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AO1 Description

Psychology

skills

 

AO1 Description at AS Level

Description accounts for 18 out of the 30 marks available for each question (with the exception of research methods, which is set up slightly differently). However, many students start the course with no real idea of how to produce a concise nd relevant summary of the theory or concept they are studying.

This page will give you an idea how to go about producing effective descriptions of psychological theories or results of research. A typical examination question will ask you to outline a given theory or to summarise the findings of research in a certain area. Often these questions are worth 6 marks, which translates to aproximately six minutes of writing in the examination. As you progress through your course, you should be constantly practising 6-mark outlines to build up a set of model answers you can use to revise from.

AO1 Description at A2 Level

Description accounts for 50% of the marks at A2, slightly less than at AS level. You will need to build on the skills you developed at AS level, because a key part of exam success will be to write good outlines of a much greater number of psychological theories, and be able to compare and contrast their key points. For example, there are often two theories presented for a particular behaviour - you need to understand what each theory is about, as well as saying how it is different from the other explanation.

How do I develop description skills?

First, start by reading the section in the textbook, research report, news item or lesson plan that you have been asked to sumarise. You may need to read it several times, ideally in a quiet environment without the TV or other talking in the background. Psychological evidence suggests that this will slow down your ability to deal with the information you are reading, because the part of your memory that processes the information is having to divide its time between two things - your reading and the noise in the background.

To test this for yourself, ask someone to read you a strange 6 or 7 digit phone number at random from the phone book, and try to remember it for 30 seconds without writing it down in a quiet environment. Now ask someone to read you another strange 6 or 7 digit phone number but then talk to you constantly for 30 seconds. After 30 seconds see if you can remember the phone number. Which phone number was easier to remember? If it was the first one, you have demonstrated that interference does occur when you have two similar things vying for your attention. If you want to know more, look at the section on "working memory" in the articles and activities section of the CD-ROM.

Hints and tips - things you can do to understand the material

Having read the material in question, there are a variety of techniques you can use to draw out the key points.

  • Close the book and note down the points you can remember
  • Discuss the material with a friend and make a note of the key points
  • If you have your own textbook, you could underline or highlight key points in the book
  • If you are working from my material on the CD-ROM, reduce the number of words to 150
  • Use the tables or revision material on the CD-ROM
  • Record your ideas on an audio tape to play back later on (makes a change from writing!)
  • Present the ideas using pictures - changing the medium is a great way to boost memory
  • Produce a powerpoint presentation showing the key points - use graphics to illustrate ideas
  • Write a newspaper article about it, with headlines and pictures
  • Rehearse a role play based on the material
  • Write a quiz about it - multiple choice or free answer
  • Create a game based on the material
  • Use another textbook or revision guide to help clarify the main ideas
  • Teach the topic to someone else - if you can teach it, you understand it, and you'll remember it much better as well.
  • Use a filing card system to note down the key points ready for revision - less is more, keep reducing the number of words until you can summarise each idea in about six words or images

What not to do!

  • Copy huge chunks word for word from the book - less is more, keep it short. Who wants to revise from the whole textbook?
  • Write down things you don't understand - look up any terms in the glossary, or discuss ideas with a friend
  • Turn up to the lesson with the excuse "I didn't understand it so I didn't do it" - if you need some help, ask BEFORE the lesson
  • Miss the next lesson because you are not prepared - it will just add to your problems because then you will have an hour's lesson plus homework to catch up, and the original task still isn't done!
  • Copy other people's work or internet essay - this is called plagiarism and you can be disqualified from the exam for this - and you still won't understand the work
  • Keep quiet about any problems - we are here to help, and the earlier we can get you back on track, the better for everyone. Don't be afraid to ask any of the staff for help.

AO1 Questions to ask yourself

  • Who are the key psychologist(s) responsible for the theory or concept?
  • What are the key words or terms?
  • What are the key points?
  • Are there distinct stages or levels (for example, the devlopment of attachments)
  • What research findings support this theory?
  • Make a list of key studies that support this idea
  • What questions does this theory raise?
  • How can I summarise all this in 150 words?
  • How can I summarise this in pictures?
  • For revision, can I make a table with key facts?
  • How can I summarise this in 50 words?
  • How can I summarise this in six words?
  • Do I understand the theory or concept?


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