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Option 3

Option 3 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 specification language, evidence quality and exam command words 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

AqaA LevelPsychologyPaper 3 Issues and Options in Psychology

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Syllabus checklist

What you need to know

0 objective pages available

Aggression7 objectives
  • Explain neural and hormonal mechanisms in aggression, including the limbic system, serotonin and testosterone.
  • Explain genetic factors in aggression, including the MAOA gene.
  • Explain the ethological explanation of aggression, including innate releasing mechanisms and fixed action patterns.
  • Explain evolutionary explanations of human aggression.
  • Explain social psychological explanations of aggression, including the frustration-aggression hypothesis, social learning theory and de-individuation.
  • Explain institutional aggression in prisons using dispositional and situational explanations.
  • Explain media influences on aggression, including computer games, desensitisation, disinhibition and cognitive priming.
Forensic Psychology6 objectives
  • Explain offender profiling using the typology approach, investigative psychology and geographical profiling.
  • Explain biological explanations of offending behaviour, including genetic and neural explanations.
  • Explain psychological explanations of offending behaviour, including Eysenck's theory, cognitive explanations, moral reasoning, cognitive distortions and differential association theory.
  • Explain aims and psychological effects of custodial sentencing.
  • Explain behaviour modification in custody.
  • Explain anger management and restorative justice programmes.
Addiction6 objectives
  • Describe addiction using physical dependence, psychological dependence, tolerance and withdrawal syndrome.
  • Explain risk factors in addiction, including genetic vulnerability, personality and social influences.
  • Explain nicotine addiction using brain neurochemistry, dopamine, learning theory and cue reactivity.
  • Explain gambling addiction using learning theory, partial reinforcement, variable reinforcement, cognitive theory and cognitive bias.
  • Explain reducing addiction using drug therapy, aversion therapy, covert sensitisation and cognitive behaviour therapy.
  • Explain Prochaska's six-stage model of behaviour change.

Key terms

aggressionlimbic systemMAOAethological explanationExplainsocial learning theorymedia influenceoffender profilingtypologybiologicalexplanationscognitive distortions

Exam tips

  • Aggression Psychology exam tip 1: Separate AO1 description from AO3 evaluation before writing the answer. Apply this to explain neural and hormonal mechanisms in aggression, including the limbic system, serotonin and testosterone..
  • Aggression Psychology exam tip 1: Separate AO1 description from AO3 evaluation before writing the answer. Apply this to explain genetic factors in aggression, including the MAOA gene..

Common mistakes

  • Aggression 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 Aggression.
  • Aggression 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 Aggression.

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