AQA PSYA3/PSYA4 Psychology Revision Thread 10th/17th June 2013

Hey well I would suggest that for AO1, you have 4 paragraphs worth of AO1, roughly around 50-60 words if you can sum it up. Then I would say 8 paragraphs worth of A02, again 50-60 words.
So for example, in Perception, 'Outline & evaluate Gibson's bottom-up/direct theory of perception' you could do:

Outline the description, A01
1) First paragraph on optic flow
2) Second on Ecological, e.g. depth/distance and texture gradient
3) Invariants e.g. horizon-ratio etc
4) Resonance & affordance


Then evaluate using supporting research and about 2-3 IDA's. Apparently, according to my textbook and teacher, a good essay will have a maximum of 2 IDAs. So in this essay you could use One real-world application paragraph, and one nature vs nurtue paragraph.

Remember also that your A02 should flow so that it is easier for you and the examiner to read and understand what you have written. You don't have to follow this way of doing essays. Im using this and it has really worked for me thus far. If you need anymore help just let me know. Happy to help where I can.

Hey well I would suggest that for AO1, you have 4 paragraphs worth of AO1, roughly around 50-60 words if you can sum it up. Then I would say 8 paragraphs worth of A02, again 50-60 words.
So for example, in Perception, 'Outline & evaluate Gibson's bottom-up/direct theory of perception' you could do:

Outline the description, A01
1) First paragraph on optic flow
2) Second on Ecological, e.g. depth/distance and texture gradient
3) Invariants e.g. horizon-ratio etc
4) Resonance & affordance


Then evaluate using supporting research and about 2-3 IDA's. Apparently, according to my textbook and teacher, a good essay will have a maximum of 2 IDAs. So in this essay you could use One real-world application paragraph, and one nature vs nurtue paragraph.

Remember also that your A02 should flow so that it is easier for you and the examiner to read and understand what you have written. You don't have to follow this way of doing essays. Im using this and it has really worked for me thus far. If you need anymore help just let me know. Happy to help where I can.

How would you write the outline for Gregory ?


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For Gregory you could use:
1) Top-down necessary because visual input incomplete...

2) Perception is an interaction between knowledge in the brain & sensory data, and is then tested against reality...

3) Internal expectations based on past experience, e.g. Bruner et al. 1951, black hearts and red spades study

4) Misapplied hypotheses lead to errors of perception e.g. Muller-Lyer illusion

Hope this helps

Thanks I used that as my guideline. What is the difference between perceptual abilities and perceptual development ?


Posted from TSR Mobile

I'm resitting unit 2 + 4 whilst doing 3 xD I'm having a similar problem :/ I would say relax, understand each topic, make notes and memorise?

Hey does anyone know the questions or have a copy of the January PSYA4 paper?

Oh gosh yeah i can understand. I'm doing little bits of revision for unit 4 at the moment but mainly focusing on getting a high grade in my AS and in the unit 3. I just really don't want to mess up in the research methods as thats my weak point, but i understand schizophrenia really well and media is okay. I just mainly need to bump up the AS lol...but it's easier said than done unfortunately! Thanks for your help, i've been doing brief brainstorms on the my notes that i already had, then doing a detailed outline question, then a detailed evaluation, then making an essay plan and writing the outline and evaluation all in one...seems to be working!

Aww, I'm doing depression and addictions
Ahhh good ideaa, I might try that!
There's not much time though and there's just WAY too much to do -_-

The word sounds depressing itself haha let alone studying it! I find that even though there isn't much time what i do for revision seems to get alot of the topics done and then you can just mark them, improve them a little if need be, then learn the essays and key researchers. That way when it comes to the exam, you know that you have done the majority of 'potential' exam questions. So i just go on the AQA website print off all the past paper questions put them into a booklet and work through them. Just splitting the question up into outline, then ill do an evaluation then just combine the two

I have three psychology and three biology so i have a heck of a lot too :/ tbh i don't even know the date of the unit 2 exam :/

Is anyone else doing addiction?

Hey, to get an A* would one have to achieve an A overall and 90+ ums in Units 3 & 4?

What marks have u got so far? It depends what you have got in units 1 and 2 as well

Would love notes on aggression and research methods ;D

Would any A grade students please mark my essay? It's on the biological explanations of depression. My teachers just told me I got 17/24 but he wouldn't give me any feed back -,-
I want to know how to improveee and get to maybe 21+ marks on it
If anyone wants to briefly read it and give me feedback, just quote me and I'll pm you