Student Room / Study Zone / Study Frequently Asked Questions |  |
Student Room / Study Zone / Study Frequently Asked Questions | |
In terms of research procedures, I would suggest that you examine some of the following:
PSYONLINE TIP: Have a look at our module 3 resources on this site. In the research methods section there is a list of typical questions you might be asked in the exam and there is a list of key terms to understand.
There is so much of it. Take one section of the syllabus at a time. For example, lets consider memory.
Memory, like all the topics you study, has three separate and distinct sections, so break the topic down again into these three sections. For memory this would be
Having done that, you need now to break down the wording of the syllabus for each of these sections. Remember, if something is specifically mentioned you can be asked a question on it in the exam. Once you have broken every thing down in this way, find a piece of research for each of these small sections and note it. Make sure that you can then talk about this research in the exam. Finally, always revise your work in the order they appear in the exam. So, revise memory and attraction together, stress and abnormality together etc.
Some other important things to make part of your revision:
PSYONLINE TIP: Enter the Study and Exam Tips section of this website to find a list of key studies for AS psychology. You will also find links to websites that give you ?7-steps? to making the most of your study.
It?s simple really - you just need to work to the following rule. Look at the marks allocated for a question and that will tell you how many minutes you should spend answering the question. So, a six-mark question should take you six minutes to answer. How many words can you write in one minute? On average around 25, so a six-mark question should have around 6 x 25 words. That?s 150 words! Work on the notion of one mark per minute for the exam and you should be fine!
Obviously, try to remember as many names and dates as you can, but don?t try and remember everything, because there is just too much! It does give a good impression to the examiner when students can accurately quote dates of studies, but it is much more important that you accurately describe the work they did. You need to show the examiner that you understand what happened in the studies and what the findings mean. Being able to give the dates only ?backs up? your understanding and you ability to discuss and evaluate.
There are a few practical things to remember:
If all else fails remember that by the end of the day will have completed 25% of all your exams. HURRAY!!!
PSYONLINE TIP: Enter the Study Zone on this website to find some tips to exam success.
No! He was of the opinion that life force was the driving energy for humans. He called this force the Libido. Sadly, people could not get to grips with the huge concept of the Libido. They could only get to grips with sex! Remember, he was doing his work in a time of sexual repression, so people would naturally focus on this aspect of his work.
Try to find a ?funny? angle to remember the study by. For example: ?What did Brady do?? Quite simply he killed monkeys. He found the quickest way to kill them from ulcers by placing them in his apparatus for six hours and then taking them out for six hours. Revision cards are a must! Note down the key study with relevant theory. You can carry revision cards around with you so that you can keep testing yourself.
To be honest, this depends on your own preference. Some students like to combine the two as they go, but we find that most students like to use a three-paragraph method, which starts with one paragraph of outline/description, followed by two paragraphs of evaluation. The outline/description includes explaining a theory or describing procedures and /or findings of a study. This is worth 6 AO1 marks. Evaluation involves conclusions and criticisms of these studies or theories, with supporting evidence or alternative explanations. This is worth 12 AO2 marks and should be twice as long as your outline paragraph. The important thing is to make sure that you do remember to do both description AND evaluation, and that they follow a clear structure! Get hold of some past exam papers and practice constructing answers.
Make really good use of your class textbook, making sure that you are confident with your knowledge and understanding of the theories and studies that are covered in it. Also, make full use of this website! PsYonline has been specifically designed with you in mind! It contains great resources that go into a greater depth than what you will get in your average book, which will help you broaden and deepen your understanding of the field. REMEMBER: Don?t go overboard. You will never remember everything. Before your exams you need to focus on the key information.
NO! ANSWER THE QUESTION YOU FIND THE EASIEST FIRST!!!!!!!!! This will help build your confidence. Just make sure that you place the right question number by your answer ? you don?t want to annoy the examiner by being disorganised!