Additional Information
Book Details
Abstract
Exam paper covered: Edexcel GCSE (9-1) Psychology
First teaching: September 2017
First exams: Summer 2019
- Specifically designed to support you with the Edexcel GCSE (9-1) Psychology course and assessments.
- Provides contemporary and engaging examples that students can relate to such as ‘why we forget things’ and what can affect our memory’.
- ‘Psychology in Action’ features show how theories apply to everyday life.
- Helps students to build practical skills and apply knowledge with features such as 'Apply It', 'Try It' and 'Develop It'.
- Includes a dedicated chapter on research methods and provides maths tips throughout.
- Includes ‘preparing for your exams’ sections at the end of each topic plus lots of practice and guidance throughout, with a focus on the extended writing questions.
Table of Contents
| Section Title | Page | Action | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Front Cover | Front Cover | ||
| Contents | iii | ||
| Introduction | iv | ||
| Topic 1: Development | 2 | ||
| Early brain development | 4 | ||
| Development of the midbrain, forebrain and hindbrain | 4 | ||
| Development of the cerebellum and medulla | 4 | ||
| Building neural connections from birth | 4 | ||
| Piaget’s stages of development and their role in education | 5 | ||
| Piaget’s four stages of development | 5 | ||
| Using Piaget’s stages in education | 6 | ||
| Piaget’s theory of cognitive development and the development of intelligence | 8 | ||
| Piaget’s explanation of understanding the world | 8 | ||
| Strengths and weaknesses of Piaget’s theory | 9 | ||
| Dweck’s mindset theory and the effects of learning on development | 10 | ||
| Introduction to mindset theory | 10 | ||
| Fixed and growth mindset: ability and effort | 10 | ||
| Experimental evidence | 11 | ||
| Strengths and weaknesses of mindset theory | 11 | ||
| Willingham’s learning theory and the effects of learning on development | 12 | ||
| Introduction to Willingham’s learning theory | 12 | ||
| Factual knowledge precedes (comes before) skill | 12 | ||
| The importance of practice and effort | 13 | ||
| Strategies to support development | 13 | ||
| Strengths and weaknesses of Willingham’s learning theory | 14 | ||
| Studies: Piaget and Inhelder (1956) ‘Three mountains’ task | 16 | ||
| Background to the study | 16 | ||
| Aims | 17 | ||
| Procedure | 17 | ||
| Results | 18 | ||
| Conclusion | 18 | ||
| Strengths and weaknesses of the study | 18 | ||
| Gunderson et al. (2013) Parent Praise to 1–3 Year Olds Predicts Children’s Motivational Frameworks 5 Years Later | 20 | ||
| Background to the study | 20 | ||
| Aims | 21 | ||
| Method | 21 | ||
| Results | 22 | ||
| Conclusions | 22 | ||
| Strengths and weaknesses of the study | 23 | ||
| Issues and debates: The development of morality | 24 | ||
| Morals and morality | 24 | ||
| Development of morality | 24 | ||
| Weaknesses of these theories | 25 | ||
| Damon (1999) on developing a moral self | 26 | ||
| What can help children to develop a moral understanding? | 26 | ||
| Topic 2: Memory | 28 | ||
| Memory and information processing | 30 | ||
| Stages of memory and information processing | 30 | ||
| Short-term and long-term memory | 31 | ||
| Duration and capacity | 31 | ||
| Short-term memory store | 31 | ||
| Long-term memory store | 31 | ||
| Understanding amnesia | 33 | ||
| Anterograde amnesia | 33 | ||
| Retrograde amnesia | 33 | ||
| Bartlett’s (1932) Theory of Reconstructive Memory | 34 | ||
| Memory and schemas | 34 | ||
| Strengths and weaknesses of the theory | 35 | ||
| Atkinson and Shiffrin (1968) Multi-store Model of Memory | 37 | ||
| The sensory register and the role of attention | 37 | ||
| Short-term memory: capacity and duration | 38 | ||
| The role of rehearsal | 38 | ||
| Long-term memory: capacity and duration | 38 | ||
| Strengths and weaknesses of the theory | 38 | ||
| Studies: Bartlett (1932) War of the Ghosts | 40 | ||
| Background to the study | 40 | ||
| Aims | 40 | ||
| Procedure | 40 | ||
| Results | 41 | ||
| Conclusion | 41 | ||
| Strengths and weaknesses of the study | 42 | ||
| Peterson and Peterson (1959) Short-term Retention of Individual Verbal Items | 43 | ||
| Background to the study | 43 | ||
| Aim | 43 | ||
| Procedure | 43 | ||
| Results | 43 | ||
| Conclusion | 43 | ||
| Strengths and weaknesses of the study | 44 | ||
| Issues and debates: Reductionism and holism debate | 45 | ||
| Reductionism | 45 | ||
| Holism | 46 | ||
| How the reductionism/holism debate applies to human memory research | 46 | ||
| Topic 3: Psychological problems | 48 | ||
| Unipolar depression: symptoms, features, incidence and influence | 50 | ||
| Symptoms of unipolar depression | 50 | ||
| Features of unipolar depression | 51 | ||
| Incidence of depression over time | 52 | ||
| How depression affects individuals and society | 52 | ||
| Genetic explanation of unipolar depression | 53 | ||
| Twin studies | 53 | ||
| Strengths and weaknesses of the genetic explanation | 54 | ||
| Cognitive theory as an explanation of depression | 55 | ||
| Beck’s cognitive triad | 55 | ||
| Ellis’s ABC model | 55 | ||
| Strengths and weaknesses of the cognitive theory explanation | 56 | ||
| Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) as a treatment for depression | 57 | ||
| Strengths and weaknesses of using CBT to treat depression | 58 | ||
| Drug therapy as a treatment for depression | 59 | ||
| Types of antidepressants | 59 | ||
| Strengths and weaknesses of drug therapy as a treatment of depression | 60 | ||
| Addiction: symptoms, features, incidence and influence | 61 | ||
| Symptoms of addiction | 61 | ||
| Features of addiction | 62 | ||
| How have incidences of addiction changed over time? | 62 | ||
| How does addiction affect individuals and society? | 63 | ||
| Genetic explanation of addiction | 64 | ||
| Strengths and weaknesses of the genetic explanation | 65 | ||
| Learning theory as an explanation of addiction | 66 | ||
| Classical conditioning and addiction | 66 | ||
| Operant conditioning and addiction | 66 | ||
| Social learning theory and addiction | 67 | ||
| Strengths and weaknesses of learning theory as an explanation of addiction | 67 | ||
| Cognitive behavioural therapy as a treatment for addiction | 68 | ||
| Functional analysis | 68 | ||
| Skills training | 68 | ||
| Strengths and weaknesses of using CBT to treat addiction | 69 | ||
| Drug therapy as a treatment for addiction | 70 | ||
| Drug addiction | 70 | ||
| Strengths and weaknesses of drug therapy as a treatment for addiction | 71 | ||
| Studies: Caspi et al. (2003) Influence of Life Stress on Depression: Moderation by a Polymorphism in the 5-HTT Gene | 72 | ||
| Background to the study | 72 | ||
| Aims | 72 | ||
| Procedure | 72 | ||
| Results | 72 | ||
| Conclusions | 73 | ||
| Strengths and weaknesses of the study | 73 | ||
| Young (2007) Cognitive Behavior Therapy with Internet Addicts: Treatment Outcomes and Implications | 74 | ||
| Background to the study | 74 | ||
| Aims | 74 | ||
| Procedure | 74 | ||
| Results | 74 | ||
| Conclusion | 75 | ||
| Strengths and weaknesses of the study | 75 | ||
| Issues and debates: Nature and nurture debate | 76 | ||
| Nature | 76 | ||
| Nurture | 76 | ||
| The nature and nurture debate and mental health problems | 77 | ||
| Topic 4: The brain and neuropsychology | 78 | ||
| The structure and function of the brain | 80 | ||
| The structure of the human brain | 80 | ||
| The functions of the brain | 80 | ||
| Lateralisation of function in the hemispheres | 82 | ||
| Asymmetrical function | 82 | ||
| The role of the le\x1E and right hemispheres | 83 | ||
| The role of the corpus callosum | 84 | ||
| How can we explain differences between males and females? | 84 | ||
| Strengths and weaknesses of lateralisation as an explanation of sex differences between males and females | 85 | ||
| The role of the central nervous system | 86 | ||
| The function of neurotransmitters | 86 | ||
| Synaptic functioning | 87 | ||
| The impact of neurological damage | 88 | ||
| Visual agnosia | 88 | ||
| Prosopagnosia | 89 | ||
| Impact of damage to the pre-frontal cortex | 89 | ||
| Studies: Damasio et al. (1994) The Return of Phineas Gage: Clues About the Brain from the Skull of a Famous Patient | 90 | ||
| Background to the study | 90 | ||
| Aims | 90 | ||
| Procedure | 91 | ||
| Results | 91 | ||
| Conclusion | 92 | ||
| Strengths and weaknesses of the study | 92 | ||
| Sperry (1968) Hemisphere Deconnection and Unity in Conscious Awareness | 93 | ||
| Background to the study | 93 | ||
| Aims | 93 | ||
| Procedure | 93 | ||
| Results | 94 | ||
| Conclusions | 94 | ||
| Strengths and weaknesses of the study | 94 | ||
| Issues and debates: How psychology has changed over time | 95 | ||
| How has the study of psychology changed over time? | 95 | ||
| Topic 5: Social influence | 98 | ||
| Terms used in social influence research | 100 | ||
| Obedience | 100 | ||
| Conformity | 100 | ||
| Deindividuation | 101 | ||
| Bystander effect | 102 | ||
| Bystander intervention | 103 | ||
| Situational factors affecting bystander intervention | 103 | ||
| Personal factors affecting bystander intervention | 104 | ||
| Conformity | 106 | ||
| Situational factors aff ecting conformity | 106 | ||
| Personality affecting conformity | 107 | ||
| Obedience to an authority figure | 108 | ||
| Milgram’s electric shock experiments | 108 | ||
| Situational factors affecting obedience to an authority figure | 109 | ||
| Personality factors affecting obedience | 111 | ||
| Understanding the behaviour of crowds | 112 | ||
| Deindividuation and conformity | 112 | ||
| Obedience | 113 | ||
| Understand ways to prevent blind obedience to authority figures | 114 | ||
| Social support | 114 | ||
| Familiarity of the situation | 114 | ||
| Distance | 114 | ||
| Education | 114 | ||
| Studies: Piliavin et al. (1969) Good Samaritanism: An Underground Phenomenon? | 115 | ||
| Background to the study | 115 | ||
| Aims | 115 | ||
| Procedure | 115 | ||
| Results | 116 | ||
| Conclusions | 116 | ||
| Strengths and weaknesses of the study | 117 | ||
| Haney, Banks and Zimbardo (1973) A Study of Prisoners and Guards in a Simulated Prison | 118 | ||
| Background to the study | 118 | ||
| Aim | 118 | ||
| Procedure | 118 | ||
| Results | 119 | ||
| Conclusions | 119 | ||
| Strengths and weaknesses of the study | 120 | ||
| Issues and debates: Social and cultural issues in psychology | 121 | ||
| Social issues in psychology | 121 | ||
| Cultural issues in psychology | 122 | ||
| Preparing for your exam 1 | 124 | ||
| Topic 11: Research methods | 130 | ||
| Designing psychological research | 132 | ||
| Independent and dependent variables | 132 | ||
| Understanding the influence of extraneous variables | 132 | ||
| Controlling extraneous variables | 133 | ||
| Hypotheses | 135 | ||
| Null hypothesis | 135 | ||
| Alternative (experimental) hypotheses | 135 | ||
| Methods of sampling | 136 | ||
| Target population | 136 | ||
| Sampling methods | 136 | ||
| Research and experimental designs | 138 | ||
| Types of research and experimental designs | 138 | ||
| Issues of reliability and validity | 139 | ||
| Reliability | 139 | ||
| Validity | 139 | ||
| Reliability and validity of qualitative and quantitative methods | 140 | ||
| Ethical issues in psychological research | 141 | ||
| The BPS Code of Human Research Ethics (2014) | 141 | ||
| Informed consent | 142 | ||
| Deception | 142 | ||
| Confidentiality | 142 | ||
| Right to withdraw | 142 | ||
| Protection of participants | 142 | ||
| Understanding research methods | 143 | ||
| Experiments | 143 | ||
| Interviews | 144 | ||
| Questionnaires | 146 | ||
| Correlation | 147 | ||
| Case study | 148 | ||
| Observation | 149 | ||
| Data analysis | 151 | ||
| Arithmetic and numerical computation | 151 | ||
| Maths skills | 153 | ||
| Descriptive statistics | 154 | ||
| Representing and interpreting data | 156 | ||
| Normal distributions | 156 | ||
| Bar charts | 158 | ||
| Scatter diagrams and correlations | 158 | ||
| Plotting variables and interpreting graphs | 160 | ||
| Types of data | 161 | ||
| Primary and secondary data | 161 | ||
| Qualitative and quantitative data | 162 | ||
| Issues and debates: Ethical issues | 163 | ||
| Ethical issues in psychological research | 163 | ||
| The ends justify the means | 165 | ||
| Topic 6: Criminal psychology | 166 | ||
| Understanding learning theories as an explanation of criminality | 168 | ||
| Operant conditioning as an explanation of criminality | 168 | ||
| Strengths and weaknesses of operant conditioning | 170 | ||
| Social learning theory as an explanation of criminality | 170 | ||
| Strengths and weakness of social learning theory | 171 | ||
| Biological explanations of criminality | 172 | ||
| Genetic explanations for criminality | 172 | ||
| Personality theory | 173 | ||
| Strengths and weaknesses of Eysenck’s theory | 174 | ||
| Understanding the effects of punishment on recidivism | 175 | ||
| Prison | 175 | ||
| Strengths and weaknesses of prison as a deterrent to reoffending | 176 | ||
| Community sentencing | 176 | ||
| Strengths and weaknesses of community sentencing as a way to reduce reoffending | 177 | ||
| Restorative justice | 177 | ||
| Strengths and weaknesses of restorative justice as a way to reduce reoffending | 178 | ||
| Treatments to rehabilitate and reduce criminal and antisocial behaviour and increase prosocial behaviour | 179 | ||
| Token economy programmes | 179 | ||
| Strengths and weaknesses of token economy programmes | 179 | ||
| Anger management programmes | 180 | ||
| Strengths and weaknesses of anger management programmes | 180 | ||
| Studies: Bandura, Ross and Ross (1961) Transmission of Aggression through Imitation of Aggressive Models | 181 | ||
| Background to the study | 181 | ||
| Aims | 181 | ||
| Procedure | 181 | ||
| Results | 182 | ||
| Conclusions | 183 | ||
| Strengths and weaknesses of the study | 183 | ||
| Charlton et al. (2000) Children’s Playground Behaviour Across FiveYears of Broadcast Television: A Naturalistic Study in a Remote Community | 184 | ||
| Background to the study | 184 | ||
| Aims | 184 | ||
| Procedure | 184 | ||
| Results | 184 | ||
| Conclusions | 185 | ||
| Strengths and weaknesses of the study | 185 | ||
| Topic 7: The self | 186 | ||
| Concepts of the self and self-concept | 188 | ||
| Existential and categorical self | 188 | ||
| The self and mental health | 189 | ||
| The role of identity and free will in the development of the self | 190 | ||
| Eight stages of identity development | 190 | ||
| The consequence of belief in free will | 191 | ||
| The humanistic explanation of the self | 193 | ||
| The humanistic approach | 193 | ||
| Rogers’ humanistic theory: the development of self and self-esteem | 193 | ||
| Hierarchy of needs | 194 | ||
| Internal and external influences on the self and self-esteem | 196 | ||
| Internal influence on the self and self-esteem: temperament | 196 | ||
| External influence on the self and self esteem: experience | 197 | ||
| How personality can be measured | 198 | ||
| Personality scales | 198 | ||
| Personality types | 199 | ||
| The use of trait theory as a measure of personality | 200 | ||
| Factor analysis | 200 | ||
| Cardinal, central and secondary personality traits | 200 | ||
| 16PF personality factor assessment | 201 | ||
| Strengths and weaknesses of trait theory as a measure of personality | 201 | ||
| Studies: Vohs and Schooler (2008)The Value of Believing in Free Will: Encouraging a Belief in Determinism Increases Cheating | 202 | ||
| Background to the study | 202 | ||
| Aims | 202 | ||
| Procedure | 202 | ||
| Results | 203 | ||
| Conclusions | 203 | ||
| Strengths and weaknesses of the study | 204 | ||
| Van Houtte and Jarvis (1995) The Role of Pets in Preadolescent Psychosocial Development | 205 | ||
| Background to the study | 205 | ||
| Aims | 205 | ||
| Procedure | 205 | ||
| Results | 206 | ||
| Conclusions | 207 | ||
| Strengths and weaknesses of the study | 207 | ||
| Topic 8: Perception | 208 | ||
| Monocular and binocular depth cues | 210 | ||
| Visual depth cues | 210 | ||
| Visual illusions | 212 | ||
| Visual constancies | 213 | ||
| Gibson (1966) The Direct Theory of Perception | 214 | ||
| Sensory input | 214 | ||
| Optic flow | 214 | ||
| Invariants | 215 | ||
| Affordances | 215 | ||
| Strengths and weaknesses of the theory | 215 | ||
| Gregory (1970) The Constructivist Theory of Perception | 216 | ||
| Sensory input | 216 | ||
| Perceptual hypothesis | 216 | ||
| Inferences | 216 | ||
| Prior knowledge | 217 | ||
| Strengths and weaknesses of the theory | 217 | ||
| Perceptual set | 219 | ||
| Motivation | 219 | ||
| Expectation | 219 | ||
| Emotion | 220 | ||
| Culture | 220 | ||
| Studies: Haber and Levin (2001) The Independence of Size Perception and Distance Perception | 221 | ||
| Background to the study | 221 | ||
| Experiment 1 | 221 | ||
| Experiment 2 | 222 | ||
| Overall conclusion | 224 | ||
| Strengths and weaknesses of the study | 224 | ||
| Carmichael, Hogan and Walter (1932) An Experimental Study of the Effect of Language on the Reproduction of Visually Perceived Form | 225 | ||
| Background to the study | 225 | ||
| Aims | 225 | ||
| Procedure | 225 | ||
| Results | 226 | ||
| Conclusion | 226 | ||
| Strengths and weaknesses of the study | 226 | ||
| Topic 9: Sleep and dreaming | 228 | ||
| Features, functions and benefits of sleep | 230 | ||
| The four stages of sleep and REM sleep | 230 | ||
| The sleep cycle | 231 | ||
| Functions and benefits of sleep | 231 | ||
| Internal and external influences on sleep | 232 | ||
| Circadian rhythms | 232 | ||
| Ultradian rhythms | 232 | ||
| Internal influences on sleep | 233 | ||
| External influences on sleep | 233 | ||
| Strengths and weaknesses of the internal influences on sleep explanation | 234 | ||
| Strengths and weaknesses of the external influences on sleep explanation | 234 | ||
| Symptoms and explanations of sleep disorders | 235 | ||
| Insomnia | 235 | ||
| Narcolepsy | 235 | ||
| Freud’s (1900) theory of dreaming | 237 | ||
| The importance of the unconscious | 237 | ||
| Dreams reveal unconscious wishes and desires | 238 | ||
| Strengths and weaknesses of Freud’s theory of dreaming | 239 | ||
| Hobson and McCarley’s (1977) activation-synthesis theory of dreaming | 240 | ||
| Activation synthesis | 240 | ||
| Strengths and weaknesses of the activation-synthesis theory of dreaming | 241 | ||
| Studies: Freud (1909) Little Hans: Analysis of a Phobia in a Five-Year-Old Boy | 242 | ||
| Background to the study | 242 | ||
| Aims | 242 | ||
| Procedure | 242 | ||
| Results | 243 | ||
| Conclusions | 244 | ||
| Strengths and weaknesses of the study | 244 | ||
| Siffre (1975) Six Months Alone in a Cave | 245 | ||
| Background to study | 245 | ||
| Aims | 245 | ||
| Procedure | 245 | ||
| Results | 246 | ||
| Conclusions | 246 | ||
| Strengths and weaknesses of the study | 247 | ||
| Topic 10: Language, thought and communication | 248 | ||
| The possible relationship between language and thought | 250 | ||
| Representational thinking precedes language | 250 | ||
| Strengths and weaknesses of Piaget’s theory | 251 | ||
| Language and thinking are separate | 251 | ||
| Strengths and weaknesses of Vygotsky’s theory | 252 | ||
| How thought and language structures affect our view of the world | 253 | ||
| Linguistic relativism | 253 | ||
| Strengths and weaknesses of linguistic relativism as a theory | 255 | ||
| Linguistic determinism | 255 | ||
| Strengths and weaknesses of linguistic determinism as a theory | 256 | ||
| How communication is different in humans and animals | 257 | ||
| Ethics and researching with animals | 257 | ||
| Features of language | 257 | ||
| Animal communication | 258 | ||
| Similarities and differences between animal and human communication | 258 | ||
| Examples of non-verbal communication | 261 | ||
| Facial expressions | 261 | ||
| Eye contact | 261 | ||
| Body language | 262 | ||
| Personal space and distance | 262 | ||
| Explanations of non-verbal communication | 264 | ||
| Darwin’s (1872) theory of evolution | 264 | ||
| A biological explanation for facial expressions | 264 | ||
| The social purpose of maintaining eye contact | 264 | ||
| The role of the environment | 264 | ||
| Studies: Yuki et al. (2007) Are the windows to the soul the same in the East and West? | 265 | ||
| Background to the study | 265 | ||
| Aims | 265 | ||
| Procedure | 265 | ||
| Results | 266 | ||
| Conclusions | 266 | ||
| Strengths and weaknesses of the study | 267 | ||
| Boroditsky (2001) Does language shape thought? Mandarin and English speakers’ conceptions of time | 268 | ||
| Background to the study | 268 | ||
| Aims | 268 | ||
| Procedure | 268 | ||
| Results | 270 | ||
| Conclusions | 270 | ||
| Overall conclusions | 270 | ||
| Strengths and weaknesses of the study | 271 | ||
| Preparing for your exam 2 | 272 | ||
| Index | 279 | ||
| Acknowledgements | 284 | ||
| Back Cover | Back Cover |