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The AQA A-Level Psychology Paper 3 requires synoptic assessment — you must demonstrate the ability to link issues and debates to specific topics from across the entire specification. This lesson shows you how to apply each major issue and debate to content from Papers 1, 2, and 3.
Exam Tip: In Paper 3, you must demonstrate synoptic understanding by connecting issues and debates to specific topics from across the whole specification. The examiner is looking for breadth of reference, not just depth on a single topic.
| Topic (Paper) | Example | Type of Bias |
|---|---|---|
| Attachment (Paper 1) | Bowlby's monotropic theory emphasises the mother's unique role | Alpha bias |
| Conformity (Paper 1) | Asch (1951) used only male participants; findings generalised to all | Beta bias |
| Aggression (Paper 3) | Testosterone-focused explanations ignore relational aggression in females | Alpha bias |
| Psychopathology (Paper 1) | Depression diagnosed more in women — may reflect diagnostic bias rather than true prevalence | Alpha bias |
| Biopsychology (Paper 2) | Fight-or-flight model based on male physiology; Taylor et al.'s tend-and-befriend ignored | Beta bias |
| Research methods (Paper 2) | Early cognitive experiments predominantly used male undergraduates | Beta bias |
When evaluating any theory or study, ask:
| Topic (Paper) | Example | Type of Bias |
|---|---|---|
| Attachment (Paper 1) | Strange Situation assumes Western model of "ideal" attachment; different distributions in Germany, Japan | Ethnocentrism |
| Abnormality (Paper 1) | Definitions based on Western norms; hearing voices pathologised in West but valued in other cultures | Ethnocentrism |
| Conformity (Paper 1) | Smith & Bond (1993) found higher conformity in collectivist cultures | Imposed etic |
| Obedience (Paper 1) | Milgram's findings may not generalise to non-Western societies with different authority structures | Eurocentrism |
| Schizophrenia (Paper 3) | DSM diagnostic criteria developed in Western psychiatry; may not capture culture-specific presentations | Imposed etic |
| Topic (Paper) | Nature Evidence | Nurture Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Attachment (Paper 1) | Innate drive to attach (Bowlby); biological basis of caregiving | Caregiver sensitivity (Ainsworth); cultural variation in attachment types |
| Aggression (Paper 3) | Testosterone, MAOA gene, limbic system | Social learning (Bandura's Bobo doll); deindividuation |
| Schizophrenia (Paper 3) | Concordance rates (Gottesman & Shields); dopamine hypothesis | Expressed emotion; childhood trauma; urbanicity |
| OCD (Paper 1) | Serotonin deficiency; COMT and SERT genes | Cognitive explanations (obsessive thoughts); conditioning |
| Intelligence | Heritability estimates ~50% (twin studies) | Education, socioeconomic status, Flynn effect |
| Topic (Paper) | Deterministic View | Free Will View |
|---|---|---|
| OCD treatment (Paper 1) | Drug therapy (biological determinism — SSRIs correct serotonin deficiency) | CBT (soft determinism — clients choose to challenge obsessive thoughts) |
| Attachment (Paper 1) | Bowlby's internal working model (early experience determines adult relationships) | Earned security — adults can overcome insecure attachment through therapy |
| Aggression (Paper 3) | Genetic and hormonal determinism (testosterone, MAOA gene) | Social learning — aggression is a choice influenced by observation |
| Depression (Paper 1) | Monoamine hypothesis (biological determinism) | Humanistic therapy (free will — clients choose recovery) |
| Offending behaviour (Paper 3) | Genetic explanations, neural explanations | Cognitive distortions can be challenged through therapy |
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