AQA A Psychology PYA4 - Relationships and Pro/Anti social behaviour tips

If you look at the specification you can break down the possible questions, because the exam board are only allowed to use the wording of the question (excluding brackets) to set the questions. I made this for a friend of mine and it might help you guys in revision. :smile:

Relationships
Attraction and the formation of relationships
1. Outline and evaluate explanations (theories) on interpersonal attraction in relationships
2. Outline and evaluate research studies on interpersonal attraction in relationships
3. Outline and evaluate theories on the formation of relationships
4. Outline and evaluate theories on the maintence of relationships (for this, the social exchange theory and equity theory are the best, because they’re soo similar they’re easy to remember, but count as different theories.)

Love and the breakdown of relationships
1. Outline and evaluate psychological explanations of love.
2. Outline and evaluate explanations relating to the breakdown of relationships (again, for this Duck’s and Lee’s explanations are the best, similar but separate theories!)
3. Outline and evaluate research studies relating to the breakdown of relationships.

Cultural and sub-cultural differences in relationships.
1. Outline and evaluate explanations relating to the nature of relationships in different cultures.
2. Outline and evaluate research studies relating to the nature of relationships in different cultures.
3. Outline and evaluate research studies into understudied relationships.
4. Outline and evaluate theories into understudied relationships

Pro/anti social behaviour
Nature and causes of aggression
1. Outline and evaluate social psychological theories of aggression
2. Outline and evaluate research studies into the effects of environmental stressors on aggressive behaviour

Altruism and bystander behaviour
1. Outline and evaluate explanations relating to human altruism
2. Outline and evaluate research studies relating to human altruism
3. Outline and evaluate explanations relating to bystander behaviour
4. Outline and evaluate research studies relating to bystander behaviour
5. Outline and evaluate cultural differences in pro-social behaviour

Media influences on pro- and anti-social behaviour
1. Outline and evaluate explanations relating to media influences on pro social behaviour
2. Outline and evaluate research studies relating to media influences on pro social behaviour (this came up last year for me, a bitch of a question but unlikely to come up for you)
3. Outline and evaluate explanations relating to media influences on anti social behaviour (you can use a lot from nature and causes of aggression here – social learning theory)
4. Outline and evaluate research studies relating to media influences on pro social behaviour (ditto above – Bandura, etc).

Outline and evaluate/discuss/compare and contrast all mean the same thing, so, if you have a template for each of the above then you’ve already got an essay plan for everything they’re allowed to ask you. They may word the question slightly differently (they might put some examples in brackets and stuff) but because of the specification they’re very restricted in what they’re allowed to ask you! If they ask you about research studies, evaluate using research, but make sure you say something like “[Outline social learning theory] Bandura tested this theory, he did ________, and found that ______, this shows strong support for the social learning theory blah blah blah”. You can also go on and criticize bandura but make sure you keep referencing back to the social learning theory.

What does the specification say?

Relationships

Pro/anti social behaviour

If you have any questions/comments feel free to PM or quote me.

Good luck guys :cheers:

Reply 1

paperclip

If anyone wants any more of these done then ask - i can try but it's quite difficult when i don't know the material myself, i did these two (and evolutionary explanations of human behaviour) so it's easier for me.

Reply 2

o-jode-o

Basically it will ask for theories of and/or evidence of... plus evaluate

I'm in the process of uploading all my revision notes and essays here:
http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=904505

They're not in major detail but revision notes aren't supposed to be, they're memory cues and I can help out on anything that you don't understand

Reply 3

paperclip

Thanks jode :top:

Also,

Reply 4

Mogaloo

I can't seem to write an essay that seems structured enough for "Outline research studies in Anti-Social behaviour". How do you make it balanced enough between AO1 and AO2?
Can anyone help, mine seem to be all description. :/ Thankssss.

Reply 5

wharrgarbl

You need to talk about the pros and cons of the research or theories you've used, and relate it back to the question title so that its relevant and becomes AO2.

You can use research in AO2 for theories as long as its relevant and explicitly argues for or against a study, and again relate the conclusion back to the title.