2. 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 8:00
Practical Approaches to Teach Issues and Debates in Year 2 Psychology – Sunday 18th 8:00
Welcome to the 4th in a series of 25 free webinars…

3. Next Week’s Webinars
Encourage Your Students to Fall in Love with Relationships (AQA Paper 3 topic, that is...) - 8:30
Mastering Research Methods – Revisiting the Sign Test -

4. A packed day with OVER 40 active teaching & learning activities…
CPD Events
Fast-Track Your Planning for AQA A Level Psychology (Year 2)
Birmingham 23rd September
London 30th September
To book: Visit or
A packed day with OVER 40 active teaching & learning activities…

5. Session Aims The Specification What types of questions will AQA ask?
Analysing Issues & Debates
Understanding the Key Terms
Comparing Issues & Debates with Approaches
Sorting out Issues & Debates, once and for all!
Comparison vs. Evaluation
Mapping Issues & Debates to Approaches
Issues & Debates Student Topic Tables & GRENADE
Example: Issues & Debates in Relationships
Mapping Issues & Debates to Year 1 & 2 Topics

6. Session Aims The Specification What types of questions will AQA ask?
Analysing Issues & Debates
Understanding the Key Terms
Comparing Issues & Debates with Approaches
Sorting out Issues & Debates, once and for all!
Comparison vs. Evaluation
Mapping Issues & Debates to Approaches
Issues & Debates Student Topic Tables & GRENADE
Example: Issues & Debates in Relationships
Mapping Issues & Debates to Year 1 & 2 Topics

7. Analysing Issues & Debates
The Specification
What types of questions will AQA ask?

8. 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 will and determinism
Free will and determinism: hard determinism and soft determinism;
Biological
Environmental
Psychic determinism
The scientific emphasis on causal explanations.
08.3 Nature vs nurture
The nature-nurture debate: the relative importance of heredity and environment in determining behaviour; the interactionist approach.
08.4 Holism and reductionism
Holism and reductionism: levels of explanation in psychology.
Biological reductionism
Environmental (stimulus-response) reductionism
08.5 Idiographic and nomothetic
Idiographic and nomothetic approaches to psychological investigation.
08.6 Ethical implications of research
Ethical implications of research studies and theory, including reference to social sensitivity.
Ethical implications and guidelines are NOT the same thing.
Ethical implications of research concern the way in which research impacts those who take part and that way the findings are communicated in to the public, in particular the findings of socially sensitive research. And socially sensitive research relates to studies which have a potential social consequence for the participants or individuals represented by the research.

9. IDA Sample Question Mapping
Definition Short-Answer Question
Evaluation Short-Answer Question
Application
Essay
Compare/Contrast Essay?

10. 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]

11. 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]

12. Essays Issues/Debates Essay Approaches 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?

13. Analysing Issues & Debates
The Specification
What types of questions will AQA ask?
Any Questions?

14. 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

15. 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…

16. Understanding the Key Terms

17. 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?

21. 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)
Q2. ‘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?
Compare/Contrast Essay [in Approaches]: 05. 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?
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]

23. 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.

24. 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.

25. Psychodynamic vs. Humanist
Difference: Which two approaches are you contrasting?
Point
One difference between the ___________________ approach and the ___________________ is …
Example (Approach 1)
The ___________________ approach suggests [Provide explanation of the difference you are going to discuss] …
Explain (Approach 2)
However, the ___________________ suggests [Explain how approach 2 is difference] …

26. Why can’t this discussion be centred on issues and debates?
Evaluation
Comparison
Q2. ‘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?
Compare/Contrast Essay [in Approaches]: 05. 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?

27. Psychodynamic vs. Humanist

28. Psychodynamic vs. Humanist
Difference: Which two approaches are you contrasting?
Point
Example (Approach 1)
Explain (Approach 2)
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.

29. 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?

30. Mapping Issues & Debates to Year 1 & 2 Topics
Issues & Debates Student Topic Tables & GRENADE
Example: Issues & Debates in Relationships

31. Mapping Issues & Debates to Year 1
Specification - Social
Which Issue and Debate?
Why?
01.1. Types of conformity
Gender Bias - Beta bias
Asch conducted his research with male participants and assumed that the findings would generalise equally to females.
01.2 Conformity to social roles & Zimbardo
Gender Bias – Beta bias
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 of obedience
Nomothetic Approach
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.

32. Mapping Issues & Debates to Year 1
Specification - Social
Which Issue and Debate?
Why?
01.1. Types of conformity
Gender Bias - Beta bias
Asch conducted his research with male participants and assumed that the findings would generalise equally to females.
01.2 Conformity to social roles & Zimbardo
Gender Bias – Beta bias
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 of obedience
Nomothetic Approach
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.

33. 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
Use of the Celebrity Attitude scale to identify levels of parasocial relationship is an example of a nomothetic, quantitative approach.

34. 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
Use of the Celebrity Attitude scale to identify levels of parasocial relationship is an example of a nomothetic, quantitative approach.

35. Mapping Issues & Debates – Student Topic Tables
Activity 4: Student Topic Tables – One for every single Year 1 and 2 Topic.

37. 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…

38. Issues and Debates in Relationships…
Provide students with a ‘Grenade’ poster
Use a spinner to select and issue/debate:

39. Mapping Issues & Debates to Year 1 & 2 Topics
Issues & Debates Student Topic Tables & GRENADE
Example: Issues & Debates in Relationships
Any Questions?

40. Today’s Resources & Any Questions
Today’s resources will be posted in our AQA Teacher FB Group. Search ‘AQA A Level Psychology Teachers’ OR
Sign Up to our Daily Digest: and receive an tomorrow morning directing you to the resources.

41. Don’t forget to sign up for our future webinars: www. tutor2u
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