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Wyatt's Notes — A-Level

A-Level Psychology

A-Level Psychology

A-Level Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behaviour. It covers research methodology, cognitive processes, developmental psychology, social influence, biological bases of behaviour, and individual differences — all examined through empirical evidence and critical evaluation.

Topics Covered

Research Methods

  • Experimental design — laboratory, field, natural, and quasi-experiments; independent measures, repeated measures, matched pairs designs
  • Sampling methods — random, systematic, stratified, opportunity, volunteer; strengths and limitations
  • Data analysis — descriptive statistics (mean, median, mode, range, standard deviation); inferential statistics (sign test, chi-squared, Mann-Whitney U, Wilcoxon); choosing the right test
  • Ethics — informed consent, deception, right to withdraw, confidentiality, debriefing; BPS code of conduct
  • Validity and reliability — internal and external validity; improving reliability through standardisation

Cognitive Psychology

  • Memory models — multi-store model (Atkinson & Shiffrin: sensory, short-term, long-term); working memory model (Baddeley & Hitch: central executive, phonological loop, visuospatial sketchpad, episodic buffer)
  • Types of long-term memory — episodic, semantic, procedural; evidence from case studies (e.g., HM, Clive Wearing)
  • Forgetting — interference theory (proactive and retroactive); retrieval failure (context-dependent and state-dependent cues)
  • Eyewitness testimony — Loftus and Palmer; misleading information, anxiety, age; cognitive interview

Developmental Psychology

  • Attachment — Bowlby’s evolutionary theory; types of attachment (secure, insecure-avoidant, insecure-resistant); Ainsworth’s Strange Situation
  • Maternal deprivation — Bowlby’s 44 thieves study; the critical period; effects of institutionalisation (Romanian orphan studies)
  • Cultural variations — individualist vs. collectivist cultures; van Ijzendoorn and Kroonenberg’s meta-analysis

Social Psychology

  • Conformity — Asch’s line experiments; Normative Social Influence (NSI) and Informational Social Influence (ISI); variables affecting conformity
  • Obedience — Milgram’s shock experiments; situational variables (proximity, location, uniform); agentic state theory
  • Social change — how minority influence (consistency, commitment, flexibility) and majority influence create social change (e.g., civil rights movement)

Biopsychology

  • Nervous system — central nervous system (brain and spinal cord); peripheral nervous system (somatic and autonomic); sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions
  • Brain localisation — motor cortex, somatosensory cortex, visual cortex, auditory cortex, Broca’s area, Wernicke’s area; evidence from case studies and brain scans
  • Plasticity and functional recovery — the brain’s ability to reorganise after injury; axonal sprouting, recruitment of homologous areas
  • Biological rhythms — circadian (sleep-wake cycle), ultradian (sleep stages), infradian (menstrual cycle); endogenous pacemakers and exogenous zeitgebers

Individual Differences

  • Psychopathology — definitions of abnormality (deviation from social norms, failure to function adequately, deviation from ideal mental health, statistical infrequency)
  • Depression — behavioural, cognitive, and biological explanations; treatments (CBT, drug therapy)
  • OCD — biological explanations (genetic, neural); drug therapy (SSRIs)
  • Phobias — behavioural explanation (two-process model); systematic desensitisation and flooding

Study Tips

  1. Use the PEEL structure — Point, Evidence (study/theory), Explanation, Link to the question. Every exam paragraph needs this.
  2. Know key studies in detail — aim, procedure, findings, conclusions, evaluation. For every major topic, memorise 2–3 landmark studies.
  3. Evaluate using GRAVE — Generalisability, Reliability, Application, Validity, Ethics. Apply this to every research study you discuss.
  4. Compare approaches — be able to evaluate the biological, behavioural, cognitive, psychodynamic, and humanistic approaches for any given topic.
  5. Practise research methods questions — they appear on every paper and carry significant marks. Know how to calculate and interpret statistical tests.

How to Use These Notes

Each section provides key theories, landmark studies, evaluation points, and exam-style questions. Start with research methods (it underpins everything), then move through topics in order.

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