AQA has released information about the release date for its new draft A level psychology specification as part of its Exam change essentials website. That date is 26 June. Some of you may have already had sight of the new spec via an AQA bus; AQA are continuing their road show from 23 June until 4 July. You […]
Read moreAuthor: Rob Bircher
Good luck to all AQA AS students with paper 1 tomorrow – and to all their teachers – from everyone here at the Oxford Psychology Blog. Here’s a link to AQA’s Student Support web page with some very helpful information on what to take with you tomorrow, exam etiquette and some really good examination tips. For everyone going on to […]
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Earlier this month (9 April), the DfE published the results of its consulation on revised A level subject content . This includes the proposed AS and A level subject content for psychology. On the face of it, there are very few changes required: a quick comparison with the 2006 QCA requirements shows virtually no difference in requirements. This subject content will make up 60% of […]
Read moreA paper called ‘Improving Students’ Learning With Effective Learning Techniques: Promising Directions From Cognitive and Educational Psychology’ (Dunlosky et al, 2013) considers, in some detail, 10 learning techniques that cognitive and educational psychologists reckon could help students achieve their learning goals. Rather than spend valuable revision time reading the whole paper (though it is a fascinating paper to read), the Psychology Blog is happy to summarise some key findings […]
Read moreLots of us use visual mapping techniques (like mind maps) to help us deal with planning work and remembering things: they are great for condensing what you know about a topic into a diagram that is easier to remember. Sketching out a quick mind map can also help jog your memory, too, making them a […]
Read moreThis short (4 min) video shows aspects of the Harlows’ experiments with baby rhesus monkeys, who preferred to spend time with their contact-comforting cloth-covered mother rather than the wire mother who provided them with food. This video does a good job in highlighting some of the ethical concerns we would now have with this kind […]
Read moreNICE, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, has issued new guidance on treatment for schizophrenia. It says that people who are exhibiting early symptoms of psychosis and schizophrenia should be offered CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) rather than antipsychotic drugs. There is quite a wide range of behaviours that can indicate the ‘prodromal stage’ which comes […]
Read moreAQA has added a new section to its website all about specification change at GCSE and A Level. There’s nothing new about changes to Psychology yet, but there’s the option to sign up for email updates which might prove useful, and a selection of general resources and FAQs. This short video on how an AQA specification is […]
Read morePsychologists take care to avoid bias in their investigations, for example making assumptions about differences between males and females (alpha bias) or overlooking differences between males and females (beta bias). A study by researchers at Princeton University suggests the existence of a ‘bias blind spot’ that means people recognise that bias exists but assume they personally […]
Read moreThe DfE’s Statistical Release for January 2014 is concerned with changes in A Level candidate numbers in England over the period 1996 to 2013, particularly, it is true, with any signs of an increase in recent years in ‘facilitating subjects’ – here the data do seem to suggest a rise in Maths and Science entries since about […]
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