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Psychology AQA A PSYA3 11th June 2012!

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Everyone nervous?
If it helps anyone with their technique, I've done a bubble diagram for every possible essay which includes the main points of the theories, then studies that support it/don't, debates etc.

Also, as someone who has sat the paper before, I found I struggled with the time, so try to practice timed essays :smile:
Reply 162
Avatar for StitchMad
StitchMad
People seem to be pretty much memorising whole essays... does anyone have a list of all the possible questions that could come up? :P It may make it slightly easier to break down and decide how to organise things in my head!
Original post by StitchMad
People seem to be pretty much memorising whole essays... does anyone have a list of all the possible questions that could come up? :P It may make it slightly easier to break down and decide how to organise things in my head!


What topics are you doing? It would be pointless me listing the questions if we arent doing the same topics :smile:
Reply 164
Avatar for StitchMad
StitchMad
Original post by Undergrad2012
What topics are you doing? It would be pointless me listing the questions if we arent doing the same topics :smile:


Oh, it helps if I tell you doesn't it? Oops! :P

I'm doing Relationships, Sleep and Aggression! :smile:
Reply 165
Avatar for hhh123
hhh123
2
Predictions for Eating Behaviours, Sleep and Aggression?
Original post by StitchMad
Oh, it helps if I tell you doesn't it? Oops! :P

I'm doing Relationships, Sleep and Aggression! :smile:


We are doing the same ones :P

Its quite easy to know what the questions will be. Go on:
http://www.aqa.org.uk/qualifications/a-level/science/psychology-a/psychology-a-key-materials

Click on specification (2012 onwards) and scroll down to unit3. The essays are pretty much what it says on the spec. So for instance for Sleep the specification says 'disruption of biological rhythms for example shift work or jet lag'.

So the question on the paper would be something along the lines of 'describe and evaluate research relating to at least one consequence of the disruption of biological rhythms e.g. shift work and jet lag'.

In other words, they take the specification, and put describe and evaluate, discuss etc around it.

If this isnt clear let me know and I'll just write them all out :P
Also, if the specification says 'including' - 'Explanations for sleep disorders, including insomnia, sleep walking and narcolepsy' - the question on the paper could be solely on any of those disorders.

So it may be 'Describe and evaluate explanations of insomnia' or 'Describe and evaluate explanations of narcolepsy'. It may even combine both.

But if the specification uses 'for example' - 'Disruption of biological rhythms, for example shift work, jet lag' - the question on the paper cannot specify. In other words you can use the examples or you can talk about another disruption of biological rhythms that you have learnt about. In other words, it will never ask 'Describe and evaluate how shift work is a disruption of biological rhythms'.

Hope this helps!
Reply 168
Avatar for DJ^
DJ^
Can someone pls post a list of questions that can be asked for biological rhythm and sleep. I'll be greateful.

+ Anyone reckon we'll be asked to discuss research into the nature of sleep, including stages of sleep? or lifespan changes of sleep? I can't find any A02/A03's for this section. Nature of sleep not a theory to prove or criticise, though i may be wrong. It'll be great if someone can help me with this.

Thanks
(edited 11 years ago)
Original post by DJ^
Can someone pls post a list of questions that can be asked for biological rhythm and sleep. I'll be greateful.

+ + Anyone reckon we'll be asked to discuss research into the nature of sleep, including stages of sleep? I can;t find any A02/A03's for this section

Thanks


Here is a ROUGH guide of questions for sleep. Wording could be different:

1) Outline and evaluate the nature of sleep/stages of sleep/lifespan changes.
2) Consider/Describe and evaluate the consequences of disrupting biological rhythms.
3) Discuss/Describe and evaluate the role of endogenous pacemakers/exogenous zeitgebers in the control of one or more biological rhythms.
4) Outline/discuss one or more examples of a circadian/infradian/ultradian rhythm.
5) Evaluate one or more explanations for sleep disorders/insomnia/sleep walking/narcolepsy.
6) Outline and evaluate one explanation (may specify either evolutionary or restoration) for the functions of sleep.

This covers the specification. Where I have put /'s it is because the question may specify. For example question 1 could be:
Outline and evaluate the nature of sleep (here you could use stages or sleep or lifespan changes or both) OR;
Outline and evaluate the stages or sleep OR;
Outline and evaluate lifespan changes of sleep.

Please don't rely on this as I may have missed something out! Remember it may just ask you to outline something and not evaluate it. :smile:
(edited 11 years ago)
Reply 170
Avatar for acedlol
acedlol
10
Original post by SecretCircus
:redface:.
Same here, I don't think I fully realised the sheer amount of stuff we have to know until I started revising...I swear it didn't seem as bad when I was doing it in class. I need 3 As to get into uni and I am seriously worried that I'm going to miss the grades because of psychology!

I don't know either, I've made flashcards for each topic (it looks a lot less daunting haha) but I think I'll start planning out every possible essay that could come up. It's ridiculous, you have to know everything or else you could be completely screwed - I personally think they need a big reduction in the content of the spec because I am never going to remember all of this.


Flashcards are the way to go :biggrin:

6-8 essays per topic x 3 = 18-24 flashcards :eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:

But each flashcard would be:

AO1 (10 mins 2x5)
+Research
+Research
-Research
*IDAs x 2*
*Real life Application*

Do one of those everyday, and I think you'd be sorted. If you predict as well and put essays into: probable, possible, and doubtful you'd have an idea of which ones you should be concentrating your efforts on, and which you should be like nah :unimpressed:

But I agree. This exam is a nightmare for anyone that doesn't want to try really hard. I get the impression that the only way to come out with a pass in this exam is to revise as if you were going for top marks D:

Sneaky AQA.
Reply 171
Avatar for StitchMad
StitchMad
Original post by Undergrad2012
We are doing the same ones :P

Its quite easy to know what the questions will be. Go on:
http://www.aqa.org.uk/qualifications/a-level/science/psychology-a/psychology-a-key-materials

Click on specification (2012 onwards) and scroll down to unit3. The essays are pretty much what it says on the spec. So for instance for Sleep the specification says 'disruption of biological rhythms for example shift work or jet lag'.

So the question on the paper would be something along the lines of 'describe and evaluate research relating to at least one consequence of the disruption of biological rhythms e.g. shift work and jet lag'.

In other words, they take the specification, and put describe and evaluate, discuss etc around it.

If this isnt clear let me know and I'll just write them all out :P


Original post by Undergrad2012
Also, if the specification says 'including' - 'Explanations for sleep disorders, including insomnia, sleep walking and narcolepsy' - the question on the paper could be solely on any of those disorders.

So it may be 'Describe and evaluate explanations of insomnia' or 'Describe and evaluate explanations of narcolepsy'. It may even combine both.

But if the specification uses 'for example' - 'Disruption of biological rhythms, for example shift work, jet lag' - the question on the paper cannot specify. In other words you can use the examples or you can talk about another disruption of biological rhythms that you have learnt about. In other words, it will never ask 'Describe and evaluate how shift work is a disruption of biological rhythms'.

Hope this helps!

Ah, that makes sense. Thanks! :smile:
Reply 172
Avatar for hhh123
hhh123
2
Original post by DJ^
Can someone pls post a list of questions that can be asked for biological rhythm and sleep. I'll be greateful.

+ Anyone reckon we'll be asked to discuss research into the nature of sleep, including stages of sleep? or lifespan changes of sleep? I can't find any A02/A03's for this section. Nature of sleep not a theory to prove or criticise, though i may be wrong. It'll be great if someone can help me with this.

Thanks


You can evaluate studies of lifespan changes (etc) to gain AO2/3 marks remember. For example question the methodology etc.
Original post by acedlol
Flashcards are the way to go :biggrin:

6-8 essays per topic x 3 = 18-24 flashcards :eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:

But each flashcard would be:

AO1 (10 mins 2x5)
+Research
+Research
-Research
*IDAs x 2*
*Real life Application*

Do one of those everyday, and I think you'd be sorted. If you predict as well and put essays into: probable, possible, and doubtful you'd have an idea of which ones you should be concentrating your efforts on, and which you should be like nah :unimpressed:

But I agree. This exam is a nightmare for anyone that doesn't want to try really hard. I get the impression that the only way to come out with a pass in this exam is to revise as if you were going for top marks D:

Sneaky AQA.


^ Sounds good! I need to work on the real life application stuff, we haven't done any of it in class. Is it just linking certain points to real case studies?

I don't know how to sort them into the probability of them coming up though, because I've written down every single past paper question and for some years the January and June papers have been so similar! I'm hating psychology right now :pinch:.
Reply 174
Avatar for d3ano
d3ano
Original post by AwkwardPenguin
I'm an external student and I'm doing all AS and A2 units in June so it's a bit sketchy but I'm predicted an A sorry! :smile: (They've just based it off my other grades if anyone's wondering! :P)


Send me your email address in a private message and i'll send you all my Unit 3/Unit 4 material. :smile:
Original post by Undergrad2012
Also, if the specification says 'including' - 'Explanations for sleep disorders, including insomnia, sleep walking and narcolepsy' - the question on the paper could be solely on any of those disorders.

So it may be 'Describe and evaluate explanations of insomnia' or 'Describe and evaluate explanations of narcolepsy'. It may even combine both.

But if the specification uses 'for example' - 'Disruption of biological rhythms, for example shift work, jet lag' - the question on the paper cannot specify. In other words you can use the examples or you can talk about another disruption of biological rhythms that you have learnt about. In other words, it will never ask 'Describe and evaluate how shift work is a disruption of biological rhythms'.

Hope this helps!


I don't think there would be a question like 'Describe and evaluate explanations of insomnia'. ..mmmhh:confused:

I think it would go like..Outline and evaluate one or more disorders of Sleep. etc

I remember my teacher saying they cannot ask you specifically like you just posted above. Or I may be wrong? :s-smilie:
Reply 176
Avatar for Heyimdec
Heyimdec
8
Original post by Brap4k22DivideBy2
I don't think there would be a question like 'Describe and evaluate explanations of insomnia'. ..mmmhh:confused:

I think it would go like..Outline and evaluate one or more disorders of Sleep. etc

I remember my teacher saying they cannot ask you specifically like you just posted above. Or I may be wrong? :s-smilie:


Well when I sat this, the following question came up 'Outline one explanation for narcolepsy (4 marks)', so I wouldn't rule out the chance of them possible asking you on either of the three.

Pretty sure it says in the spec you need to know those 3 specifically too. :smile:
Reply 177
Avatar for acedlol
acedlol
10
Original post by SecretCircus
^ Sounds good! I need to work on the real life application stuff, we haven't done any of it in class. Is it just linking certain points to real case studies?

I don't know how to sort them into the probability of them coming up though, because I've written down every single past paper question and for some years the January and June papers have been so similar! I'm hating psychology right now :pinch:.


Real-life application is how we could apply the certain topic into real life.

So stuff about social learning theory, we could talk about violent films that are shown to children. Perhaps they are teaching them to be bad? (Jamie Bulger etcetc). Something like that at the end of every single essay would get you a few AO2 marks.

My teacher is pretty good at Psychology, and she's really in the know-how with the exam board. She's got some predictions, so I'll nab them off her. What with 3 essays coming up, I'd say its likely she would get at least one right :biggrin:

But I haven't even begun revising psychology D: D: D: D: D:. I hate it as much as the next person. But I WILL DO IT :3333333333333
Original post by d3ano
Send me your email address in a private message and i'll send you all my Unit 3/Unit 4 material. :smile:


Have done! Thank you. :smile:

Still revising... Going to start doing past papers soon I think. :smile: I prefer Unit 4 but I think this one is more likely to be my downfall. :/
Original post by acedlol
Real-life application is how we could apply the certain topic into real life.

So stuff about social learning theory, we could talk about violent films that are shown to children. Perhaps they are teaching them to be bad? (Jamie Bulger etcetc). Something like that at the end of every single essay would get you a few AO2 marks.

My teacher is pretty good at Psychology, and she's really in the know-how with the exam board. She's got some predictions, so I'll nab them off her. What with 3 essays coming up, I'd say its likely she would get at least one right :biggrin:

But I haven't even begun revising psychology D: D: D: D: D:. I hate it as much as the next person. But I WILL DO IT :3333333333333


Thank you :smile:. You're lucky, my teacher is insisting that the spec hasn't changed and his teaching methods are rubbish. I've basically had to self-teach the lot which isn't fun, I'm just thankful that psychology isn't too difficult to 'get' - it's more the amount of knowledge that we have to learn.

I haven't done anywhere near as much as I should have done...and all the posts on this thread/previous ones have said that you need plenty of time to revise for this exam, oops. We'll get there eventually! I cannot wait to bin/set fire to/some other method my textbook :tongue:.

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