The Exam
The external assessment comprises the exam, which is worth 100 marks (40 each on the material from units 1 and 3, and 20 from unit 2), and the Research Investigation, which is worth the equivalent of 25 exam marks (roughly 20% overall).
There will be a 2-and-a-half hour exam in late May/early June, with three sections, one on each unit. The section on unit 1 consists of two questions on each topic, which will be worth either 10 marks each, or 8 marks and 12 marks. Unit 2 (Investigating Behaviour) will be assessed with short answer questions, based around a research scenario. Unit 3 will combine one set of short answer questions and one essay question.
Past papers plus the SQA 'specimen paper' are available on the SQA website www.sqa.org.uk as are marking instructions. Please note that a few changes have been made to the content of the course starting with year 2009-10, so don't worry about unfamiliar questions in previous year's exams.
Monday, 22 June 2009
Course info - Prelim
Prelim & school prize
There will be a prelim in January/February, and the mark will appear on your spring report, and will also inform estimates of your grade which go to the SQA and universities. The prelim will be shorter than the final exam, and will focus on research evidence.
As the SQA require appeals evidence to cover all three units of the Higher, it will be necessary to run an additional ‘2nd prelim’, which will take place in late April/early May. Although this is a busy time for all students, the exam practice will be very useful preparation, and this will be a good time to start your exam revision.
The student(s) with the most marks in NABs and January prelim combined will be awarded the prize(s) for psychology, and the top 25% of students will appear on the ‘Order of Merit’ for the year.
There will be a prelim in January/February, and the mark will appear on your spring report, and will also inform estimates of your grade which go to the SQA and universities. The prelim will be shorter than the final exam, and will focus on research evidence.
As the SQA require appeals evidence to cover all three units of the Higher, it will be necessary to run an additional ‘2nd prelim’, which will take place in late April/early May. Although this is a busy time for all students, the exam practice will be very useful preparation, and this will be a good time to start your exam revision.
The student(s) with the most marks in NABs and January prelim combined will be awarded the prize(s) for psychology, and the top 25% of students will appear on the ‘Order of Merit’ for the year.
Course info - NABs
NABs
Your knowledge of the units covered will be tested with SQA unit tests throughout the course. You are required to gain 50% (a ‘C’ pass) or more in all of these, as without doing so you cannot gain your higher, even if you pass the exam.
You have up to three attempts to pass each NAB. You must attend on the day of a NAB (see appendix 4, below, for provisional dates); any unexplained absences count as one of these three attempts.
If NABs are failed, a time must be arranged with your teacher to do a reassessment. The reassessment will consist of a completely new set of questions, so you must be prepared to answer on any aspect of the unit content. Again, failure to attend as arranged must count as one out of the three possible attempts, so make sure you take a note of time and place.
Tests will usually be marked and returned within a week of the date they are sat; resits and late tests may take longer before they are returned.
Your knowledge of the units covered will be tested with SQA unit tests throughout the course. You are required to gain 50% (a ‘C’ pass) or more in all of these, as without doing so you cannot gain your higher, even if you pass the exam.
You have up to three attempts to pass each NAB. You must attend on the day of a NAB (see appendix 4, below, for provisional dates); any unexplained absences count as one of these three attempts.
If NABs are failed, a time must be arranged with your teacher to do a reassessment. The reassessment will consist of a completely new set of questions, so you must be prepared to answer on any aspect of the unit content. Again, failure to attend as arranged must count as one out of the three possible attempts, so make sure you take a note of time and place.
Tests will usually be marked and returned within a week of the date they are sat; resits and late tests may take longer before they are returned.
Course info - Units
Unit 1: The Psychology of the Individual
This unit will look at two key areas (‘domains’) of psychology, selecting one topic from each for in-depth study:
The cognitive domain. Topic: memory
The biological domain. Topic: stress
This unit will be assessed by a 30-minute ‘NAB’ unit test in class in October or November.
Unit 2: Investigating Behaviour
This unit will look at the main ways in which psychologists conduct research. These are known as ‘research methods’ and consist of the experimental method, the case-study method, the survey method, and the observation method. More details on the content of this unit appears in appendix 1 (page 9).
This first section of the unit will be assessed by a 30-minute NAB, and constitutes 50% of the internal assessment for this unit.
Students must also conduct their own ‘Research Investigation’ (RI); the RI will be externally marked and the final version must be submitted to the school by the deadline date.
The process of planning and keeping a log during the RI is essential, and a Practical Portfolio comprising a plan and log must be submitted to your teacher prior to handing in the RI. The Practical Portfolio contributes the other 50% of the internal assessment for this unit
Unit 3: The Individual in the social context
This unit will look at two key areas (‘domains’) of psychology, again with a topic from each:
The social domain. Topic: Prejudice.
The individual differences domain. Topic: Atypical Behaviour.
This unit will be assessed by a 30-minute unit test in class in March.
This unit will look at two key areas (‘domains’) of psychology, selecting one topic from each for in-depth study:
The cognitive domain. Topic: memory
The biological domain. Topic: stress
This unit will be assessed by a 30-minute ‘NAB’ unit test in class in October or November.
Unit 2: Investigating Behaviour
This unit will look at the main ways in which psychologists conduct research. These are known as ‘research methods’ and consist of the experimental method, the case-study method, the survey method, and the observation method. More details on the content of this unit appears in appendix 1 (page 9).
This first section of the unit will be assessed by a 30-minute NAB, and constitutes 50% of the internal assessment for this unit.
Students must also conduct their own ‘Research Investigation’ (RI); the RI will be externally marked and the final version must be submitted to the school by the deadline date.
The process of planning and keeping a log during the RI is essential, and a Practical Portfolio comprising a plan and log must be submitted to your teacher prior to handing in the RI. The Practical Portfolio contributes the other 50% of the internal assessment for this unit
Unit 3: The Individual in the social context
This unit will look at two key areas (‘domains’) of psychology, again with a topic from each:
The social domain. Topic: Prejudice.
The individual differences domain. Topic: Atypical Behaviour.
This unit will be assessed by a 30-minute unit test in class in March.
** More details of the content of these units in separate posts! **
Hello! Goodbye!
Hi all, it was great to see some of you at the yearbook non-launch, and thanks for the comments on my Hans Selye book.
I hope you can pop in at some point, but if not, good luck, maybe see you around!
p.s. I have bought textbooks from some people for £12, let me know or pop in in August/Sept if you have a good condition one that you want to sell. I can then pass it on to one of next year's S6 for a small profit the same price.
I hope you can pop in at some point, but if not, good luck, maybe see you around!
p.s. I have bought textbooks from some people for £12, let me know or pop in in August/Sept if you have a good condition one that you want to sell. I can then pass it on to one of next year's S6 for a small profit the same price.
Monday, 15 June 2009
On projective tests
Useful and interesting article on projective tests such as the Rorschach inkblot test (see picture) - a sceptical viewpoint that is well worth considering.
http://www.psychologicalscience.org/newsresearch/publications/journals/sa1_2.pdf
http://www.psychologicalscience.org/newsresearch/publications/journals/sa1_2.pdf
Thursday, 4 June 2009
A couple of issues
A couple of issues that have come up in late NABs, prelims etc:
- Conditions of the IV. Don't get this mixed up with extraneous variables. An IV has two or more values. For example with a memory test, the IV could be sitting it with or without music as a distraction. When participants are then tested, there are two experimental 'conditions'. So the two 'conditions of the IV' in this example would be 1) Memory test with music and 2) memory test without music.
- Effects of stress. People tend to produce good examples of physical effects, but neglect mental health effects e.g. irritable, unable to sleep, anger, memory loss, paranoia. Long term: greater liklihood of developing major psychological disorder e.g. depression, anorexia.
- Random sampling - this means that everyone in the population has the same chance of being chosen. A list of names and random numbers can be used, or with a small sample, pulling names from a hat is also random. Picking people off the street or corridor is not random, as you will get a biased sample, with certain people more likely to be chosen. Take these toy soldiers for example:
Monday, 1 June 2009
A week to go
Well, just a week to go folks, I hope the study is going well.
A couple of points about exam technique:
- Look carefully at the mark allocation for each question, which will be divided into K&U (knoweldge and understanding) and A&E (analysis and evaluation). For example, a ten mark question will usually be 6 K&U and 4 A&E. In prelims, many people have included information for the K&U part, but forgotten about evaulation, which is usually necessary for the A&E marks.
- Similarly, remember that an accurate and relevant evaluation point is worth 2 marks. This will usually be a strength or weakness of a theory/study/technique. Research can also be used for evaluation, e.g. by stating that the results of a study supports or does not support a theory.
- Put in detail about research studies. You will pick up marks for accurately stating things like aim, number of participants, percentages in results. Also, don't just include research where it is specifically asked for (e.g. 'Describe a research study...') but use research to flesh out all your extended-answer questions and essay questions.
- You absolutely must answer all the questions. Markers are a nice bunch of people really, they may give you a mark or two for a weak answer but if you write nothing then you are guaranteed to get zero.
- You don't have to answer the questions in order. Consider tackling the essay question in Section C first, rather than leaving it to the end (and yes, you will get an essay question in either Conformity&Obedience or Intelligence. Look at the past papers to get an idea of which is most likely to appear this year!).
Hope this helps, I'll be around on my usual days this week to answer questions, mark practice answers etc. Revision classes 10.30 room A24.
A couple of points about exam technique:
- Look carefully at the mark allocation for each question, which will be divided into K&U (knoweldge and understanding) and A&E (analysis and evaluation). For example, a ten mark question will usually be 6 K&U and 4 A&E. In prelims, many people have included information for the K&U part, but forgotten about evaulation, which is usually necessary for the A&E marks.
- Similarly, remember that an accurate and relevant evaluation point is worth 2 marks. This will usually be a strength or weakness of a theory/study/technique. Research can also be used for evaluation, e.g. by stating that the results of a study supports or does not support a theory.
- Put in detail about research studies. You will pick up marks for accurately stating things like aim, number of participants, percentages in results. Also, don't just include research where it is specifically asked for (e.g. 'Describe a research study...') but use research to flesh out all your extended-answer questions and essay questions.
- You absolutely must answer all the questions. Markers are a nice bunch of people really, they may give you a mark or two for a weak answer but if you write nothing then you are guaranteed to get zero.
- You don't have to answer the questions in order. Consider tackling the essay question in Section C first, rather than leaving it to the end (and yes, you will get an essay question in either Conformity&Obedience or Intelligence. Look at the past papers to get an idea of which is most likely to appear this year!).
Hope this helps, I'll be around on my usual days this week to answer questions, mark practice answers etc. Revision classes 10.30 room A24.
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