AQA Psychology for A Level Year 1 & AS - Student Book
These are my Year 1 Psychology notes for A Level, a comprehensive guide based on Cara Flanagan's AQA textbooks. This guide covers a range of topics including an introduction to psychology, approaches, social influence, memory, psychopathology, attachment, and research methods. You will explore the ...
,Origins and history:
o The aim of psychology is to scientifically study the human mind and behaviour.
o 1875-79 – Psychologists first started looking at creating it into a subject. This was also when labs were
created.
o Psychology is a combination of biology and philosophy.
o It is a Westernised view that our thoughts and memories come from our brain.
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,Validity and Reliability: A03 (Evaluations)
Validity:
Results satisfy objectives.
✓ The extent to which a study and its findings are accurate.
✓ Are they a true reflection or human behaviour?
✓ Are we measuring what we are intending?
Internal validity: The extent to which an experiment External validity: the research is a true reflection of
has a cause-and-effect relationship. real behaviour.
(Can be tested using below techniques).
o Face validity: Where a behaviour at first sight o Ecological validity: where the measure
represents what is being measured. accurately measures the way it would under
normal circumstances.
o Concurrent validity: Where performance on o Population validity: Whether you can
one measure correlates highly with that of reasonably generalise the findings from your
another. sample to a large population.
o Temporal validity: Refers to the validity of the
findings in relation to the progression of time.
Reliability:
Results are consistent.
✓ Are the results consistent?
✓ If the test is reliable – should have a positive correlation.
Internal reliability: The extent to which a measure is External reliability: The extent to which a measure
consistent within itself. varies from one use to another.
o Split half reliability – measures the extent to o Test-retest reliability - presenting the same
which all parts of the test contribute equally to participants with the same test or questionnaire
what is being measured. on two separate occasions.
→ Data collected is split randomly in half and → Repeat test after a period of time using same
compared to see if results of each half are PPTS and correlate the results.
similar. → High positive means test is reliable.
o Inter-rater reliability – tests are scored by two
or more independent observers.
→ Scores are correlated and compared to see
how consistent they are.
→ A positive correlation between observers
scores means it is reliable.
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, Wundt and Introspection
Summary
Wundt attempted to find out about people’s mental states through introspection and experimental
psychology. Although he contributed a lot, his experiments were found to be unreliable and ineffective as
the human mind is far more complex.
Key terms
• Structuralism: our human activity is not
natural, but rather it is constructed.
• Introspection: a reflective looking inward – to
examine one’s thoughts and feelings.
Contributions Introspection
• Wrote first textbook (1873) 1) Controlled environments – giving all participants the same
• Set up first lab of experimental surroundings
psychology (1879)
• Structuralism – sensation and 2) Controlled stimuli and tasks – ticking metronome to reflect on
perceptions experience & using highly trained assistants.
• First person to use
introspection 3) Limited range of responses
Evaluation
Strengths Limitations
✓ Uses a standardised procedure –controlled Low validity – introspection sets out to
experiments and careful observation of how measure a person’s thoughts and emotions
we react to stimuli which are complex topics. Reporting these
→ replicable evidence as subjects were trained experiences when presented with a stimulus
to give responses. cannot tell us much about human behaviour.
Therefore, introspection doesn’t measure what
✓ Paved the way for further research into it intends to.
cognitive psychology – we can replicate
experiments as well as accurately observe and Research exerted less control (the participants
access our conscious thoughts and feelings were in control due to their descriptions and
using further, more effective research. responses) – unreliable way to find mental
states.
Subjective – results based on Wundt’s
perceptions.
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