Welcome to Psychology

An Introduction to the A level course

…… and what it is really like !

 What is it ???

Psychology is the scientific

study of behaviour and
mental processes (mind)

Ψ
Some Psychologists you may
have heard of :

Albert Bandura
Konrad Lorenz
Sigmund Freud
Ivan Pavlov
B.F Skinner
 Psychology is..
6 different areas of study

COGNITIVE
INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES ( Abnormal)
DEVELOPMENTAL
SOCIAL
PHYSIOLOGICAL
COMPARATIVE
 COGNITIVE

Anatomy of
Memory
Amygdala: emotional memory and memory consolidation
Basal ganglia & cerebellum: memory for skills, habits and CC
responses
Hippocampus: memory recognition, spatial, episodic
memory, laying down new declarative long-term memories
Thalamus, formation of new memories and working
memories
Cortical Areas: encoding of factual memories, storage of
episodic and semantic memories, skill learning, priming.
COGNITIVE
Serial Position
Effect
Recall immediately Recall several hours
after learning after learning

LTM

Recall from Recall from

LTM STM Primacy effect – remembering stuff at
beginning of list better than middle
Recency Effect – remembering stuff at
the end of list better than middle
 Memory Strategies
– Mnemonic devices are strategies to improve
memory by organizing information
– Method of Loci: ideas are associated with a
place or part of a building
– Peg-Word system: peg words are associated
with ideas (e.g. “one is a bun”)
– Word Associations: verbal associations are
created for items to be learned
– Distinctiveness: making something different
from other (eg : Highlighter)
– Context :put it into a sentence that makes
sense
INDIVIDUAL
DIFFERENCES
(Abnormal)
INDIVIDUAL
DIFFERENCES
(Abnormal)
PHYSIOLOGICAL Stress and the
Immune System
• Immune system functioning is impaired by
exposure to stress
– This immune response leaves a person
susceptible to disease
• General Adaptation Syndrome (Selye):
– Stage 1: Alarm Reaction
– Stage 2: Resistance
– Stage 3: Exhaustion
PHYSIOLOGICAL A.N.S
 DEVELOPMENTAL

Experimentation into the development

of attachment and love, maternal deprivation
DEVELOPMENTAL

Studies that
look at how
we learn…
 A2 Psychology
Choice :
Personality development
Pro and Anti social behaviour
Attraction
Sleep and dreaming
Animal intelligence
Schizophrenia, Depression and Phobias
 What does a
successful Psychology
Student look like?
Highly organised with notes
Has a “study buddy”
Reads the book for fun
Completes all set tasks and asks for more!
Can work alone & with others
Enjoys discussion
Has a good memory!
What is involved?
Short 6 mark questions
12 mark essays
An affinity with statistics
Write fast
Read the text book & extras
Welcome to Sociology
An Introduction to the A level course

…… and what it is really like !

 What is it ???

Sociology is the systematic

study of social groups,
and their influence on the
lives of others
Some Sociologists you may
have heard of :

Emile Durkheim
Karl Marx
Talcott Parsons
George Murdock
Max Weber
 Sociology is..
2 divisions

Macro
( study of institutions within society)

Micro
(studies the individual within those groups)
Throughout Sociology we look
at the methods of study
and research
eg : Quantitative and Qualitative
methods
• Sociology will help you to help make sense of your own experiences in
society. It can give you new ways of seeing the world around you. You will
question aspects of it you previously taken for granted. It can provide you with
the "tools" to become a better-informed and more socially-aware member of
society.

• Sociology is a subject that most people know little about, therefore is often
criticised for being "wishy-washy". This is not the case!!! Sociology teaches a
number of key skills that will be useful in the work place:
place

• Vital Research Skills

• Assess and evaluate differing viewpoints
• Interpretation and analytical skills
• Experience of using theories and research findings to "back-up" your
arguments
• Use of and interpretation of statistics
• Develop your essay writing and presentation skills
 MICRO

Social roles
and status
Income and status
Class
Acquired status and social mobility
Social stratification : Power, Prestige and property
Social networks, subcultures
Social control :
religion, The Family,
Education and
Crime and Deviance
 MACRO

Education
Has it’s role changed?
Class & achievement are they linked ?
Ethnicity & achievement are they linked?
Gender & educational achievement are they linked?
How do pupils respond to education?
Social control :
Is education linked to the Economy
Emile Durkheim – a Functionalist
• The emphasis on values an
important feature of
functionalism.
• All parts consist to enable the
society to function as a whole
• The body analogy
• Functionalism emphasises the
unity of society and what its
members share,
share
 Karl Marx – a Conflict theorist

• Marx argued that capitalism

will produce internal tensions
which will lead to its
destruction.
• The Family ….he argues is
“ An institution which allows for
inequalities between the sexes
and which will continue
throughout the generations”
A2 Sociology
Religion
Crime and Deviance
Theory and Methods
 What does a
successful Sociology
Student look like?
Highly organised with notes
Has a “study buddy”
Completes all set tasks and asks for more!
Can work alone & with others
Enjoys discussion
What is involved?
Be positive & happy
Short 6 mark questions
12 mark essays
Discussion skills
Be able to evaluate & criticize
Write fast
 Were you listening ???
True  or False 
1. Sociology slides were blue……………..
2. Karl Marx is a sociologist…………….
3. Religion is studied in Sociology……….
4. Psychology looks at memory…………….
5. Soc & Psy students need to write fast…………..
6. Emile Durkheim was French………………….
7. Sigmund Freud looks like this……………..
8. There are 3 types of sociology………………….
9. Study buddies are used in social sciences……………..
10. This is the Greek symbol for Psychology……………