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AQA A2 Psychology PSYA3/PSYA4 Revision Thread 2015

Hey guys,

Thought I would start this thread as I've found looking through last year's revision thread quite helpful in writing my essays already!

We've started with PSYA3 and are studying Relationships, Aggression and Eating Behaviour. What's everyone else doing?

:smile:

Edit: I'm finding the Loopa books super helpful at the moment - they've really helped with structuring my essays to complement the notes I already have. If anyone's interested head to loopa.co.uk - there are books for most of the topics!
(edited 9 years ago)

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I was just interested to find out how everyone has been told to write their essays? I find writing all the AO1 and then all the AO2 in two blocks a lot more effective with the time limit, and easier to memorise. And surely it's easier for the examiner to mark essays like this?? But my teacher keeps telling me I should "interweave" the theory and evaluation and marks me down because I don't.

Also, is it ok to write each paragraph as separate points which don't necessarily link? For example, I'll write about Reward-Need Satisfaction Theory. Then for the evaluation I might write a paragraph about Hays' study, and evaluate his methodology. Then in the next paragraph I'll move on and write about Griffit and Guay. I've been getting marked down for this, but from model essays I've read online I get the impression this is an ok way to do it.

I'm finding it quite difficult as I do slightly doubt what my teacher tells me, as when you ask her a direct question she can never really explain exactly HOW I'm supposed to link all my evaluation points :rolleyes:

Any advice much appreciated!
Reply 2
Original post by MollyMcFly1
I was just interested to find out how everyone has been told to write their essays? I find writing all the AO1 and then all the AO2 in two blocks a lot more effective with the time limit, and easier to memorise. And surely it's easier for the examiner to mark essays like this?? But my teacher keeps telling me I should "interweave" the theory and evaluation and marks me down because I don't.

Also, is it ok to write each paragraph as separate points which don't necessarily link? For example, I'll write about Reward-Need Satisfaction Theory. Then for the evaluation I might write a paragraph about Hays' study, and evaluate his methodology. Then in the next paragraph I'll move on and write about Griffit and Guay. I've been getting marked down for this, but from model essays I've read online I get the impression this is an ok way to do it.

I'm finding it quite difficult as I do slightly doubt what my teacher tells me, as when you ask her a direct question she can never really explain exactly HOW I'm supposed to link all my evaluation points :rolleyes:

Any advice much appreciated!


That is essentially, the right way to write an essay. With a typical psychology question, there are a lot of theories and concepts and you can choose one or two depending on the question itself.

Normally, at AS, you would write 1 A01 paragraph and 4 A02 paragraphs but at A2, you write the theory (A01) and as much A02 you can until your 30mins is over for the first question. That being said, you should be spending at least 30mins on each section.

With how you evaluate, if you use a study, you do not evaluate the study, you evaluate how the study corresponds to the theory. Is it valid in regards to the theory? The essays you've read must have been A02 with evaluating the theory.

With linking, I think your teacher may mean talk about a specific IDA and then link that to another.

Hope I helped, i did psychology for a level
If you struggle with anything Molly drop me a message on Loopa and I'll help too but as I have said in my videos - writing theory first is best followed by evaluation after keeping them distinctively different (leaving a single line of space). Examiners are humans too and sitting there trying to decipher paragraphs and where the theory is and where the evaluation is will only make them turn off their concentration towards your essays.

Saj
We're doing relationships, aggression, intelligence, media, schizophrenia and research methods. My teachers also tell us to interweave all the AOs, and I got marked down for blocking it too. But surely it's easier for examiners to mark if we block them?
hey, im doing Relationships, Aggression and Eating Behaviour too. We've been told to write the AO1 first, then as much evaluation and IDA points (Issues, Debates, and Real Life Application) as possible. My teachers are pushing us to write more for AO3 (IDA) as we don't write enough. :smile:
Original post by maymuyt
That is essentially, the right way to write an essay. With a typical psychology question, there are a lot of theories and concepts and you can choose one or two depending on the question itself.

Normally, at AS, you would write 1 A01 paragraph and 4 A02 paragraphs but at A2, you write the theory (A01) and as much A02 you can until your 30mins is over for the first question. That being said, you should be spending at least 30mins on each section.

With how you evaluate, if you use a study, you do not evaluate the study, you evaluate how the study corresponds to the theory. Is it valid in regards to the theory? The essays you've read must have been A02 with evaluating the theory.

With linking, I think your teacher may mean talk about a specific IDA and then link that to another.

Hope I helped, i did psychology for a level


Thanks for your help!! :smile:
So if we don't evaluate the studies how do we get AO3 marks? Could you not say, for example, "much of the research into ……… uses questionnaires. The responses may have been influenced by social desirability bias, meaning they are not a true representation of human behaviour. This has a negative influence on the theory as there is a lack of credible research to support it". Or something along those lines? I thought we were ok to evaluate the studies as long as we specified the effect on the theory itself :/
Original post by Mephestic
If you struggle with anything Molly drop me a message on Loopa and I'll help too but as I have said in my videos - writing theory first is best followed by evaluation after keeping them distinctively different (leaving a single line of space). Examiners are humans too and sitting there trying to decipher paragraphs and where the theory is and where the evaluation is will only make them turn off their concentration towards your essays.

Saj


Thanks Saj! I have bought your relationships book and have found it super helpful! As far as I know we don't actually get marks for our essay structure do we? So it doesn't really matter if you don't link all your points...The main thing is getting the content in there? :smile:
Original post by coffeeandcats
We're doing relationships, aggression, intelligence, media, schizophrenia and research methods. My teachers also tell us to interweave all the AOs, and I got marked down for blocking it too. But surely it's easier for examiners to mark if we block them?


Yeah there seem to be differing opinions on this..every teacher says something different!! Intelligence looks really interesting - bit gutted I don't get to study that!
Original post by Bex Adams
hey, im doing Relationships, Aggression and Eating Behaviour too. We've been told to write the AO1 first, then as much evaluation and IDA points (Issues, Debates, and Real Life Application) as possible. My teachers are pushing us to write more for AO3 (IDA) as we don't write enough. :smile:


Sounds good. I always try to do the IDA first in case I run out of time! :smile:
Reply 10
Original post by MollyMcFly1
Sounds good. I always try to do the IDA first in case I run out of time! :smile:

do you do IDA before A01? if you do please don't, i've been told my teacher it's easier for examiners to mark A01, A02 then IDA (for one explanation question) she says its logical to do it this way. If the question asks for two explanations do A01, A02, IDA for first theory then A01, A02 and IDA for second (you can leave out IDA for first and only do it for second). For A01 make it concise it doesn't have to be very detailed. Then A02, you can't start off with a name has to start off with "there is research to support .." or something along those lines otherwise they won't give A02 marks. The model answers i've seen have 4/5 studies for A02 in each essay but they relate them back to what they said in A01 to get high marks, for IDA do 2 good points to conclude the essay.

Also, read latest psychology papers they help a lot as they have recent studies around the topics you're doing and shows your interest to the examiner. :smile:

link: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed
(edited 9 years ago)
Original post by MollyMcFly1
Thanks Saj! I have bought your relationships book and have found it super helpful! As far as I know we don't actually get marks for our essay structure do we? So it doesn't really matter if you don't link all your points...The main thing is getting the content in there? :smile:


Yup the content is more important than structure definitely and making sure you get at least IDA's is important in psya3. Good structure is good though just to make the examiners like you as they are likely to give you a better mark if you make their lives easier.
Hi guys! How far have you guys come in the course?
Original post by TheNoobishKnight
Hi guys! How far have you guys come in the course?


We've just finished Deindividuation in the Aggression topic. Covered Relationships already :smile:
Original post by MollyMcFly1
We've just finished Deindividuation in the Aggression topic. Covered Relationships already :smile:


I don't even know what topics were are doing for PSYA3 -_- lol. How you finding it? How many essays do you have to memorise for each topic?

We've done it backwards. We have done the PSAY4 section C which is worth 35 marks and is all about research methods. I think we are doing Section A now, Schizophrenia which is 24 marks( I have almost finished it). There are about 7-8 essays you got to memorise by heart( I think lol). TBH I don't find it too bad so far. A bit boring though... lol

Went to keep a plethora of time for memorisation, so getting this done at a good pace should help :biggrin:
Original post by TheNoobishKnight
I don't even know what topics were are doing for PSYA3 -_- lol. How you finding it? How many essays do you have to memorise for each topic?

We've done it backwards. We have done the PSAY4 section C which is worth 35 marks and is all about research methods. I think we are doing Section A now, Schizophrenia which is 24 marks( I have almost finished it). There are about 7-8 essays you got to memorise by heart( I think lol). TBH I don't find it too bad so far. A bit boring though... lol

Went to keep a plethora of time for memorisation, so getting this done at a good pace should help :biggrin:


I memorised about 8 essays for Relationships and I think it's the same in the other PSYA3 topics. Such fun ha! I've been doing the research methods stuff on my own as I don't think we'll have a lot of time to do it in class - it's very dry isn't it? :smile:
I'm finding PSYA3/4 much harder too. I'm not really sure about the structure :s-smilie:
Original post by MollyMcFly1
I memorised about 8 essays for Relationships and I think it's the same in the other PSYA3 topics. Such fun ha! I've been doing the research methods stuff on my own as I don't think we'll have a lot of time to do it in class - it's very dry isn't it? :smile:


God help us all, research methods is the most boring thing ever. It's good though, as it's not extremely demanding but you can easily lost a lot of marks depending on how you word your answers -_-.

Original post by beckysoya
I'm finding PSYA3/4 much harder too. I'm not really sure about the structure :s-smilie:


I recommend getting Saj Devish's books(loopa.com) or if you really want help on structure and some good plans getting this book(very useful for me) http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0199129851?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00
Really helps you grasp the way to structure it.
Reply 18
Original post by TheNoobishKnight
Hi guys! How far have you guys come in the course?


Hi, we have covered two topics already - Relationships and Aggression. After half-term we will be start on Gender. Wbu?
Original post by MaryamI
Hi, we have covered two topics already - Relationships and Aggression. After half-term we will be start on Gender. Wbu?


I have done research methods and Schizophrenia :biggrin:. Wow, you guys are killing it. you got them to topics done which means you got 1 topic left for PSAY3 and PSYA4 isn't that long TBH.

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