Cambridge International AS & A Level
Psychology 9990
Prepare for Cambridge International AS & A Level Psychology 9990 with the topic map and study tools available in NeuraGeek.
Syllabus map
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Topic 01
Biological Approach
- 01Main assumptions of the Biological Approach
- 02Dement and Kleitman (1957) - Sleep and Dreams
- 03Hassett et al. (2008) - Monkey Toy Preferences
- 04Holzel et al. (2011) - Mindfulness and Brain Scans
- 05REM sleep and dreaming
- 06Sex differences and socialisation
- 07Mindfulness and localisation of function
Topic 02
Cognitive Approach
- 01Main assumptions of the Cognitive Approach
- 02Andrade (2010) - Doodling and Memory
- 03Baron-Cohen et al. (2001) - Eyes Test and Theory of Mind
- 04Pozzulo et al. (2011) - Line-ups and Eyewitness Testimony
- 05Attention and memory
- 06Theory of mind and autism
- 07Eyewitness testimony and false positives
Topic 03
Learning Approach
- 01Main assumptions of the Learning Approach
- 02Bandura et al. (1961) - Aggression and Social Learning
- 03Fagen et al. (2014) - Elephant Learning
- 04Saavedra and Silverman (2002) - Button Phobia
- 05Social learning theory
- 06Operant conditioning and reinforcement
- 07Classical conditioning and phobias
Topic 04
Social Approach
- 01Main assumptions of the Social Approach
- 02Milgram (1963) - Obedience
- 03Perry et al. (2015) - Personal Space and Oxytocin
- 04Piliavin et al. (1969) - Subway Samaritans
- 05Obedience to authority
- 06Interpersonal distance and empathy
- 07Bystander apathy and diffusion of responsibility
Topic 05
Issues and Debates (AS Level)
- 01Application of psychology to everyday life
- 02Individual and situational explanations
- 03Nature versus nurture
- 04Use of children in psychological research
- 05Use of animals in psychological research
Topic 06
Research Methods
- 01Laboratory and field experiments
- 02Experimental designs: independent measures, matched pairs, repeated measures
- 03Self-reports: questionnaires and interviews
- 04Case studies
- 05Observations: overt/covert, participant/non-participant, naturalistic/controlled
- 06Correlations: positive and negative
- 07Longitudinal studies
- 08Aims and hypotheses
- 09Variables: IV, DV, operationalisation
- 10Controlling variables and standardisation
- 11Quantitative and qualitative data
- 12Sampling: opportunity, random, volunteer
- 13Ethics: informed consent, right to withdraw, deception, confidentiality
- 14Validity and reliability
- 15Data analysis: central tendency, spread, graphs
Topic 07
Issues and Debates (A Level)
- 01Cultural differences
- 02Reductionism versus holism
- 03Determinism versus free-will
- 04Idiographic versus nomothetic
- 05Temporal validity
- 06Randomised control trials
Topic 08
Clinical Psychology
- 01Schizophrenia: diagnostic criteria, biological and psychological explanations, treatments
- 02Depression and Bipolar Disorder: diagnostic criteria, explanations, treatments
- 03Impulse Control Disorders: kleptomania, pyromania, gambling disorder
- 04Phobias: specific phobia, systematic desensitisation, virtual reality therapy
- 05Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: obsessions, compulsions, ERP, telephone CBT
- 06Freeman et al. (2003) - Virtual reality and persecutory ideation
- 07Oruc et al. (1997) - Genetics of bipolar disorder
- 08Grant et al. (2008) - Opiate antagonists for gambling
- 09Chapman and DeLapp (2013) - CBT for blood-injection-injury phobia
- 10Lovell et al. (2006) - Telephone CBT for OCD
- 11Dopamine hypothesis and antipsychotics
- 12Monoamine hypothesis and antidepressants
- 13Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
- 14Systematic desensitisation and fear hierarchy
Topic 09
Consumer Psychology
- 01Models of consumer decision making
- 02Internal factors: attitude, motivation, personality, perception
- 03Packaging, branding, logos, and price
- 04Sensory marketing: visual, auditory, olfactory, tactile
- 05Environmental factors: store layout, music, lighting
- 06Social factors: group influence, reference groups
- 07Choice blindness - Hall et al. (2010)
- 08Types of advertising: emotional appeal, fear appeal, celebrity endorsement
- 09Sales techniques and marketing strategies
- 10Lindstrom (2008) - Brand logos and sensory marketing
- 11North et al. (1999) - Music and wine purchasing
- 12Schaefer and Rotte (2007) - Brand names and motor cortex
Topic 10
Health Psychology
- 01Health Belief Model and Theory of Planned Behaviour
- 02Lifestyle factors: diet, exercise, smoking, alcohol
- 03Adherence to medical advice
- 04General Adaptation Syndrome (Selye)
- 05Cognitive appraisal: primary and secondary (Lazarus and Folkman)
- 06Measuring stress: physiological and self-report measures
- 07Managing stress: biofeedback, social support, meditation
- 08Types of pain: acute and chronic
- 09Gate control theory (Melzack and Wall)
- 10Psychological treatments for pain
- 11Role of placebo in pain - Wager et al. (2004)
- 12Patient-practitioner interaction and styles
- 13Savage and Armstrong (1990) - Practitioner style and satisfaction
- 14Wills and Ainette (2012) - Social networks and smoking
- 15Kluger and DeNisi (1996) - Feedback and performance
Topic 11
Organisational Psychology
- 01Job analysis: person specifications and job descriptions
- 02Methods of selection: interviews, psychometric tests, assessment centres
- 03Training needs analysis and methods
- 04Performance appraisal and 360-degree feedback
- 05Redundancy and retirement: psychological effects
- 06Maslow's hierarchy of needs
- 07Herzberg's two-factor theory
- 08Vroom's expectancy theory and Adams' equity theory
- 09Job design and motivation - Hackman and Oldham (1976)
- 10Leadership styles: autocratic, democratic, laissez-faire
- 11Trait theory and contingency theory (Fiedler)
- 12Group formation: Tuckman's stages
- 13Group cohesiveness, social loafing, groupthink
- 14Physical conditions at work: noise, temperature, shift work
- 15Accidents at work - Swat (1997)
- 16Huczynski and Lewis (1980) - Transfer of training
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