Cambridge A-level Psychology Year 12 revision

Topic 1: Research methods

It builds on what you learned at IGCSE in Research methods, and takes it further.

There are 15 parts: we start with aims, hypotheses, variables and operationalisation, and finish with presenting data.

1. 1.1Aims, hypotheses, variables and operationalisationFree 27 questions
2. 1.2Experimental methods: laboratory, field, natural and quasi experiments23 questions
3. 1.3Experimental designs: independent groups, repeated measures, matched pairs and counterbalancing29 questions
4. 1.4Control of variables: extraneous and confounding variables, demand characteristics, investigator effects, randomisation and standardisation31 questions
5. 1.5Populations and sampling methods19 questions
6. 1.6Observational methods and behavioural categories34 questions
7. 1.7Self-report methods: questionnaires and interviews39 questions
8. 1.8Correlational analysis and correlation coefficients37 questions
9. 1.9Case studiesFree 24 questions
10. 1.10Longitudinal, cross-sectional and cross-cultural research designs33 questions
11. 1.11Ethical issues, the BPS Code of Ethics and ethics in animal research32 questions
12. 1.12Reliability and validity: assessing and improving them27 questions
13. 1.13Quantitative and qualitative data and levels of measurementFree 76 questions
14. 1.14Descriptive statistics: measures of central tendency and dispersion59 questions
15. 1.15Presenting data: tables, bar charts, histograms, scattergrams and distributions64 questions

Topic 2: The biological approach

It builds on what you learned at IGCSE in Sleep and dreams, and takes it further.

There are 3 parts: we start with dement and Kleitman (1957) Sleep cycles, REM and dreaming, and finish with hölzel et al. (2011) Mindfulness practice and increases in brain grey matter density.

1. 2.1Dement and Kleitman (1957) Sleep cycles, REM and dreaming28 questions
2. 2.2Hassett et al. (2008) Sex differences in rhesus monkey toy preferences19 questions
3. 2.3Hölzel et al. (2011) Mindfulness practice and increases in brain grey matter density19 questions

Topic 3: The cognitive approach

It builds on what you learned at IGCSE in Memory and forgetting, and takes it further.

There are 3 parts: we start with andrade (2010) What does doodling do?, and finish with pozzulo et al. (2012) Children's identification accuracy in target-absent line-ups.

1. 3.1Andrade (2010) What does doodling do?20 questions
2. 3.2Baron-Cohen et al. (2001) The Reading the Mind in the Eyes testFree 32 questions
3. 3.3Pozzulo et al. (2012) Children's identification accuracy in target-absent line-ups16 questions

Topic 4: The learning approach

There are 3 parts: we start with bandura, Ross and Ross (1961) Transmission of aggression through imitation, and finish with saavedra and Silverman (2002) Disgust and a specific phobia of buttons.

1. 4.1Bandura, Ross and Ross (1961) Transmission of aggression through imitation36 questions
2. 4.2Fagen et al. (2014) Positive reinforcement training for a trunk wash in Nepal's working elephants19 questions
3. 4.3Saavedra and Silverman (2002) Disgust and a specific phobia of buttons21 questions

Topic 5: The social approach

It builds on what you learned at IGCSE in Prosocial behaviour, and takes it further.

There are 3 parts: we start with Milgram (1963) Behavioural study of obedience, and finish with piliavin et al. (1969) Good Samaritanism.

1. 5.1Milgram (1963) Behavioural study of obedienceFree 33 questions
2. 5.2Perry et al. (2015) Oxytocin and personal space26 questions
3. 5.3Piliavin et al. (1969) Good Samaritanism: the subway study37 questions

Topic 6: Issues and debates

There are 7 parts: we start with approaches in psychology, and finish with cultural and gender bias in psychological research.

1. 6.1Approaches in psychology24 questions
2. 6.2Ethical considerations and practical issues in psychological researchFree 34 questions
3. 6.3Nature-nurture and free will-determinism debates28 questions
4. 6.4Reductionism-holism and idiographic-nomothetic approaches27 questions
5. 6.5Individual and situational explanations of behaviour20 questions
6. 6.6Usefulness of psychological research and application to everyday life23 questions
7. 6.7Cultural and gender bias in psychological research31 questions

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