Psychology AQA A PSYA3 11th June 2012!

Out of curiosity, do you learn names of any of the researchers in your essays? I used to learn every single one for AS but when I got to A2 I decided to not even try and didn't bother at all. I'm doing exactly the same the same for PSY3 (except for one or two main ones like Bandura, Buss, Kohlberg) but there's so much info I'm not overloading my brain with them.
Do you bother learning researchers names?

Yep, you would talk about the visual cliff study etcc and all the other studies relating to perceptual development. You would focus your essay on neonatal studies - there is a topic in that. With regards to cross cultural studies i think personally, that would only be relevant if you relate it to the question. You could probably use it in a debate - nature vs nurture. I think there is enough info present in development of perception to not need to go to the cross cultural stuff, but i suppose if you're struggling you could but just ensure it is related to the question. Some of the studies do show support for perceptual development

Can someone please explain to me what happens in the sleep stages? e.g. stage one = alpha waves disappear and are replaced by low voltage slow waves. Heart rate declines and muscles relax. I get so confused!!!

Ok well im looking at the AQA textbook and "Neonate studies" comes under the nature-nurture debate which we dont have to cover anymore, according to the spec. I just glanced back at the spec and it actually separates the two which i didnt realise before. It says: The development of perceptual abilities - depth/distance etc

Perceptual development - cross cultural/infant studies

So according to the spec i would use cross cultural and infant as that exam question includes "perceptual development" in it, just like the heading in the spec. Im so blind sometimes. Thanks though for your input. By the way if a question came up like "consider what research has shown about bla, bla"... and it's for 16 marks would that mean i would have to evaluate the research?

ok, well i did this exam last year too. I wasn;t actually aware the specification removed the nature nurture debate - so thanks for pointing that out. I did the jan 2012 paper as a mock and was awarded 21/24. I didn't include any cross cultural research, which is may be why i lost out on 3 marks? I'm not sure...

There are 5 stages during sleep. The first 4 stages are called NREM (non-eye rapid movement)sleep and the 5th is called REM sleep. These ultradian rhythms take about 90 minutes to complete, which follow a fixed sequence. Most people complete about 5 cycles per night.

Stage 1: This is characterised by a combination of beta waves and alpha waves. These waves become synchronised unlike wakefulness. This is a shallow stage of sleep, and body temperature and heart rate are dropping.

Stage 2: This is characterised by a greater amount of alpha waves and some theta waves. Body temperature and heart rate are dropping even more, and there are occasional sleep spindles.

Stage 3: This is made up of increased theta waves and up to 50% delta waves. These wave forms have a lower frequency and greater amplitude. This is a deeper stage of sleep.

Stage 4: This is characterised by over 50% delta waves and is important as growth hormones are released during this stage of sleep.

Stage 5: After a person has gone through stage 1-4, they begin to go into REM sleep. The waves become less syncronised and the beta waves resurface. This stage is called paradoxical sleep, as the brain and eyes are still active, but the body remains paralysed.

Hope this helps, got this stuck into my head yesterday lol

Does anyone please have an essay that they could send me on explanations of gender dysphoria? thats over 20/24 marks? would be soo grateful!!!

it's very unlikely they'd do that!

how come?

Actually, they can specifically ask you for a 24 marker on Ultradian Rhythms.
For that you'd want to include Stages of Sleep and Neurochemical Activity.

ive got essays that are around 20/24 on gender aggression + relationships to send it return!

just could do with good essays on explanations of gender dysphoria, evolutionary explanations of gender AND biological explanations for gender

i do have essays for them but its when i wasnt doing them timed and they are WAY too in detail and too long so i dont even know which bits are relevant and which to take out etc...

please please please!

ive got essays that are around 20/24 on gender aggression + relationships to send it return!

Could I pester you for some Aggression essays? Sadly, I don't do gender so I cannot help you there.

Hey does anybody know what i could say about Freud's theory when evaluating the functions of sleep?