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AQA AS Psychology PSYA1/PSYA2 Revision Thread 2016

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Original post by student5072005

Please help me with the biological approach! What would I need to add to this?Biopsychologists believe that chemical processes in the brain can be an important influence on behaviour. The brain relies on a large number of chemicals (called neurotransmitters and hormones) to send signals between neurons. Too much or too little of any of these chemicals can result in over- or under-activity in various parts of the brain, which results in changes to thinking, feeling and behaviour. For example,
Another Biological theory is….?

1. One strength of the Biological Approach is the practical application of drug therapies that aim to increase or decrease levels of neurotransmitters in the brain to increase or decrease their activity.An example of this is SSRIs which are the most commonly used drugs for OCD. They work by increasing levels of serotonin which regulates mood and anxiety. This matters because SSRIs are an effective treatment for OCD and demonstrates the utility of the Biological Approach to improve the lives of people with OCD.
2. Another strength of the Biological Approach comes from research by Lewis in 1936. Lewis studied patients with OCD and found that 37% of them had parents with OCD and 21% had siblings with it. This matters because it would support that Biological Approaches theory that there is a link between genetics and behaviour.
3.However, one criticism is that it doesn't take other factors into account, for example learning.The Biological Approach ignores the role of learning and suggests that behaviour can only be explained scientifically, such as genetics or neurochemistry.However, Learning psychologists believe that the environment influences behaviour.
This matters because the Biological Approach doesn’t provide a complete explanation of human behaviour, so it’s limited in its application.

I think in your introduction you've made hormones sound the same as neurotransmitters, which I'd be careful not to do - hormones are released within the blood stream and stimulate target cells with specific receptors. Not to be confused with the chemical signal between neurones.

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 221

ramseyisbuff

Original post by Child98

Please can someone tell me what time the psya2 exam is tomorrow? I've lost the exam timetable🙄

its at 1

Reply 222

ramseyisbuff

please can someone write a 12 mark, for flight or fight response?

Reply 223

Child98

Original post by ramseyisbuff

its at 1

Thank you!

Reply 224

Much118

Wasn't the exam on just Psychopathology, Approaches and Research Methods? I've revised Biopsychology, so does that come under approaches or what?

Reply 225

L1234567

Original post by Much118

Wasn't the exam on just Psychopathology, Approaches and Research Methods? I've revised Biopsychology, so does that come under approaches or what?

Yes it comes under approaches

Reply 226

amelienine

I've been so busy with Economics the whole day that I haven't even started revising Psy 2... last time I memorised all the Psy notes was about 2 weeks ago.

Then again, Psychology 1 was a lot better than Economics 1 last week, so...

Reply 227

$pacemelons

Original post by Kefte

I don't know - it just says "biological structures" in spec' - but, it is in the main AQA textbook (the one with a cat). I'd suggest watching this - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdQ6eTkZjFI - I think it covers everything (including lobes) of what you may or may not need really-well.

thanks

Reply 228

Inbetweenersfan

I don't think a 12 marker is possible.
The AQA textbook I have lists the flight or flight response as a 3 mark question.

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Reply 229

L1234567

[QUOTE=Inbetweenersfan;65049875]I don't think a 12 marker is possible.
The AQA textbook I have lists the flight or flight response as a 3 mark question.

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That's what I was thinking as well, probably a 4 marker but I don't think it could go higher than that.

Reply 230

ramseyisbuff

Original post by L1234567

That's what I was thinking as well, probably a 4 marker but I don't think it could go higher than that.

The fight or flight response including the role of adrenaline. I can’t really say why I think this is more likely beyond the fact that I think this has the highest chance of being a 12 marker within this topic of biopsychology. It’s also easier than the other topics I think so I’m hoping AQA choose to be nice to our new set of AS students. Its less likely than other topics however as a full essay in this exam in my opinion but may appear in a smaller form.

That is what Saj (Loopa) predicted ....

Reply 231

Rigby16

If there is going to be a 12 marker in the biological approach it will most likely be that as a whole "outline and evaluate the biological approach" and within that you would have to talke about genes, structure of nerves and how chemical messages are conveyed and the fight or flight response due to the release of adrenaline.

Reply 232

Inbetweenersfan

I think you're talking about two different sections.

The fight or flight pages contained the nervous and autonomic system on one side and the endocrine system and fight or flight response on the other side.

The biological approach page had genes (genotype/phenotype) on one side and evaluation points supporting/arguing them on the other side.

Either way, I don't think there are any evaluation points at all in the biopsychology section so they may just consist of smaller questions.

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(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 233

Kefte

In all three practice papers bio-psychology only takes-up 5-8 marks on the approaches section, and no-more than 6-marks for the questions - obviously, we're aware from the first exam paper, that the practice papers can be misleading. But if they're to go-by, it's unlikely to be 12-mark question on bio-psychology. I'd also add in the main text book (the one with a cat) there are no 12-mark questions in the exam questions at the end of chapter for AS.

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 234

Kefte

Original post by Inbetweenersfan

Either way, I don't think there are any evaluation points at all in the biopsychology section so they may just consist of smaller questions.

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There are evaluative points of Fight and Flight in some of the textbooks. But, I think it would be unfair to include it with evaluative points; I certainly wasn't taught them by my tutor and I imagine many haven't been.

Reply 235

ilovelearningnot

Original post by Rigby16

I predict:

8 marker on Milgram's Varitations (Proximity, Location and Uniform)
12 Marker on Multi Store Model OR Types of Long Term Memory
12 Marker on Privation OR the Strange Situation

Hey your predictions were close! Do you have any for the paper tomorrow??

Reply 236

Rigby16

Original post by ilovelearningnot

Hey your predictions were close! Do you have any for the paper tomorrow??

Cog explanation of depression OR bio explanation of OCD as a 12 marker. I mean it could also be bio treatment for ocd but there has been two treatments already one on cog and one on behaviourist.
8 Marker on definitions of abnormality

Reply 237

username2398141

I have flashcards for biopsychology and approaches in psychology on the app 'cram'.

My username is chanteleeeee

Goodluck everyone :smile:

Reply 238

kukks_sm

Original post by Rigby16

But the cognitive explanation for depression did come up in the specimen as a 12 marker

Reply 239

Inbetweenersfan

Oh my god, the exam went soooooo well!
A 12 marker on OCD did come up along with an 8 marker on 2 features of the cognitive approach + 2 disadvantages.

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