Topic study hub
Option 1
Option 1 belongs to Paper 3 Issues and Options in Psychology in AQA A-Level Psychology 7182 and should be revised as a set of examinable arguments, not as disconnected definitions. Context: the topic asks students to combine conceptual accuracy, evidence use and methodological judgement across short-answer and extended-writing formats. Key concept: every answer should identify the psychological process, theory, method or debate before applying it to a scenario, data set or evaluative prompt. Named study/example: use a named psychological study, model, method or application example where it fits, then explain the evidence claim, the method used to obtain it and the limitation that affects interpretation. Evaluation: strong responses weigh validity, reliability, ethics, cultural bias, reductionism, determinism, sampling and real-world application instead of adding undeveloped criticism. Exam focus: link each paragraph to the command word, separate description from evaluation, and use AQA terminology from the relevant learning objective. Common mistake: students often describe the whole topic. A stronger answer selects the precise concept, supports it with evidence and makes a direct judgement about what the evidence allows psychologists to conclude.
0
Objectives
10
Flashcards
10
Questions
90 min
Study time
Choose a revision tool
Start revising Option 1
Syllabus checklist
What you need to know
0 objective pages available
Relationships5 objectives
- Explain factors affecting attraction in romantic relationships, including self-disclosure, physical attractiveness, the matching hypothesis and filter theory.
- Explain theories of romantic relationships, including social exchange theory, equity theory and Rusbult's investment model.
- Explain Duck's phase model of relationship breakdown.
- Explain online relationships using self-disclosure, deception and absence of gating.
- Explain parasocial relationships, including levels of parasocial relationships, absorption addiction model and attachment theory explanation.
Gender8 objectives
- Explain the role of chromosomes and hormones in biological sex.
- Explain diversity in sex development, including androgen insensitivity syndrome, Klinefelter's syndrome and Turner syndrome.
- Explain gender identities, including binary, non-binary and gender fluid identities.
- Explain measurement of gender using the Bem Sex Role Inventory.
- Explain biological explanations of gender development using chromosomes and hormones.
- Explain cognitive explanations of gender development, including Kohlberg's theory and Martin and Halverson's gender schema theory.
- Explain social learning theory as applied to gender development, including the influence of culture and media.
- Explain biological and social or cultural explanations of gender incongruence.
Cognition and development6 objectives
- Explain Piaget's theory of cognitive development, including schemas, assimilation, accommodation, equilibration and stages of intellectual development.
- Explain characteristics of Piagetian stages, including object permanence, conservation, egocentrism and class inclusion.
- Explain Vygotsky's theory of cognitive development, including the zone of proximal development and scaffolding.
- Explain Baillargeon's explanation of early infant abilities and violation of expectation research.
- Explain the development of social cognition, including Selman's levels of perspective-taking, theory of mind and the Sally-Anne study.
- Explain the role of the mirror neuron system in social cognition.
Key terms
Exam tips
- Relationships Psychology exam tip 1: Separate AO1 description from AO3 evaluation before writing the answer. Apply this to explain factors affecting attraction in romantic relationships, including self-disclosure, physical attractiveness, the matching hypothesis and filter theory..
- Relationships Psychology exam tip 1: Separate AO1 description from AO3 evaluation before writing the answer. Apply this to explain theories of romantic relationships, including social exchange theory, equity theory and Rusbult's investment model..
Common mistakes
- Relationships Psychology mistake 1: Add AO3 by explaining why evidence, validity, reliability, bias or methodology strengthens or limits the claim, because evaluation must show the effect on the conclusion. Apply this directly to Relationships.
- Relationships Psychology mistake 1: Add AO3 by explaining why evidence, validity, reliability, bias or methodology strengthens or limits the claim, because evaluation must show the effect on the conclusion. Apply this directly to Relationships.
Practice preview
Continue by objective
Objectives are grouped by subtopic so students can jump straight to the exact skill they want to revise.
Related topics
