Psychology and the Legal Process

Tonight on BBC Radio 4: All in the Mind
21.00 'Live' or should be available on the iPlayer.

Claudia Hammond explores the implications from the latest developments in neuroscience of the legal process and asks what kinds of new brain based information might be submissive as evidence in court? Claudia will explore the ethical issues raised by the possibility of predicting criminal activity and asks what our rapidly increased understanding of how the brain works for how we understand decision-making, free will, and systems for punishment.

WMM & MSM Case Study Activity

Case Study - KF suffered a brain injury after a motor cycle accident.

Doctors and psychologists reported that he has a very small digit span (STM) , but a normally functioning LTM and sensory memory.

1. Explain how this can be used as a criticism of the multi-store model of memory.
2. Explain how this can be used as evidence for the working memory model.

Thinking of psychology at Uni?

Here is a website with the offers each university currently makes for Psychology

http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/wiki/Psychology_Degree_Courses

Radio Programme - ESSENTIAL for all potential Psychology Undergrads

Here is a radio interview with one of the 'gods' of Psychology, Steven Pinker. He is very pro-nature and has written some of the most influential or at least well known books on human cognition. Below is an excerpt about the radio programme

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b015zm90/The_Life_Scientific_Steven_Pinker/


"Parents like to think that they mould and shape their children in certain ways but Pinker argues, as long as children are not abused, parenting makes little difference to how they turn out at 18.

His most recent book 'The Better Angels of Our Nature' is about the decline in global violence from 8500 BC. Despite two World Wars, Vietnam, Kosovo, Iraq, Darfur and many others, Pinker asserts that we are living in the most peaceful times ever and wants to know why our better angels triumph over our inner demons. Is he now showing the better angel of his Nature? "

What are babies thinking?

Babies are like the Research & Development division of the human species according to Alison Gopnik

 http://www.ted.com/talks/alison_gopnik_what_do_babies_think.html?utm_source=newsletter_weekly_2011-10-11&utm_campaign=newsletter_weekly&utm_medium=email

Gossip - makes you weak

Recent research has shown that people who gossip or discuss others a lot (even if its positive) are less popular and seen as weaker than those who don't....

http://bps-research-digest.blogspot.com/2011/08/prolific-gossipers-are-disliked-and.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BpsResearchDigest+%28BPS+Research+Digest%29

Any thoughts on why this might be?

Can you tell if people are faking it?

Here is an article on software that identifies fake reviews... it is 90% accurate vrs humans that are only 60% accurate. Have a look at the bottom of the article and see if you can spot the fake reviews.

http://www.npr.org/2011/08/28/139975080/review-too-good-to-be-true-sometimes-it-is

Is Psychology an easy A-level?

Recent research on whether Psychology A-level is a soft option...

http://www.thepsychologist.org.uk/archive/archive_home.cfm?volumeID=24&editionID=205&ArticleID=1913

"The 2002 CEM figures suggest that psychology is more rigorous than history, geography or English A-level, though less so than maths or the traditional sciences. 2008 figures rank psychology in the ‘difficult half’ of A-levels, at 16th of 33 subjects, below history, maths and the three traditional sciences but above English, geography and law (Coe et al., 2008). "

Welcome new AS students!

Hey to all you new AS students,

Welcome to the AS Psychology Blog! The purpose of the blog is to provide you with an opportunity to ask questions, start discussions, stay abreast of what's happening in the fun and thrilling world of Psychology and of course provide you with help throughout the course.

If you have any suggestions please let us know,

Ms Harford

Its time to upgrade

so good people, it is time for you to move over to the A2 blog as we are now going to start using this blog for the incoming students...

A2 blog :  http://www.solschpsychologya2.blogspot.com/

Oh yes, you are now in your final year of study :)

Ms H

Essay Due

Hey

Just to remind everyone you have an essay due Monday

'To what extent is Parapsychology a pseudoscience' [8 AO1 16 AO2]

There is help in the booklet on how to do the essay, I will be expecting at least 3 sides handwritten or 2 sides typed.

Good luck!

Yay Rob!

Rob Blakey has just been awarded 3rd place in a national Psychology Essay Competition run by the University of London.

If you are interested in the essay its here

Rob's Competition Essay

and the website listing the winners and Rob's £250 prize is here

http://www.heythrop.ac.uk/about-us/news-events/heythrop-psychology-essay-prize-2011.html

Well done Rob

Yay Rob!!

Congratulations to Rob who just won 250 pounds and was awarded 3rd place in a national University of London essay writing competition!!!

http://www.heythrop.ac.uk/about-us/news-events/heythrop-psychology-essay-prize-2011.html

Amazing job!!

Inspiring TED lecture

Hey,

Inspiring TED lecture

http://www.ted.com/talks/brene_brown_on_vulnerability.html

Drinking 8 glasses of water is rubbish!

After a quick discussion with a student today I thought I would tag in this as an example of public misconceptions and pseudo science.

A commonly held belief is that drinking more water than you necessarily are thirsty for (e.g. 8 glasses a day) is good and increases attention. However, this belief has evolved in the public conciousness without any foundation from science. It is related to the pseudoscientific concepts of toxins and 'cleansing' the body which don't hold any medical weight. Here is the study which did a meta analysis of online and journal articles as well as interviewing top nutritionalists. It was published in the American Journal of Physiology and says there is no basis for this belief at all!

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12376390

Kenya Trip

Hi all,

So the Kenya letter has gone out by parent mail. I am estimating the cost at 2000 pounds due to increased flights, game park fees and an extra night in Savage camp although I hope it will cost less than this.  The deadline is the 29th of June and after that I will take the 4 best debaters plus randomly select 11 psychology students. If you are interested please get me your replies plus a cheque for 100 pounds (which will not be cashed until after I have confirmed you are going).

Kenya Letter 1

P2

Hey all,

As you may know I'm not in school this coming week due to a family situation. However, I know Mrs P is more than happy to help so please contact her if you have any questions.

Good luck!

Ms Harford

Good luck!

Hey guys,

Good luck on the Paper 1

Top tips
- look at the number of marks and give that many ideas
- use the words/name in the question as much as possible.

I'm sure you will do great!

Paper 1

REVISION SESSION - tuesday afternoon - I will be here from 2.00 to 3.30 if you would like help preparing for P1. Happy to cover any element of P1

Here are essay plans for memory strategies and cultural variance in attachment.

essay plans p1

MUST WATCH FILM!

Hey guys,

The film I showed the UVI last year on social psychology is currently on iplayer

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00t6xzz/The_Wave/

Great film, must see, about the powers of conformity and legitimate authority

Important updates

Firstly, there are now essay plans for P2 essays on the blog.

Paper 1 retakes

Secondly, the exam board are discussing what models of working memory (there are a number) are acceptable. So to be safe I want to give you a simpler model.

Revision Session P1

Hi,

I'm going to be free for a revision session tomorrow lessons 4 & 5 (11.15 - 12.50).

If you would like to come can you tick 'need more help' below. if I don't hear from anyone I may not run it.

If you would like me to cover a particular topic can you comment below, especially if its Mrs P's stuff as I will have to look over it before the lesson.

Ms H

Revision sheets

Hey,

I've just added essay plans for definitions and psychopathology and reserach revision to the P2 page above.

LCU's

Hey

Just updating our LCU stats

150 LCU - 30%
200-300 LCU - 50%
over 300 - 80%

Likely essays for Unit 1

Unit 1
Jan 09	Expl of Attachment
June 09	Anxiety on EWT
Jan 10	Research into privation
June 10	Institutionalisation
Jan11	Working MM
Uni2
Jan	Bio approach to psychopathology
June 09	Explanations of why people obey  (10 mark on physiological treatments stress)
Jan 10	Definitions of mental illness
June 10	Research into immune system and stress
Jan 11	Psychodynamic approach

So these are the essays that have come up in the past papers. Thus I think its more likely that for P1 you will get

1) strategies for memory improvement
2) Day Care
3) types of attachment
4) cultural variations in attachment

for P2 I would say more likely  is

1) cogntive approach/treatments
2) psychological stress management strategies
3)Conformity
4) social change
5) independent behaviour
6) workplace stress
7) personality stress


Obviously you could get ANY essay, but I would be particularly sure you are confortable with these. Remember for Ao2 - state, explain, elaborate teh point e.g. The problem is that we can't determine cause and effect - this is because it could be that schizophrenia increases dopamine or it could be dopamine effects schizophrenia - the problem here is that we can't ethicially induce schizophrenia and thus have to rely on a correlation.

Wednesday practice exam

Hi,

If you are interested in taking a paper Wednesday in timed conditions (e.g. the one Mrs Philips gave you or the spec paper I gave you) please tick the 'interesting' box below. If you want to take a Paper 1 tomorrow please tick the 'need more help' (that way I will get some P1 papers photocopied.)

Thanks,

Ms H

Updating the school files

Hey,

So if you go to the school website http://www.solsch.org.uk/ you will see in the bottom left that you can now log on to get remote file access. When you click on this and put in your pass word. Click on user files and network areas and then network areas. You will find a Psychology file which has all of my documents (Powerpoints, Word, markschemes, papers etc.) I am in the process of updating this but most of the AS stuff is there (need to do the papers).

Enjoy :)

mistake on Marmot

Hi,

Just to say that in the Marmot study the increased risk of CHD in low control/grade workers was 2x not 4x.

Sorry!

MY ESSAY DUE!!!

Just to remind you all that my essay is due in 'Describe and Evaluate the Biological Explanation ofr Abnormality'....

Please either put in my tray or bring to your first lesson.

Or face my wrath....

Tim's Blog

Hey guys,

My friend who teaches in Oxford also has a blog with useful revision stuff (e.g. on social change etc.)


http://cheneypsych12b.blogspot.com/

Congrats Joe

Congratulations to Joe who just won the World Championships again!

Radio programmes on Psychology cases

Hey everyone,

Here is a series of radio programmes (today's was on Elizabeth Loftus) about key cases in Psychology. They are really useful (there is one on HM and another on Tajfel).

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b008cy1j/episodes/player

If you listen to one that is good, can you comment so that other people know which ones to listen to.

Thanks

Syllabus

Hi everyone,

Here is the syllabus to help you when you are revising.

Great article on Empathy and Psychopathy

Hi,

Here is an article by Simon Baron-Cohen the leading Cambridge psychologist who specalises in empathy and Autism. This article is his thoughts on the importance and role of empathy.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2011/mar/27/the-science-of-empathy

Is sex addiction an excuse for cheating

This is a radio debate about whether people are just labelling things as mental illnesses as a means of taking away moral responsiblity... e.g. is ADHD just an excuse for bad behaviour, sex addiction just an excuse for cheating etc.


Will only be available for a week...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qk11/episodes/player

Homework this week

Hi,

Homework for this week (due in next Monday and Tuesday in your lesson)

1) Paper 2 Jan 2010 (last weeks test) do Q10 - essay Q
2) Individual differences work book do pages 16-18 (crossword and boxes)
3) Text book - p183 Q1 part 3 'Jake and Sarah'


Enjoy :)

Attention Drama People....Update on tests

Hi,

So those of you who weren't in class today due to Grease rehersal

Monday -

Period 1&2 (Rio's Group)  I'm out on debate - you will be doing BOTH the Stress and Social section of a past paper in controlled conditions... remember I want the 20% increase!

Period 8 - Alice's group - Doing the stress section of a past paper

Tuesday groups - as planned - doing the stress section of a past paper.

Enjoy :)

Yay for Ella!

Ella is the first follower of the AS blog and as such earns the inaugural sticker :)

Test next week

Ok so the test results were not stunning...so we are going to do another paper next week.  Stickers will be earnt by anyone that improves 20% on their first grade (or anyone who gets 100%).

Test Warning!!

Hi

Just to warn you all that I'm giving you a test on all of stress this Monday and Tuesday.... FUN!

Stress Powerpoint

Hi,

Here is the new and improved stress powerpoint which hopefully you can read!

Personality Essay

Hi

A number of you are struggling with the personality essay. It is tricky and I suggest you use the following for AO1 - hardiness, Type A, Type B and also Locus of Control (which you can take from coping evidence).

For AO2 I suggest you analyse the evidence that supports each link, consider any gender issues in terms of bias and explanation.

Hope that helps. Please ensure that I get this essay ASAP!

Great BBC radio programme - Social Psychology

Hi guys,

This is a radio 4 programme which is on Tajfel, one of the key social psychologists who suggests a really useful theory (Social Identity Theory) that can get you AO2 in both AS and A2 essays... let me know what you think!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00yw6km

Psychology AS

Hi all!

Here is the new and exciting Psychology AS blog. Feel free to use it to add comments on essays, catch up on work you've missed or suggest any other ways we can use it.