with children 468
7.3 Studies 470
Cross-cultural Patterns of Attachment: A Meta-Analysis of the Strange Situation (Van IJzendoorn and Kroonenberg, 1988) 470
Attachment the Italian way (Cassibba et al., 2013) 472
Pre-adoption adversity and self-reported behavior problems in 7 year-old international adoptees (Gagnon-Oosterwaal et al., 2012) 474
Timing of High-Quality Child Care and Cognitive, Language, and Pre-academic Development (Li et al., 2013) 475
7.4 Key question 478
Is international adoption good for a child? 478
7.5 Practical investigation 481
Can day care provide positive experiences for young children? 481
7.6 Issues and debates (A level only) 488
Knowledge check 492
References 495
Topic 8: Health psychology 496
8.1 Content 496
Drug-taking behaviour 496
Why do people become addicted to drugs? 498
How do we treat drug addiction? 510
Anti-drug campaigns 518
8.2 Methods 523
Undertaking health psychology research 523
8.3 Studies 529
Positive reinforcement produced by electrical stimulation of septal area and other regions of rat brain (Olds and Milner, 1954) 529
Peer selection and influence effects on adolescent alcohol use: a stochastic actor-based model (Mundt et al., 2012) 532
Biosocial determinants of alcohol risk behaviour: An epidemiological study in urban and rural communities of Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh (Dixit et al., 2012) 533
Screening and brief interventions for hazardous and harmful alcohol use among hospital outpatients in South Africa: results from a randomized controlled trial (Pengpid et al., 2013) 536
8.4 Key questions 539
Can we encourage the cessation of smoking? 539
8.5 Practical investigation 541
Conducting health psychology research 541
8.6 Issues and debates (A level only) 547
Knowledge check 549
References 551
Preparing for your exams 2 552
Topic 9: Psychological skills 557
Synopticity 557
Thinking critically 558
History of psychology 558
9.1 Methods 560
9.2 Synoptic review of studies 562
9.3 Issues and debates 564
Thinking Bigger 566
Preparing for your exams 3 568
Glossary 573
Index 580