Section A in exam Depression Section B in exam - Psychology in action: Anomalistic psychology Characterisation, classification and Diagnosis Clinical characteristics Issues surrounding the classification and diagnosis, including reliability and validity Explanations. Biological explanations: genetics & biochemistry Psychological explanations: cognitive & psychodynamic Therapies. Biological therapies including their evaluation in terms of appropriateness and effectiveness Psychological therapies: psychodynamic and including their evaluation in terms of appropriateness and effectiveness The study of anomalous experience: • Pseudoscience and the scientific status of parapsychology. • Methodological issues related to the study of paranormal cognition (ESP, including Ganzfeld) and paranormal action (psychokinesis). Explanations for anomalous experience • The role of coincidence and probability judgements in anomalous experience • Explanations for superstitious behaviour and magical thinking • Personality factors underlying anomalous experience Research into exceptional experience • Psychological research into and explanations for psychic healing, near death and out of body experiences, and psychic medium Section C in exam - Psychological research and scientific method This section builds on knowledge and understanding from AS so you need to make sure you revise AS methodology.
AS: Methods and Techniques (incl. strengths and weaknesses): Experiments Case studies Correlational studies Self-report techniques Observational techniques Investigation design. Aims Hypotheses Experimental designs Design of naturalistic observations (development and use of behavioural categories) Design of questionnaires and interviews Operationalisation of IV’s and DV’s Pilot studies Control of EV’s Reliability and validity Ethical issues & ways to deal with them Selection of p’s and sampling techniques (random, opportunity & volunteer) Demand characteristics and investigator effects Data analysis and presentation. Presentation and interpretation of quantitative data (graphs, scattergrams and tables) Analysis and interpretation of quantitative data – measures of central tendency and dispersion Analysis & interpretation of correlational data (types of correlations and interpreting correlation coefficients Presentation of qualitative data Processes involved in content analysis A2: The application of scientific method in psychology The major features of science, including replicability, objectivity, theory construction, hypothesis testing, the use of empirical methods Validating new knowledge and the role of peer review Designing psychological Investigations Selection and application of appropriate research methods Implications of sampling strategies, for example, bias and generalising Issues of reliability, including types of reliability, assessment of reliability, improving reliability Assessing and improving validity, including internal and external Ethical considerations in design and conduct of psychological research Data analysis and reporting on investigations Appropriate selection of graphical representations Probability and significance, including the interpretation of significance and Type 1/Type 2 errors Factors affecting choice of statistical test, including levels of measurement The use of inferential analysis, including Spearman’s Rho, Wilcoxon, Chi-Squared Analysis and interpretation of qualitative data Conventions of reporting on psychological investigations