Webinars
 What The Examiner Said - And
How to Respond for Summer 2017
– Now on YouTube
 Energising Students in the Year 1
Psychology Classroom – Thursday
15th September @ 8:00
 Practical Approaches to Teach
Issues and Debates in Year 2
Psychology
–
Sunday
18th
September @ 8:00
Next Week’s Webinars
 Encourage Your Students to Fall in Love with Relationships (AQA
Paper 3 topic, that is...) - Tuesday @ 8:30
 Mastering Research Methods – Revisiting the Sign Test Wednesday @4:30
http://www.tutor2u.net/even
ts/teachers/online
CPD Events


Fast-Track Your Planning for AQA A Level Psychology (Year 2)
 Birmingham 23rd September
 London 30th September
To book: Visit www.tutor2u.net.net/events/teachers or email [email protected]
A packed day with OVER 40 active teaching & learning activities…
Session Aims
Analysing Issues & Debates
• The Specification
• What types of questions will AQA ask?
Mapping Issues & Debates to Approaches
• Understanding the Key Terms
• Comparing Issues & Debates with Approaches
• Sorting out Issues & Debates, once and for all!
• Comparison vs. Evaluation
Mapping Issues & Debates to Year 1 & 2 Topics
• Issues & Debates Student Topic Tables & GRENADE
• Example: Issues & Debates in Relationships
Session Aims
Analysing Issues & Debates
• The Specification
• What types of questions will AQA ask?
Mapping Issues & Debates to Approaches
• Understanding the Key Terms
• Comparing Issues & Debates with Approaches
• Sorting out Issues & Debates, once and for all!
• Comparison vs. Evaluation
Mapping Issues & Debates to Year 1 & 2 Topics
• Issues & Debates Student Topic Tables & GRENADE
• Example: Issues & Debates in Relationships
Analysing Issues & Debates
Analysing Issues & Debates
• The Specification
• What types of questions will AQA ask?
The Specification
Titles
Issues and Debates in Psychology
08.1 Gender and culture
Gender and culture in psychology – universality and bias.

Gender bias including androcentrism and alpha and beta bias;

Cultural bias, including: ethnocentrism and cultural relativism.
08.2
Free
determinism
will
Free will and determinism: hard determinism and soft determinism;

Biological
and

Environmental

Psychic determinism
The scientific emphasis on causal explanations.
The nature-nurture debate: the relative importance of heredity and environment in determining
behaviour; the interactionist approach.
08.3 Nature vs nurture
08.4
Holism
reductionism
and
08.5
Idiographic
nomothetic
and
Holism and reductionism: levels of explanation in psychology.

Biological reductionism

Environmental (stimulus-response) reductionism
Idiographic and nomothetic approaches to psychological investigation.
08.6 Ethical implications of
Ethical implications of research studies and theory, including reference to social sensitivity.
research
IDA Sample Question Mapping
 Definition Short-Answer Question
 Evaluation Short-Answer Question
 Application
 Essay
 Compare/Contrast Essay?
Short-Answer Questions
 Definition SAQ: With reference to the item above, explain what is
meant by ‘determinism’. Refer to three types of determinism in
your answer. [6 marks]
 Evaluation SAQ: Briefly outline one problem associated with alpha
bias in psychological research, and one problem associated with
beta bias in psychological research. [4 marks]
Application Questions
 Application: 04 Read the item and then answer the question that follows.
 A prison psychologist used an idiographic approach to study offending. He
asked two offenders to record their thoughts about their childhood and
their offending behaviour in a journal over a period of four weeks.
Qualitative analysis of the journals showed that the offenders often
thought about sad childhood events and believed that their childhood
experiences had influenced their offending. Findings from idiographic
research like the study described above are often used as a basis for other
investigations.
 Explain how the researcher might develop the above investigation
through taking a nomothetic approach. [6 marks]
Essays
Issues/Debates Essay
‘The best way to understand and explain behaviour is to reduce it to the simplest
component parts.’ In the context of the holism-reductionism debate, discuss this
view. Refer to at least one topic in your answer. (Total 16 marks)
Why can’t this one topic be approaches?
Approaches Essay
Outline the psychodynamic approach in psychology. Discuss one or more differences
between the psychodynamic approach and the humanistic approach. [8 marks]
Why can’t this discussion be centred on issues and debates?
Analysing Issues & Debates
Analysing Issues & Debates
• The Specification
• What types of questions will AQA ask?
Any Questions?
Mapping Issues & Debates to Approaches
Mapping Issues & Debates to Approaches
• Understanding the Key Terms
• Comparing Issues & Debates with Approaches
• Sorting out Issues & Debates, once and for all!
• Comparison vs. Evaluation
Understanding the Key Terms
 Students will only be able to embed
issues and debates into the optional
units (and Year 1 content) if they
know these terms explicitly…
 Activity 1: Issues & Debates Quiz
Quiz Trade…
Understanding the Key Terms
Comparing Issues & Debates with Approaches
Issues/Debates Essay
‘The best way to understand and explain behaviour is to reduce it to the simplest
component parts.’ In the context of the holism-reductionism debate, discuss this
view. Refer to at least one topic in your answer. (Total 16 marks)
Why can’t this one topic be approaches?
Approaches Essay
Outline the psychodynamic approach in psychology. Discuss one or more differences
between the psychodynamic approach and the humanistic approach. [8 marks]
Why can’t this discussion be centred on issues and debates?
Evaluation: Students can use the rows to evaluate essays within the I&D topic:
‘The best way to understand and explain behaviour is to reduce it to the simplest
component parts.’ In the context of the holism-reductionism debate, discuss this view. Refer
to at least one topic in your answer. (Total 16 marks)
Comparison: Students can use the columns to examine similarities and differences between
the different issues and debates, within the approaches topic:
Outline the psychodynamic approach in psychology. Discuss one or more differences
between the psychodynamic approach and the humanistic approach. [8 marks]
Activity 2: Sorting out ‘issues &
debates’, once and for all.
The aim of this activity is to consolidate
student knowledge and understanding
of the different issues and debates, in
relation
to
the
psychological
approaches.
Comparison vs. Evaluation
Outline the psychodynamic approach in
psychology. Discuss one or more
differences between the psychodynamic
approach and the humanistic approach. [8
marks]
Activity 3: How to compare and contrast
effectively…
The aim of this activity is to provide
students with a template for effective
comparison using the familiar burger
technique.
Psychodynamic vs. Humanist
Difference: Which two approaches are you contrasting?
Explain
Example
(Approach 2) (Approach 1)
Point
One difference between the ___________________ approach and the
___________________ is …
The ___________________ approach suggests [Provide explanation of the
difference you are going to discuss] …
However, the ___________________ suggests [Explain how approach 2 is
difference] …
Comparison
Evaluation
Psychodynamic vs. Humanist
Psychodynamic vs. Humanist
Explain
Example
(Approach 2) (Approach 1)
Point
Difference: Which two approaches are you contrasting?
One difference between the psychodynamic approach and the humanist
approach is the extent to which they argue that our behaviour is determined.
The psychodynamic approach suggests that behaviour is determined by
unconscious drives (e.g. the ID) and early childhood experiences, an idea termed
psychic determinism.
However, the humanist approach suggests that humans control their own
environment and are capable of change. Therefore the humanist approach argues
that humans have free-will while the psychodynamic approach suggest that our
behaviour is determined.
Mapping Issues & Debates to Approaches
Mapping Issues & Debates to Approaches
• Understanding the Key Terms
• Comparing Issues & Debates with Approaches
• Sorting out Issues & Debates, once and for all!
• Comparison vs. Evaluation
Any Questions?
Mapping Issues & Debates to Year 1 & 2 Topics
Mapping Issues & Debates to Year 1 & 2 Topics
• Issues & Debates Student Topic Tables & GRENADE
• Example: Issues & Debates in Relationships
Mapping Issues & Debates to Year 1
Specification - Social
01.1. Types of conformity
Which Issue and Debate?
Gender Bias - Beta bias
01.2 Conformity to social roles &
Gender Bias – Beta bias
Zimbardo
Why?
Asch conducted his research with male participants and
assumed that the findings would generalise equally to
females.
As above…
01.3 Explanations of obedience Culture Bias
Milgram conducted his research in the US. Replications in
other cultures have shown differences.
01.4 Dispositional explanations
Nomothetic Approach
of obedience
Measuring personality characteristics (authoritarian
personality) using a psychometric approach.
01.6 Minority influence
Experimental Reductionism
Complex behaviour reduced into isolated variables for
research. The effects of minority influence in the real
world are much more subtle and it tends to take a long
time to have an effect.
Mapping Issues & Debates to Year 1
Specification - Social
01.1. Types of conformity
Which Issue and Debate?
Gender Bias - Beta bias
01.2 Conformity to social roles &
Gender Bias – Beta bias
Zimbardo
Why?
Asch conducted his research with male participants and
assumed that the findings would generalise equally to
females.
As above…
01.3 Explanations of obedience Culture Bias
Milgram conducted his research in the US. Replications in
other cultures have shown differences.
01.4 Dispositional explanations
Nomothetic Approach
of obedience
Measuring personality characteristics (authoritarian
personality) using a psychometric approach.
01.6 Minority influence
Experimental Reductionism
Complex behaviour reduced into isolated variables for
research. The effects of minority influence in the real
world are much more subtle and it tends to take a long
time to have an effect.
Mapping Issues & Debates in Year 2
Relationships
Which Issue and
Debate?
Why?
09.1 Evolutionary explanations
Biological Determinism
Social Sensitivity
Views partner preferences as being due to genetic influences
(biological determinism). Socially sensitive as can be see to
justify behaviours such as male promiscuity and even rape.
09.2 Attraction
Nomothetic Approach
Filter theory seeks to formulate general laws of behaviour by
suggesting that we all use a series of filters to narrow down
the 'field of availables'.
09.3 Romantic relationships
Cultural Bias Ethnocentrism
Most research into romantic relationships has been
conducted in Western societies. Some research has
suggested that equity is not as important in non-Western
cultures.
09.4 Duck's phase model
Social Sensitivity
Carrying out research into relationship breakdown can
potentially be intrusive and distressing for partipants.
09.6 Parasocial relationships
Nomothetic Approach
Use of the Celebrity Attitude scale to identify levels of
parasocial relationship is an example of a nomothetic,
quantitative approach.
Mapping Issues & Debates in Year 2
Relationships
Which Issue and
Debate?
Why?
09.1 Evolutionary explanations
Biological Determinism
Social Sensitivity
Views partner preferences as being due to genetic influences
(biological determinism). Socially sensitive as can be see to
justify behaviours such as male promiscuity and even rape.
09.2 Attraction
Nomothetic Approach
Filter theory seeks to formulate general laws of behaviour by
suggesting that we all use a series of filters to narrow down
the 'field of availables'.
09.3 Romantic relationships
Cultural Bias Ethnocentrism
Most research into romantic relationships has been
conducted in Western societies. Some research has
suggested that equity is not as important in non-Western
cultures.
09.4 Duck's phase model
Social Sensitivity
Carrying out research into relationship breakdown can
potentially be intrusive and distressing for partipants.
09.6 Parasocial relationships
Nomothetic Approach
Use of the Celebrity Attitude scale to identify levels of
parasocial relationship is an example of a nomothetic,
quantitative approach.
Mapping Issues & Debates – Student Topic Tables
Activity 4:
Student Topic
Tables – One for
every single Year
1 and 2 Topic.
Issues and Debates in Relationships…
Activity 5: Issues and Debates in
Relationships…
The aim of this activity is to encourage
students to apply their knowledge of
issues and debates to the topic
relationships…
Issues and Debates in Relationships…
 Provide students with a ‘Grenade’ poster
 Use a spinner to select and issue/debate: www.wheeldecide.com
Mapping Issues & Debates to Year 1 & 2 Topics
Mapping Issues & Debates to Year 1 & 2 Topics
• Issues & Debates Student Topic Tables & GRENADE
• Example: Issues & Debates in Relationships
Any Questions?
Today’s Resources & Any Questions
 Today’s resources will be posted in our AQA Teacher FB Group.
Search
‘AQA
A
Level
Psychology
Teachers’
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OR
 Sign Up to our Daily Digest: http://www.tutor2u.net/dailydigest
and receive an email tomorrow morning directing you to the
resources.
 Don’t forget to sign up for our future webinars: www.tutor2u.net/psychology/events
 Please follow us on Twitter @tutor2upsych and spread the word…
 Join our Teacher FB Community, search: ‘AQA A Level Psychology Teachers’
 Encourage your students to join our Student FB Community: ‘A Level Psychology
Student Group’.
 If you ever need any advice, support or guidance, email: [email protected]
Any Questions?