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Help with A2 Psychology Essays? (AQA A)

As part of my revision for the upcoming summer exams, I've been compiling exhaustive notes with all of the AO1/AO2 I need for each topic.

An area I've really been struggling with is finding evaluation points for the research I want to use in my answers. The description of some of the studies in my textbook are either really short or vague, and provide me with little basis for evaluation.

I've even tried looking up the full reports for certain studies online, but still can't find anything to evaluate.

This is particularly worrying as I know its possible for an 24 mark essay to be focused upon evaluating research rather than a certain area/topic.

Has anyone else had this problem? Please help!
Reply 1
Original post by to-be-continued
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Hi, I did alevel psychology last year. In unit three the topics we studies were relationships, gender and aggression. I was feeling the same as you. Luckily I had an amazing teacher and he made us a model essay for each possible essay title.

When it comes to evaluating research thing of all the possible evaluation points there could be; nature vs nurture, reductionism, determinism, gender bias, validity etc.. then see if it could be applied to your study.

Also if your worried about the fact that AO2 is worth 16 marks then remember that research could also be used as AO2 as long as you say, Research to support/contradict the theorry was done by... or Research to support/contradict the study( your AO1) was done by...

Then you can also evaluate your A02 research increasing the A02 points.

You have honestly nothing to worry about. I knew five of the twenty one essays we have to know for unit 3. I opened up my exam paper and I only knew one. I cried a bit and got on with it. with the essays I didnt know i put pieces of research that were relevant from other essays and I managed to get an A on the paper.
AO3 is so important and mostly common sense/general things that can be applied to everything . Rip it apart and think of the bigger picture.

Compare it against other models or critic the model itself. (Biological concordance rates are never 100%, environment always plays a part. Can this model support psychodynamic/cognitive approaches etc?

Critic the methodology of the study (the sample size - is it representational? gender - is there bias? (EG, Freud) culture - western studies won't be applicable in non-western countries. The type of study - lab studies aren't reliable because we don't live in a lab on a daily basis and Hawthorne effect happens. Longitudinal studies - people drop out, small sample size etc.

Critic the findings - were they useful? EG, if only 50% of the sample proved with their hypothesis, then was it worth it? can we rely on it? Are they reductionist or deterministic results? If the study has categorised people (Bowlby/Ainsworth), critic that with humanistic approaches - we are not confined to categories etc.

Other studies - Did someone else replicate and find something better? EG Ainsworth's 3 attachment types, was followed by a 4th by Main and Soloman - type D.
Or does the study need improvements? a follow-up?

Use your Research Method unit to help you with AO3.
(edited 8 years ago)
Original post by mkap
Hi, I did alevel psychology last year. In unit three the topics we studies were relationships, gender and aggression. I was feeling the same as you. Luckily I had an amazing teacher and he made us a model essay for each possible essay title.

When it comes to evaluating research thing of all the possible evaluation points there could be; nature vs nurture, reductionism, determinism, gender bias, validity etc.. then see if it could be applied to your study.

Also if your worried about the fact that AO2 is worth 16 marks then remember that research could also be used as AO2 as long as you say, Research to support/contradict the theorry was done by... or Research to support/contradict the study( your AO1) was done by...

Then you can also evaluate your A02 research increasing the A02 points.

You have honestly nothing to worry about. I knew five of the twenty one essays we have to know for unit 3. I opened up my exam paper and I only knew one. I cried a bit and got on with it. with the essays I didnt know i put pieces of research that were relevant from other essays and I managed to get an A on the paper.



Hi, I'm doing relationships and gender this year. Do you remember what the essay questions were ?
Original post by sophielou199
Hi, I'm doing relationships and gender this year. Do you remember what the essay questions were ?


Hi :smile: I know this question wasn't addressed to me but I can help - I didn't do gender but I did do relationships and the question was "outline and evaluate research into the influence of childhood on adult relationships)" :smile:
Original post by mkap
Hi, I did alevel psychology last year. In unit three the topics we studies were relationships, gender and aggression. I was feeling the same as you. Luckily I had an amazing teacher and he made us a model essay for each possible essay title.

When it comes to evaluating research thing of all the possible evaluation points there could be; nature vs nurture, reductionism, determinism, gender bias, validity etc.. then see if it could be applied to your study.

Also if your worried about the fact that AO2 is worth 16 marks then remember that research could also be used as AO2 as long as you say, Research to support/contradict the theorry was done by... or Research to support/contradict the study( your AO1) was done by...

Then you can also evaluate your A02 research increasing the A02 points.

You have honestly nothing to worry about. I knew five of the twenty one essays we have to know for unit 3. I opened up my exam paper and I only knew one. I cried a bit and got on with it. with the essays I didnt know i put pieces of research that were relevant from other essays and I managed to get an A on the paper.


If you don't mind, can you send me those essays particularly, gender and relationships. I want to compare to see how to bump up my marks as I'm struggling to get 7/8 marks in A01 and 11+ marks in A02. Thanks.

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