AICE Psychology AS Level Study Guide Notes

Overview of AICE Psychology AS Level Study Concepts
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  • Exam Strategy: Focus on higher mark questions first (1.5 minutes per mark).
General Research Concepts in Psychology
  • Reliability: Consistency of a measure or procedure (e.g., replication of results)
  • Validity: Ensures that the research measures what it claims to measure; includes ecological validity (applicability of findings to real-world situations).
  • Self-reports, case studies, observations, experiments, and correlations are key methods to gather psychological data.
1. Biological Approach

  • Core Concepts:

    • Focus on biological influences on behavior through hormones, brain activity, genetics, and evolutionary processes.
    • Essential to understand behaviors and their physiological underpinnings.

  • Example Study: Dement and Kleitman (1957) on sleep and dreams.

    • Found correlation between dream content and eye movement patterns during REM sleep using EEGs.
    • Distinction between REM (dreaming) versus non-REM sleep (no dreaming).
2. Research Methods
  • Experimental Method: Involves manipulation of independent variables to observe effects on dependent variables (e.g., control over sleep stages in Dement and Kleitman).
2.1. Core Study: Dement & Kleitman (1957)
  • Aims: Investigate:
    • If dream recall differs between REM and non-REM sleep.
    • Correlation between subjective dream duration estimates and actual REM sleep duration.
    • Eye-movement patterns related to dream content.
  • Method:
    • Laboratory experiment with repeated measures (participants acted as their own controls).
    • Data collected via EEG for scientific rigor and accuracy.
3. Cognitive Approach
  • Core Concepts: Mental processes like attention, memory, and problem-solving.
3.1. Core Study: Andrade (2010)
  • Aim: Explore if doodling improves attention and memory during conversations.
  • Method: Participants listened to a boring telephone conversation while doodling or not. Outcomes measured by memory recall performance compared using error rates and recognition of details.
4. Learning Approach
  • Core Concepts: Focus on how behaviors are learned through experiences (e.g., operant conditioning, observational learning).
4.1. Core Study: Bandura (1961)
  • Aim: Examine the effect of observing an aggressive model on children's behavior.
  • Method: Laboratory study; children exposed to aggressive/non-aggressive models and observed for imitation of behaviors.
5. Social Approach
  • Core Concepts: Examines how social contexts influence behavior.
5.1. Core Study: Milgram (1963)
  • Aim: Investigate the extent of obedience to authority when it results in harming another individual.
  • Findings: High levels of obedience found; situational factors like the authority's legitimacy influenced outcomes.
Ethical Considerations
  • Informed Consent: Often compromised in studies involving deception (e.g., Milgram).
  • Protection of Participants: Risks of psychological harm; ethical guidelines must be adhered to.