Edexcel A-level Psychology Year 12 revision

Topic 1: Social psychology

It builds on what you learned at GCSE in Social influence, and takes it further.

There are 9 parts: we start with obedience, and finish with reicher and Haslam (2006) The BBC Prison Study.

1. 1.1Obedience: Milgram's research and situational variables21 questions
2. 1.2Milgram (1963) Behavioural study of obedienceFree 33 questions
3. 1.3Explanations for obedience: agentic state, legitimacy of authority and the authoritarian personality20 questions
4. 1.4Social impact theory (Latané) and obedience28 questions
5. 1.5Social Identity Theory (Tajfel and Turner) and prejudice29 questions
6. 1.6Prejudice and discrimination: Realistic Conflict Theory (Sherif)27 questions
7. 1.7Reducing prejudice: contact hypothesis and superordinate goals30 questions
8. 1.8Burger (2009) Partial replication of Milgram33 questions
9. 1.9Reicher and Haslam (2006) The BBC Prison Study40 questions

Topic 2: Cognitive psychology

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

There are 7 parts: we start with memory, and finish with sebastián and Hernández-Gil (2012) Developmental pattern of digit span.

1. 2.1Memory16 questions
2. 2.2The multi-store model: coding, capacity and duration65 questions
3. 2.3The working memory model68 questions
4. 2.4Types of long-term memory: episodic, semantic and procedural19 questions
5. 2.5Reconstructive memory: Bartlett's schema theory and War of the Ghosts31 questions
6. 2.6Baddeley (1966) Coding in short-term and long-term memory38 questions
7. 2.7Sebastián and Hernández-Gil (2012) Developmental pattern of digit span25 questions

Topic 3: Biological psychology

It builds on what you learned at GCSE in The brain and neuropsychology, and takes it further.

There are 13 parts: we start with divisions of the nervous system, and finish with brendgen et al. (2005) Genetic and environmental effects on social and physical aggression.

1. 3.1Divisions of the nervous system: central, peripheral, somatic and autonomicFree 25 questions
2. 3.2Neurons and synaptic transmission32 questions
3. 3.3Localisation of function in the brain36 questions
4. 3.4Hemispheric lateralisation and split-brain research34 questions
5. 3.5Brain plasticity and functional recovery after trauma30 questions
6. 3.6The endocrine system, hormones and the fight-or-flight response38 questions
7. 3.7Neurotransmitters and hormones in behaviour: serotonin, dopamine, testosterone and oxytocin35 questions
8. 3.8Aggression: brain structures, hormones, evolution and Freud's psychodynamic explanation29 questions
9. 3.9Evolutionary explanations of behaviour: natural selection30 questions
10. 3.10Genes and behaviour: genotype, phenotype, twin and family studies29 questions
11. 3.11Ways of studying the brain: fMRI, EEG, ERPs and post-mortem examinations22 questions
12. 3.12Raine, Buchsbaum and LaCasse (1997) Brain abnormalities in murderers25 questions
13. 3.13Brendgen et al. (2005) Genetic and environmental effects on social and physical aggression26 questions

Topic 4: Learning theories

It builds on what you learned at GCSE in Criminal psychology, and takes it further.

There are 8 parts: we start with classical conditioning, and finish with evaluating learning theories.

1. 4.1Classical conditioning: Pavlov (1927) and Watson and Rayner (1920) Little AlbertFree 28 questions
2. 4.2Operant conditioning: Skinner, reinforcement, punishment and schedules of reinforcement32 questions
3. 4.3Social learning theory: imitation, modelling and mediational processes72 questions
4. 4.4Bandura, Ross and Ross (1961) Transmission of aggression through imitation36 questions
5. 4.5Phobias: characteristics, the behavioural approach and treatments27 questions
6. 4.6Applications of learning theories: token economies, aversion therapy and systematic desensitisation32 questions
7. 4.7Becker et al. (2002) Eating behaviours and attitudes after television in Fiji21 questions
8. 4.8Evaluating learning theories: animal research, determinism and ethics32 questions

Topic M1: Research methods

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

There are 16 parts: we start with aims, hypotheses, variables and operationalisation, and finish with the practical on investigation.

1. M1.1Aims, hypotheses, variables and operationalisationFree 27 questions
2. M1.2Experimental methods: laboratory, field, natural and quasi experiments23 questions
3. M1.3Experimental designs: independent groups, repeated measures, matched pairs and counterbalancing29 questions
4. M1.4Control of variables: extraneous and confounding variables, demand characteristics, investigator effects, randomisation and standardisation31 questions
5. M1.5Populations and sampling methods19 questions
6. M1.6Observational methods and behavioural categories34 questions
7. M1.7Self-report methods: questionnaires and interviews39 questions
8. M1.8Correlational analysis and correlation coefficients37 questions
9. M1.9Case studiesFree 24 questions
10. M1.10Content analysis and thematic analysis33 questions
11. M1.11Longitudinal, cross-sectional and cross-cultural research designs33 questions
12. M1.12Pilot studies, primary and secondary data, and meta-analysis68 questions
13. M1.13Ethical issues, the BPS Code of Ethics and ethics in animal research32 questions
14. M1.14Reliability and validity: assessing and improving them27 questions
15. M1.15Features of science, peer review and the implications of research for the economy28 questions
16. M1.16Practical investigation: planning, conducting, analysing and reporting a study (including referencing)28 questions

Topic M2: Data handling, statistics and maths skills

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

There are 8 parts: we start with quantitative and qualitative data and levels of measurement, and finish with maths skills for psychology.

1. M2.1Quantitative and qualitative data and levels of measurementFree 76 questions
2. M2.2Descriptive statistics: measures of central tendency and dispersion59 questions
3. M2.3Presenting data: tables, bar charts, histograms, scattergrams and distributions64 questions
4. M2.4Probability, significance levels and Type I and Type II errors65 questions
5. M2.5Choosing an inferential test and using critical values tables73 questions
6. M2.6The sign test: calculation and interpretation63 questions
7. M2.7Other inferential tests: Wilcoxon, Mann-Whitney, Spearman, Pearson, chi-square and t-tests73 questions
8. M2.8Maths skills for psychology: ratios, percentages, decimals, standard form, significant figures and estimation60 questions

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