OPTIONS IN APPLIED PSYCHOLOGY

GCE Psychology Unit 3 (G543)

Bryan Saunders May 2009

PSYCHOLOGY IN ACTION

HOW “OPTIONS IN APPLIED PSYCHOLOGY” IS STRUCTURED

HOW TO DELIVER “OPTIONS IN APPLIED PSYCHOLOGY”

Structure

There are:• Four OPTIONS, each with

• Four AREAS, each with

• Three SECTIONS, each with

• Three SUB-SECTIONS (bullets with egs)

OPTIONS• Forensic Psychology

• Health & Clinical Psychology

• Psychology of Sport & Exercise

• Psychology of Education

FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGYAREAS• TURNING TO CRIME

• MAKING A CASE

• REACHING A VERDICT

• AFTER A GUILTY VERDICT

HEALTH & CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGYAREAS• HEALTHY LIVING

• STRESS

• DYSFUNCTIONAL BEHAVIOUR

• DISORDERS

EXERCISE & SPORT PSYCHOLOGYAREAS• SPORT AND THE INDIVIDUAL

• SPORT PERFORMANCE

• SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY OF SPORT

• EXERCISE PSYCHOLOGY

PSYCHOLOGY OF EDUCATIONAREAS• TEACHING AND LEARNING

• STUDENT PARTICIPATION

• THE SOCIAL WORLD OF TEACHING AND LEARNING

• ENABLING LEARNING: DEALING WITH DIVERSITY

The Questions

Descriptive Question (10 marks)

Evaluation Question (15 marks)

Descriptive QuestionDescription of a theory, study, measure, technique, approach etc (see bullets)

Terminology, evidence, explanation, elaboration and interpretation of evidence, contextualising to question, structure, grammar, spelling.

Evaluative QuestionEvaluation of an issue as it relates to the section from which part (a) was taken.

A range of points, argument is balanced, organised and developed, related to context of question, examples, conclusions

The ExamTwo questions from each option.

Candidate chooses any two from four options.

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Each question - Section A – 7 minutes

Section B – 15 minutes

• STATEMENT OF INTENT FROM PE

• TEACHER ACTIVITY TABLE (SoW)

• SUMMARY TABLE – TURNING TO CRIME

• STUDENT SUMMARY TABLE

• MARKSCHEME

CONTENTS

 • We need to move from the mentality that we are writing essays, particularly those requiring formulaic answers. The

new spec wants us to test students’ ability to use their knowledge to respond to questions. • The part (a) should be easy; it is similar to the Section A part (a) on the old spec. The only difference is there are more

injunctions possible (beyond ‘describe’ and ‘outline’) and broader requests (beyond ‘a study’, ‘a theory’ or ‘research’) such as ‘a way’, ‘a strategy’, ‘a measure’. Candidates should be able to answer this in about 7+ minutes

• For part (b), we need to broaden the idea of what constitutes ‘analysis’. Firstly, an issue/comment/debate is called for. This needs to be supported by/located in psychological evidence. To score well, the candidate needs to demonstrate that they understand the debate, appreciate the intricacy, or can ‘go further’ or ‘do something more’ beyond merely identifying or raising the issue. Traditionally this has been by drawing contrasts and comparisons. This will remain legitimate, but any other form of elaboration/extension/development may also be encouraged. The idea is to escape from the pre-prepared formulaic answer, and instead to test the candidate’s ability of appreciation and application. Whereas the guidance for a strong section b, part b answer is currently for three issues to be raised, two should be adequate on the new paper. A number of points may be made within any one issue, and this will be recognised (eg reliability may contain a discussion about demand characteristics and social desirability, ethnocentrism about sampling and generalising). It is the skill that is being sought and confirmation of this ability in a second commentary. Of course, precision of response to the question and effective use of examples come into the equation of what makes a good answer. Candidates should be able to answer this in about 15 minutes – similar to the time requirement for the old section B part (b) but with less of an ‘essay’ requirement.

 • Finally, it must be recognised that this is work in progress. Until we have had some papers written, QPECed, sat,

marked and reviewed we must be mindful that it would be precarious to make any pronouncements of precedent. • Bryan Saunders

PE - Options Paper G543

STATEMENT OF INTENT

• Forensic Psychology• Suggested Activities•  • TOPIC SECTION ACTIVITY POSSIBLE EVALUATION•  • Turning to crimeUpbringing Story-board: Families Nature-nurture• Cognition Role-play: Moral Dilemmas Approaches• Biology Video: Brain dysfunction Reductionism•  • Making a case Interviewing witnesses Game: PhotoFits• Interviewing suspects Video: Eyewitness testimony• Creating a profile Presentation: Profile of John Duffy•  • Reaching a verdict Persuading a jury Film: Twelve Angry Men/The Runaway Jury• Witness appeal Experiment: Attractiveness of the defendant• Reaching a verdict Display: Stages of and influences on decision-making•  • After a guilty verdict Imprisonment Video: The Stanford Prison Experiment/ Das Experiment etc• Alternatives Debate: Alternatives to imprisonment• Treatment programmes Website offering auricular acupuncture

TEACHER ACTIVITY TABLE

• SECTION SUB-SECTION (Bullet points) RESEARCH EVIDENCE POSSIBLE EVALUATION • Upbringing Disrupted families Farrington et al (1994) Disposition-situation, longitudinal

researchLearning from others Sutherland (1939) Nature-nurture, usefulness

• Poverty and disadvantaged neighbourhoodsSCoPiC studies Strengths/ limitations of research

•  • Cognition Criminal thinking patterns Yochelson and Samenow (1976) Approaches• Moral development and crime Kohlberg Ethnocentrism, gender• Social Cognition Gudjohnsson and Bownes (2002) Qualitative v quantitative•• Biology Brain and dysfunction Raine (2002) Ethics, validity• Genes and serotonin Brunner at al (1993) Approaches, reductionism• Gender Evolutionary explanations Correlation, individual differences

SUMMARY TABLEArea – Turning to Crime

A2 PSYCHOLOGY SUMMARY SHEET

FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGY

Area AFTER A GUILTY VERDICT

Section Treatment programmes

Sub-section EvidenceKeyreminder

Cognitive skills CannAnger management  Ireland  Ear acupuncture  Wheatley  Ear acupuncture

Evaluation Issue Evidence/Example

 Approaches Cognitive/Psychodynamic/Physiological

 Reductionism  Behavioural v alternative medical

   

STUDENT SUMMARY TABLE

    1-2   3-5   6-8   9-10             

Terminology   Sparce or absent   Basic but adequate   Competent, mainly accurate   Correct and

comprehensive use           

Description of evidence   Limited, mainly

inaccurate, lacks detail  

Generally accurate and coherent, peripheral relevance, lacks detail

 

Mainly accurate and relevant,coherent and reasonably detailed

 Accurate, relevant, coherent and detailed  

         Elaboration/use of example/ quality of description

  None   Reasonable   Good   Very good

          

Interpretation/explanation of

evidence in context of question

  None   Poor   Some   Very good

          

Structure and organisation   Unstructured, lacks

organisation   Some   Good   Competent           

Grammar and spelling  

Lacks grammatical structure.Many spelling errors

 Mostly grammatically correct with some spelling errors

 Mostly grammatically correctwith few spelling errors

 

Mostly grammatically correctwith occasional spelling errors  

         

MARKSCHEME – Summary (a)

    1-3   4-7   8-11   12-15             Quantity of evaluative points   Few evaluative points   Limited   Some   Many  

         

Range of points   Range of points is sparse   Limited   Covering a range  

Accurate, relevant, coherent and detailed  

         

Argument   No evidence of argument   Limited   Lacks balance or

development   Balanced and well-developed  

         

Organisation Points are not organised Limited Well organised Competently

Relevance to context of question  

Points are of peripheral relevance to context of question

 Some points are related to context of question

  Related   Explicitly related 

         Use of supporting examples   Sparse or no use of

supporting examples   Limited   Good   Effective 

         Valid conclusions that effectively summarise issues and arguments

  Limited or none  Evident and demonstrate some understanding

  Competent and understanding is good  

Highly skilled and shows thorough understanding  

         

MARKSCHEME – Summary (b)

THANK YOU