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WPS03 Applications of Psychology

Edexcel IAL Psychology, Unit 3 (A2 unit, usually Year 13). 49 lessons so far, in the suggested order.

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Lessons in WPS03

  1. Learning theories of attachment and O'Connor et al. (2013)
    Learning theory: attachment is learned. Classical: caregiver paired with food becomes a conditioned stimulus. Operant: feeding reduces the hunger drive, so the
  2. Bowlby's attachment theory, maternal deprivation and the 44 thieves
    Bowlby: innate attachment, monotropy, critical period, internal working model. Maternal deprivation: early separation causes lasting harm. 44 thieves: 14 affect
  3. Ainsworth: the Strange Situation, attachment types and caregiver sensitivity
    Strange Situation: 8 episodes, about 20 minutes, measures separation and stranger anxiety, reunion and secure base. Types (Ainsworth et al., 1978): B secure 67%
  4. Cross-cultural research into attachment types
    Cross-cultural attachment: secure is the most common type nearly everywhere; Germany has more avoidant infants (24 of 46 in Grossmann et al., 1981), Japan and I
  5. Piaget's stages of cognitive and language development
    Schemas grow by assimilation and accommodation, driven by equilibration. Stages: sensorimotor (0 to 2, object permanence), preoperational (2 to 7, egocentrism,
  6. Vygotsky's zone of proximal development
    ZPD = gap between independent and assisted performance; teach inside it. MKO gives scaffolding (Wood, Bruner and Ross, 1976) that is gradually removed. Freund (
  7. Stages of language development
    Cooing (about 6 weeks), babbling (6 to 9 months), one-word or holophrase (about 10 to 11 months), two-word (about 18 months), telegraphic (second year), grammat
  8. Theories of language acquisition: learning, nativist and interactionist
    Learning (Skinner): reinforcement, shaping and imitation. Nativist (Chomsky): innate LAD / universal grammar; poverty of the stimulus. Interactionist (Vygotsky)
  9. Erikson's stages of psychosocial development
    Erikson: eight lifespan stages, each a psychosocial crisis giving a virtue: trust (hope), autonomy (will), initiative (purpose), industry (competence), identity
  10. Vygotsky's theory of social development
    Vygotsky: functions appear first between people, then inside the child. Culture supplies tools; MKOs scaffold in the ZPD; social speech becomes private speech (
  11. Mindfulness and social, emotional and cognitive development
    Mindfulness: attention to the present, intentionally and without judgement. Aims to improve self-regulation, so emotional (stress), social (empathy, peer relati
  12. Classic study: van IJzendoorn and Kroonenberg (1988)
    van IJzendoorn and Kroonenberg (1988): meta-analysis of 32 Strange Situation samples, 8 countries, 1,990 infants. Secure most common everywhere (65%, A 21%, C 1
  13. Contemporary study: Cassibba et al. (2013)
    Cassibba et al. (2013): Italian meta-analysis; 17 SSP studies (627 children) and 50 AAI studies (2,258 people). Non-clinical infants 53% secure, 33% avoidant, 1
  14. Contemporary study (option): Ashdown and Bernard (2012)
    Ashdown and Bernard (2012): quasi-experiment, 99 Prep and Grade 1 children in Melbourne; YCDI SEL programme, 10 weeks. Teacher ratings showed gains in social-em
  15. Contemporary study (option): Ding et al. (2014)
    Ding et al. (2014): longitudinal, Shanghai; 160 infants, SSP at 12 to 18 months; 118 followed up at about 3. Most stayed secure (70) or insecure (34). Secure ch
  16. Research methods in developmental psychology: clinical interviews, ethnography, longitudinal and cross-sectional designs
    Clinical interview: flexible follow-up questions to explore a child's reasoning (Piaget); rich but hard to replicate. Ethnography: long-term fieldwork in a natu
  17. Cross-cultural research and meta-analysis
    Cross-cultural method: compare cultures with the same procedure; similarities suggest nature, differences nurture; risk of imposed etic. Meta-analysis: combine
  18. Ethics with children and the UNCRC (1989)
    UNCRC (1989) general principles: Article 2 non-discrimination, 3 best interests, 6 survival and development, 12 right to be heard. Participation (12, 13) versus
  19. Interpreting data and evaluating developmental research
    Chi-squared for nominal, independent groups differences; Wilcoxon for repeated measures; Spearman for correlation. Germany v Japan avoidant attachment gives a s
  20. Issues and debates in developmental psychology (1): ethics, practical issues, reductionism, approaches, science, culture and gender
    Synoptic 8-markers: use examples from developmental (and other) topics. Ethics: children and animals. Practical: access, language, attrition. Reductionism (lear
  21. Issues and debates in developmental psychology (2): nature-nurture, history, social control, use in society, socially sensitive research
    Nature (Bowlby, Chomsky, Piaget) v nurture (learning theory, caregiver sensitivity, culture, Vygotsky); usually interaction. History: from cupboard love to meta
  22. Criminological psychology (option): self-fulfilling prophecy and social learning from the media
    SFP: false expectation, treatment in line with the label, internalisation, behaviour confirms it (Madon et al., 2004: parents' beliefs predicted children's drin
  23. Criminological psychology (option): antisocial personality disorder
    ASPD (DSM-5): 18+, conduct disorder before 15, 3+ of: law-breaking, deceit, impulsivity, aggression, recklessness, irresponsibility, lack of remorse. Links to c
  24. Criminological psychology (option): the cognitive interview
    Cognitive interview (Geiselman, Fisher et al., 1985): reinstate context, report everything, change order, change perspective. Enhanced CI adds rapport and witne
  25. Criminological psychology (option): psychological formulation of offending
    Formulation: a collaborative, revisable explanation of how and why offending developed and continues, and what function it serves. Ps: presenting, predisposing,
  26. Criminological psychology (option): factors affecting eyewitness memory
    Post-event information (Loftus and Palmer, 1974). Weapon focus: Johnson and Scott (1976) 49% v 33% correct; Loftus et al. (1987) eye fixations on the gun. Other
  27. Criminological psychology (option): factors influencing jury decision-making
    Juries: attractiveness (leniency for burglary, harsher for swindle: Sigall and Ostrove, 1975); race (Bradbury and Williams, 2013); pre-trial publicity (Ruva et
  28. Criminological psychology (option): CBT for offenders and its effectiveness
    CBT for offenders: identify and challenge cognitive distortions (minimisation, hostile attribution, blaming), then skills training (anger control, problem-solvi
  29. Criminological psychology (option) classic study: Loftus and Palmer (1974)
    Loftus and Palmer (1974). Exp 1: 45 students, 7 films; verb changed speed estimates (smashed 40.5 mph to contacted 31.8 mph). Exp 2: 150 participants; smashed,
  30. Criminological psychology (option) contemporary study: Bradbury and Williams (2013)
    Bradbury and Williams (2013): secondary data on real felony trials (2000 to 2001) with Black defendants in four US jurisdictions. More White or Hispanic jurors
  31. Criminological psychology (option) contemporary study: Ruva, McEvoy and Bryant (2007)
    Ruva, McEvoy and Bryant (2007): 558 students; exposed or not to negative PTP, then a 30-minute real trial video; nominal or deliberating juries. PTP increased g
  32. Criminological psychology (option) contemporary study: Valentine and Mesout (2009)
    Valentine and Mesout (2009): London Dungeon Horror Labyrinth; validation with heart rate (74.7 to 86.9 bpm); 56 visitors described and identified an actor from
  33. Criminological psychology (option): research methods, ethics and evaluation
    Methods: lab experiments on eyewitness memory (control, low ecological validity); mock juries (manipulate variables ethically, but no real consequences); real t
  34. Health psychology (option): the HPA axis and cortisol
    SAM: adrenal medulla releases adrenaline, fast. HPA: hypothalamus (CRH), anterior pituitary (ACTH), adrenal cortex (cortisol), negative feedback. Cortisol raise
  35. Health psychology (option): brain regions associated with stress
    Amygdala: detects threat and triggers the hypothalamus. Hippocampus: many cortisol receptors; inhibits the hypothalamus (negative feedback); can be damaged by c
  36. Health psychology (option): Selye's General Adaptation Syndrome
    Selye (1930s rats): different stressors produced the same response (adrenal enlargement, ulcers). GAS: alarm reaction (fight or flight), resistance (adaptation
  37. Health psychology (option): life events, daily hassles and the Holmes and Rahe scale
    Life events: SRRS (Holmes and Rahe, 1967), 43 events, LCUs, death of spouse = 100; 300+ LCUs about 80% risk. Rahe et al. (1970): small positive correlation in 2
  38. Health psychology (option): personality, Type A and stress
    Type A (Friedman and Rosenman, 1959): competitive, time-urgent, hostile. WCGS: 3,154 men aged 39 to 59, 8.5 years; Type A had more than twice the CHD rate; 70%
  39. Health psychology (option): social support from family, friends and community
    Social support: instrumental (practical), informational (advice), emotional (comfort); perceived availability matters most. Direct and buffering effects. Berkma
  40. Health psychology (option): coping strategies and positive and negative coping techniques
    Appraisal: primary (threat?), secondary (can I cope?). Strategies: appraisal-focused (rethink the stressor), problem-focused (change it), emotion-focused (reduc
  41. Health psychology (option): SSRIs and SNRIs for anxiety
    SSRIs (sertraline, fluoxetine) block serotonin reuptake; first choice; 1 to 2 weeks to start, up to 8 to work fully. SNRIs (venlafaxine, duloxetine) block reupt
  42. Health psychology (option): CBT for anxiety disorders and its effectiveness
    CBT for anxiety: psychoeducation, challenge negative automatic thoughts, exposure and behavioural experiments, relaxation, homework. Hofmann and Smits (2008): 2
  43. Health psychology (option) classic study: Brady (1958)
    Brady (1958): 8 rhesus monkeys in 4 pairs; executives could press a lever to avoid shocks every 20 seconds for both; yoked controls had no control; 6 hours on,
  44. Health psychology (option) contemporary study: Nakonz and Shik (2009)
    Nakonz and Shik (2009): 3-month ethnography in Hong Kong with female Filipino domestic workers; field notes, 10 in-depth interviews, 4 focus groups. Main hardsh
  45. Health psychology (option) contemporary study: Avdagic et al. (2014)
    Avdagic et al. (2014): RCT; 51 adults with GAD randomly allocated to group ACT (25) or group CBT (26); 2-hour sessions for 6 weeks; measured before, after and a
  46. Health psychology (option) contemporary study: Russell et al. (2015)
    Russell et al. (2015): adapted the Response to Stress Questionnaire for outdoor adventure therapy (RSQ-OAV). 35 adolescents identified 56 outdoor stressors; top
  47. Health psychology (option): standardised questionnaires, the ALQ and focus groups
    Standardised questionnaires (SRRS, STAI, ALQ, RSQ-OAV): fixed items and scoring; reliable, quick, quantitative; but self-report and limited depth. Focus groups:
  48. Health psychology (option): animals in research, data and evaluation
    Animals in stress research: control and similar physiology, but poor generalisation to human psychological stress. ASPA 1986: establishment, project and persona
  49. WPS03 exam technique: short answers, calculations and 8-mark questions
    WPS03: 1 h 30, 64 marks. Section A developmental (32, two 8-markers incl. synoptic issues and debates). Section B: one of criminological or health (32, two 8-ma

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