GCSE Psychology 2017 – Scheme of Work

GCSE Psychology 2017 –

Scheme of Work

Contents

GCSE Psychology: introduction to the Scheme of Work 2

Exemplar Scheme of Work 2

Year 1 3

Development 3

Memory 5

Psychological problems 7

The brain and neuropsychology 10

Year 2 12

Social influence 12

Optional topics 13

Criminal 13

The self 14

Perception 15

Sleep and dreaming 16

Language, thought and communication 17

GCSE Psychology 2017 – Scheme of Work

GCSE Psychology: introduction to the Scheme of

Work

This document is intended to be an example of how the new GCSE course could be

delivered over a two-year period in a typical school setting. It is not prescriptive

and each topic has been treated separately so that, if the scheme is used as a basic

pattern, the order in which topics are taught can be modified to suit the individual.

The course planner document sets out other strategies for teaching and can be

used, in conjunction with this document, to provide a scheme of work tailored to

your needs.

There is a wealth of materials available on the internet that can be used to enrich the

learning experience. As all teachers are aware, there is always a trade-off between

enrichment and covering the specification requirements in sufficient detail. The

judgement about where the balance lies is unique to each centre and the suggested

resources and strategies are just that, suggestions. Much more could be included, far

less could be done: decisions must be made to suit both teacher and students.

Exemplar Scheme of Work

This exemplar is for teaching over two years with research methods integrated.

Many of the papers referred to can be found quickly on the internet by using google

scholar. Type author(s) names a year and a key term into the search box at:

http://scholar.google.co.uk/

GCSE Psychology 2017 – Scheme of Work

Year 1

Development

Week Development Content Suggested resources

and strategies

1 What is psychology?

A general introduction

to the subject

The brain and the mind

Using behaviour to

understand the mind

Thinking about how to

assess/measure

behaviour and science

Ask students to investigate

what makes subjects

sciences. Match up the

criteria that are said to

make a subject a science

against psychology. E.g.

Using experiments.

Resource: cards showing

subjective and objective

criteria for sorting, to show

how objective criteria are

generally seen as scientific

and subjective criteria as

non-scientific.

What is meant by

developmental

psychology?

Explore the concept of

development, why most

focus is placed on child

development and why

understanding change is

important.

Ask small groups to chart

and then share logs of the

different types of change,

e.g. physical, social,

language, thinking. These

categories could be

subdivided into age bands if

more subgroups would be

useful.

2 Developmental stages

Developmental stages

from birth to adulthood

Guideline ages and key

changes

Ask students to interview

their parents about when

some key developmental

milestones happened in

their lives – e.g. first tooth,

first steps – to emphasise

variability.

Resource: video sharing

sites (such as YouTube)

offer clips to illustrate

developmental changes.

Development of the

brain

Early brain development

including critical parts of

brain

Either a model of the brain

or video clips showing

brain scans of

development.

3 Piaget’s

developmental

theory, including an

evaluation of the

theory

Key aspects of Piaget’s

theory, including schema

theory

How the process of

development comes

about

Strengths and

weaknesses of the theory

Resource: video sharing

sites (such as YouTube)

offer clips showing

observations of

conservation tasks.

Use a model of Piaget and

Inhelder’s ‘Three mountains

task’ to recreate the study

scenario.

GCSE Psychology 2017 – Scheme of Work

Ethical issues in

psychological

research

Ethical issues of

research, including

working with children

Introduce the British

Psychological Society’s

(BPS) ethical guidance

Pose the question: why are

ethical guidelines

necessary?

Begin with safeguarding,

which students will already

be familiar with.

4 Observation as a

research method

Study: Piaget and

Inhelder (1956)

Piaget and Inhelder

(1956) study: use

framework of aim,

procedure, findings and

conclusions (APFC) for

description then evaluate

using strengths and

weaknesses.

Undertake an observation

using internet clips of

children playing. Ask

students to decide on

suitable categories and

agree on definitions of

behaviour. Use simple

comparisons for inter-rater

reliability.

5 Dweck’s mindset

theory

Fixed and growth

mindsets: what they are,

how they are recognised

and the implications for

development and success

Strengths and

weaknesses of the theory

Facilitate a discussion on

mindset theory in e.g.

Times Educational

Supplement as part of the

evaluation.

e.g.

www.tes.com/news/school-

news/breaking-news/carol-

dweck-whole-idea-growth-

mindset-say-yes-they-can

6 Study: Gunderson et

al. (2013)

Gunderson et al. (2013)

study: use APFC

framework for description

then evaluate using

strengths and

weaknesses.

Teachers produce a

summary of the Gunderson

et al. paper showing key

points to help consolidate

them.

Correlation, drawing

and interpreting

scatter diagrams

Use data from Gunderson

et al. paper to explore

correlations and what they

show.

Produce a class correlation

using self-report data, e.g.

estimated self-esteem and

a self-esteem score

generated by responses to

questions or from

observation (week 4).

7 Willingham’s learning

theory of

development

Willingham has a ‘Science

and Education’ blog that he

uses to present his ideas.

8 Evaluation of

Willingham’s learning

theory

Issues and debates:

moral development,

including Piaget’s

view

Strengths and

weaknesses of the theory

Tie in with Dweck and

Willingham, and higher-

order moral reasoning

GCSE Psychology 2017 – Scheme of Work

9 Moral development,

continued

Kohlberg’s view of moral

development

Look at more recent

views of development as

evaluation.

Use Heinz’ dilemma,

including gender issues on

moral development Can be

found on e.g. Wikipedia

End-of-topic test Use questions from SAMs

or past papers to develop a

short test.

Memory

Week Memory Content Suggested resources

and strategies

10 The information

processing approach

Stages of memory

including short-term

memory (STM) and

long-term memory

(LTM)

Use of computer analogy

(flow diagram)

Understanding

hardware/software

distinction

Use memory experiments

to illustrate the stages of

memory. E.g. serial

position curve, Brown-

Peterson technique. There

are many more.

Bar charts and

histograms

Use bar charts and

histograms to illustrate

evidence from e.g.

Peterson and Peterson

(1959) (see week 12).

11 Atkinson and

Shiffrin’s Multi-store

Model of Memory

(MSM) (1968)

Describe and evaluate

MSM with both

supporting and

contradictory evidence.

Miller The Magical Number

Seven+/-2

Glanzer and Cunitz (1966)

Murdoch (1962)

Normal distribution,

percentages and

fractions

Normal distribution: use

data from a memory

experiment to show

distribution and introduce

the concept of normal

distribution, percentages

and fractions.

12 Experiments as a

research method

Study: Peterson and

Peterson (1959)

Define an ‘experiment’ –

i.e. the key features –

and differentiate between

methods.

Peterson and Peterson

(1959) study: use APFC

framework for description

then evaluate using

strengths and

weaknesses.

Build on experience from

class experiments run over

the previous two weeks to

introduce the experiment as

a method with evaluation of

the different types (i.e. lab,

field, natural).

Ask students to suggest

ways to make traditional

memory experiments more

realistic, e.g. make a

shopping list of things they

may need to buy/acquire

when setting up a new flat

for themselves.

GCSE Psychology 2017 – Scheme of Work

13 Bartlett’s Theory of

Reconstructive

Memory (1932),

including description,

evidence and

evaluation

Components of Bartlett’s

theory Contrast with

MSM, which emphasises

structure whereas

Bartlett emphasises

process

Read a story that students

will be required to

remember at the start of

next week’s lesson. Taking

into account the more global

nature of modern society,

choose a story that is as

alien to students as ‘War of

the Ghosts’ would have

been 90 years ago. Consider

cultures that are not so well

known, such as the

Australian aboriginal culture,

nomadic cultures from

Mongolia or fictitious alien

cultures from science fiction.

14 Study: Bartlett’s War

of the Ghosts (1932)

Bartlett’s (1932) War of

the Ghosts study: use

APFC framework for

description then evaluate

using strengths and

weaknesses.

Do an unexpected recall

task the week after you

introduced students to an

original story (see

week 13).

Variables in research

and how to control

them

As students become more

familiar with the

experiment as a research

tool, consider variables

and how they should be

dealt with:

● independent and

dependent variables

● situational variables

● participant variables.

Brainstorm in groups all of

the variables that might

affect a study.

15 Amnesia: retrograde

and anterograde

Defining amnesia:

● retrograde – possible

causes, e.g. trauma

such as concussion,

Alzheimer’s disease

● anterograde –

possible causes

including drugs

Resource: video sharing

sites (such as YouTube)

offer clips of e.g. Clive

Wearing showing how

anterograde amnesia

causes the ‘waking for the

first time’ phenomenon.

16 Designing studies:

independent groups,

repeated measures,

matched pairs

Study designs: strengths

and weaknesses

Undertake a design

exercise to apply what

students have learned

about experiments and

their design.

Useful examples that raise

many issues for discussion

include:

1 the effect of alcohol on

reaction time (great for

raising ethical as well

as practical issues)

2 left versus right

handers and some skill

or ability, such as how

good they at maths

(avoid tasks that would

be naturally easier or

GCSE Psychology 2017 – Scheme of Work

harder depending on

which hand is used)

3 blondes v brunettes on

test performance

(where do artificial hair

colours belong?)

4 different ways of

teaching reading to

children

5 organised versus

unorganised wordlists

and the effect on recall

6 how context can

influence memory

(location, smell, taste,

or sound).

17 Reductionism and

holism

Breaking down ideas into

simpler components to

ease understanding or

seeing the bigger picture

The usefulness of both

reductionism and holism

in understanding complex

ideas and behaviour.

Assign students to small

groups and give each

group an idea to break

down. Suitable examples

from material already

covered in the course

would be conservation or

the stages of memory.

End-of-topic test Use questions from SAMs

or past papers to develop a

short test.

Psychological problems

Week Psychological

problems

Content Suggested resources

and strategies

18 Introduction to mental

health issues,

depression and

addiction (description

of symptoms)

Diagnosis and the

International

Classification of

Diseases (ICD)

What is a psychological

problem?

(Distress/dysfunction

concepts are useful here)

Depression and

addiction: use the

symptoms list from ICD

as a framework to

understand what

symptoms are and why

they are important.

Use of ICD as a

diagnostic tool

Change in incidence over

time: is this due to

changes in society

creating new pressures or

better recognition of

problems?

Resource: video sharing

sites (such as YouTube)

offer clips of interviews as

a means of understanding

depression and addiction.

Ask students to either

interview elderly relatives

about or watch videos

showing changes in

knowledge and/or

attitudes towards mental

or physical disorders.

GCSE Psychology 2017 – Scheme of Work

Issues of reliability

and validity

Primary and

secondary data

Use diagnosis to consider

reliability and validity

Collecting evidence for

diagnoses and how this

can come from both

primary (e.g. interview)

and secondary (e.g.

hospital records) data

Ask students to collect

primary and secondary

data about themselves,

e.g. historical record of

performance and a current

assessment.

19 Depression: genetic

explanation

The role of genes in

determining behaviour

Short form of HTTLPR

gene and its possible role

in clinical depression,

including evaluation of

strengths and

weaknesses.

Genetic aspect of brain

abnormalities, such as

neurotransmitter

anomalies and their

possible role in

depression, including

evaluation of strengths

and weaknesses.

Students will be familiar

with the concept of genetic

propensity in physical

disorders – ask them to

look at how much

predictability this gives in

order to show that

propensity is not the same

as inevitability.

Use evidence from drug

treatments to show

potential weakness in the

simple genetic arguments.

20 Depression: cognitive

explanation

Study: Caspi et al.

(2003)

Faulty cognitions as a

cause of depression –

include Beck, Ellis and

also Seligman, as well as

evaluation of strengths

and weaknesses.

Caspi et al. (2003) study:

use APFC framework for

description, evaluate

using strengths and

weaknesses.

Use evidence from soaps

etc. to show how faulty

cognitions can develop.

Writing hypotheses

Drawing and

interpreting frequency

graphs

Write hypotheses for

experimental design

exercises undertaken on

memory.

Use graphs and data in

Caspi et al. study to aid

understanding of how to

draw and interpret

frequency graphs.

21 Addiction: genetic

explanation

The issue of whether

there is a genetic basis

for addictive behaviour

Susceptibility of

individuals to the

addictive component of

the dopamine reward

system

Evaluation of these

explanations including

strengths and

weaknesses

Use resources for a debate

– the genetic explanation

is a hotly contested issue

in the media. There are

excellent articles and

research papers that lay

out the evidence on both

sides.

E.g.

https://www.drugabuse.go

/sites/default/files/genetics

.pdf

GCSE Psychology 2017 – Scheme of Work

Newspapers and popular

videos tend to oversimplify

and sensationalise while

using little real evidence.

22 Addiction: learning

explanation

Role of classical

conditioning in the

development of addiction

Role of operant

conditioning in the

maintenance of addictive

behaviour

Social learning theory as

an explanation of how

people can be introduced

to addictive behaviour

Evaluation of these

explanations including

strengths and

weaknesses

Ask students to compare

the classical conditioning

and social learning theory

aspects of experiences

they have had with those

of their parents and

grandparents. Consider the

ease/difficulty of resisting.

23 The use of cognitive

behavioural therapy

(CBT) for treating

depression

The use of CBT for

treating addiction

Explain and evaluate CBT.

CBT as the preferred

treatment for depression

Increased use of CBT for

other disorders, in

particular addiction

Students could conduct an

internet search on CBT and

how it is delivered,

including self-help

systems.

24 Therapeutic drugs as

treatments

Study: Young (2007)

Drug treatment e.g.

methadone, antabuse

Young (2007) study:

using CBT for addiction –

use APFC framework for

description then evaluate

using strengths and

weaknesses.

Sampling Target populations and

sampling rationale

Types of sample including

random, stratified,

volunteer and

opportunity

Ask students to select

different types of sample

from their school

population to answer a

brief questionnaire they

have devised (using only

closed questions).

An overview of

arithmetic and

numerical

computation

Remind students about

basic computations

including measures of

central tendency and

variance

Use of the appropriate

number of decimal places

Ask students to use data

from various samples they

have collected to practice

computations. What do

their results show?

25 Nature and nurture

issues

The contrast between

nature and nurture

explanations as

exemplified in mental

health issues

GCSE Psychology 2017 – Scheme of Work

The interactionist

perspective and diathesis

stress

End-of-topic test Use questions from SAMs

or past papers to develop

a short test.

The brain and neuropsychology

Week The brain and

neuropsychology

Content Suggested resources

and strategies

26 Anatomy of the brain Identify and understand

the function and location

of the lobes of the brain,

cerebellum and corpus

callosum.

Resource: video sharing

sites (such as YouTube)

offer clips showing brain

anatomy.

27 Synapses and

neurotransmitters

Understand the function

of and processes involved

in the central nervous

system (CNS), synaptic

transmission and

neurotransmitters.

Resource: video sharing

sites (such as YouTube)

offer clips showing

synaptic function, etc.

28 Brain lateralisation

(1)

Left and right dominance

Gender differences in

brain lateralisation

Observe seating

preferences in a room as

an example of Right–Left

preference. (Ensure the

entrance is centre back.)

29 Brain lateralisation

(2)

Study: Sperry (1968)

Causes of differential

lateralisation

Sperry (1968) study: use

APFC framework for

description then evaluate

using strengths and

weaknesses.

30 Neurological damage

and its effects (1)

How neurological damage

can occur and the wide

variety of effects

Introduction to the

problems associated with

visual agnosia and

prosopagnosia

Use media sources to

illustrate visual agnosia

and prosopagnosia.

31 Neurological damage

and its effects (2)

The impact of damage to

the pre-frontal cortex

Why case studies are

used for studying such

disorders

32 The case study

method

Study: Damasio et al.

(1994)

The case study as a

research method,

including strengths and

weaknesses

Resource: video sharing

sites (such as YouTube)

offer clips showing the

skull and the tamping iron.

GCSE Psychology 2017 – Scheme of Work

Damasio et al. (1994)

study: use APFC

framework for description

then evaluate using

strengths and

weaknesses.

33 Historical perspectives

and psychology

Use of brain and CNS

research to show how

understanding and

research methods evolve

over time

Use of modern

technologies to aid

understanding

Use a card sorting activity

to put developments into

chronological order.

End-of-topic test Use questions from SAMs

or past papers to develop

a short test.

Week Content

34 Revision

35 End-of-year examinations

36 End-of-year examinations

GCSE Psychology 2017 – Scheme of Work

Year 2

Social influence

Week Social influence Content Suggested resources

and strategies

1 Bystander behaviour Explain the concept of

social influence – start

from everyday

experiences.

Bystander behaviour:

helping and inactivity

including work by Darley

and Latané

The case of Kitty

Genovese, although

somewhat discredited

these days, is a good,

salutary starting point. The

story is available on

Wikipedia

2 Factors affecting

bystander behaviour

Factors affecting

bystander behaviour,

including personal and

situational factors

Study: Piliavin et al.

(1969)

Mean, median, mode

and range

Convert data between

tables and graphs

Piliavin et al. (1969)

study: use APFC

framework for

description then evaluate

using strengths and

weaknesses.

Use data from study to

practice measures of

central tendency and

dispersion, as well as

converting data between

tabular and graphical

forms.

3 Conformity

Factors affecting

conformity

Nature of conformity

Informational and

normative conformity

Mediating factors in

levels of conformity,

including personal and

situational factors

4 Study: Haney, Banks

and Zimbardo

Stanford Prison

experiment (1973)

Stanford Prison

experiment (1973): use

APFC framework for

description then evaluate

using strengths and

weaknesses.

Use media resources for

original study material.

http://www.prisonexp.org/

Qualitative and

quantitative data,

questionnaires and

interviews

Questionnaires and

interviews

Design a questionnaire

with open and closed

questions to teach

students about qualitative

and quantitative data.

5 Obedience Nature of obedience

Distinction between

obedience and

conformity

Consider the wide

variability in factors

affecting obedience,

including personal and

situational factors.

There are both historical

videos and more recent

replications of Milgram’s

classic study available

online. They all make for

sobering viewing.

E.g. Milgram’s variation

studies. Meeus &

Raaijmakers (1986)

GCSE Psychology 2017 – Scheme of Work

Slater et al (2006)

Hamilton & Sanders

(1995)

6 Behaviour of crowds

and individuals within

crowds. Effect of

collective behaviour.

Issues relating to

deindividuation.

Pro and anti-social

behaviour

Examples from riots,

peaceful demonstration,

the military etc. Try to

make current for the

students.

7 Blind obedience and

how to prevent it

Strategies to enable

people to retain the

autonomous state and

resist blind obedience

Use classic real-life data to

illustrate the factors

involved.

8 Role of social and

cultural issues in

psychology.

Understand the

terminology.

Relate research about

social influence to

explaining issues in

society

End-of-topic test Use questions from SAMs

or past papers to develop

a short test.

Optional topics

Criminal

Week Criminal Content Suggested resources

and strategies

1 Skinner’s Operant

Conditioning Theory

(1948)

The principles of Operant

Conditioning (OC)

Theory, and its strengths

and weaknesses

How OC can be used to

explain criminal

behaviour

2 Bandura’s Social

Learning Theory

(1977)

The principles of Social

Learning Theory (SLT),

and its strengths and

weaknesses

How SLT can be used to

explain criminal

behaviour

3 Study: Bandura,

Ross and Ross

(1961)

Study: Charlton et

al. (2000)

Bandura, Ross and Ross

(1961) study: use APFC

framework for description

then evaluate using

strengths and

weaknesses.

Charlton et al. (2000)

study: use APFC

Resource: clips from the

Bandura studies are

available on the internet.

GCSE Psychology 2017 – Scheme of Work

framework for description

then evaluate using

strengths and

weaknesses.

4 Eysenck’s biological

explanation of

criminality (1964)

Eysenck’s personality

theory and underpinning

biological explanation for

extraversion,

introversion, neuroticism

and psychoticism

The relationship of

extraversion, neuroticism

and psychoticism to

criminality

Resource: Eysenck’s

personality questionnaire

is available on the internet

so students can try it out

for themselves. Just put

the term in your search

engine to find sites which

give pdf versions you can

use.

5 Punishment and

recidivism

Punishment, linked back

to OC

Prison, community

sentencing and

restorative justice.

Recidivism: what it is,

why it happens and how

to reduce it

6 Treating offenders Alternatives to

punishment

Understanding how to

change behaviour using

psychological principles,

e.g. anger management,

token economy

Facilitate a debate on what

students think prison is

for.

7 End-of-topic test Use questions from SAMs

or past papers to develop

a short test.

The self

Week The self Content Suggested resources and

strategies

1 Self-concept (Lewis,

1990)

The self-concept,

development and the

rouge test (Lewis &

Brookes-Gunn) to chart

emergence

Search online for video clips

of the rouge test or an

appropriately aged child

with parental co-operation

for observation.

2 Humanistic

explanation of the

self (Rogers, 1959

& 1951, and

Maslow, 1943)

Rogers’ view of the self-

concept and its

relationship to parental

attitudes

Maslow’s hierarchy of

needs and the relationship

to the self

Use recall from childhood to

show unconditional positive

regard.

GCSE Psychology 2017 – Scheme of Work

3 Study: Van Houtte

and Jarvis (1995)

Erikson (1959)

Baumeister (2008)

Van Houtte and Jarvis

(1995) study: use APFC

framework for description

then evaluate using

strengths and weaknesses.

Erikson’s theory of the

stages of identity

development

Baumeister’s theory of

self: the need to belong

and self-defeating

behaviour

4 Study: Vohs and

Schooler (2008)

External and

internal factors

Vohs and Schooler (2008)

study: use APFC

framework for description

then evaluate using

strengths and weaknesses.

How external and internal

factors mediate the

development of self

Facilitate a brainstorming

session on external

influences.

5 Measuring

personality

Idiographic and

nomothetic approaches to

measuring personality

Thematic Apperception

test (TAT) and Rorschach

test as idiographic

methods

Materials related to TAT and

Rorschach tests

utpsyc.org/TATintro/

theinkblot.com

6 Trait theories of

personality

Eysenck’s Personality

Inventory (EPI) and

OCEAN traits (openness,

conscientiousness,

extraversion,

agreeableness, and

neuroticism) etc. as

nomothetic tests

Link to trait theories of

Eysenck, Allport (1936),

Cattell and the Big Five

(e.g. Costa and McCrae)

Both EPI and OCEAN tests

are available on the

internet so students can try

them out for themselves.

Just put the terms in your

search engine to find

versions you can use.

e.g.

outofservice.com/bigfive/

personality-

testing.info/tests/BIG5.php

7 End-of-topic test Use questions from SAMs or

past papers to develop a

short test.

Perception

Week Perception Content Suggested resources and

strategies

1 Monocular and

binocular cues

Mechanisms for

binocular and

monocular distance cues

Ask students to test

themselves for binocularity

using convergence tests, etc.

GCSE Psychology 2017 – Scheme of Work

Why redundancy is

useful

(Expect about 1 in 20 not to

have binocular vision!)

2 Illusions and

constancies

Study: Haber and

Levin (2001)

Include Gestalt ideas

Haber and Levin (2001)

study: use APFC

framework for

description then

evaluate using strengths

and weaknesses.

Conduct a class experiment

on the Müller-Lyer illusion.

3 Gregory’s

Constructivist Theory

of Perception (1970)

Top-down theory of

perception

Understanding and

interpretation as a

result of past

experience

Use illusions such as Muller-

Lyer to illustrate Gregory’s

theory in practice. (Most

illusions can be explained

using either Gregory’s theory

or Gestalt psychology).

4 Gibson’s Direct

Theory of Perception

(1996)

Bottom-up theory of

perception.

Interpretation of input

as a means of

understanding the world

Get students to consider

how Gregory and Gibson

tackle the same issues.

5 Perceptual set The use of set as a

means of understanding

and interpreting the

world

Predispositions as a

result of motivation,

expectation, experience,

emotion, context and

culture (wider than

visual)

Resource: perceptual set

experiments, e.g. ABC/12,

13, 14 as used by Bruner

and Minturn

Resources: the rabbit–duck

illusion, Leeper’s lady

illusions.org/dp/1-37.htm

allartdirectory.com/young-

or-old-woman/

6 Study: Carmichael et

al. (1932)

Carmichael et al. (1932)

study: use APFC

framework for

description then

evaluate using strengths

and weaknesses.

7 End-of-topic test Use questions from SAMs or

past papers to develop a

short test.

Sleep and dreaming

Week Sleep and

dreaming

Content Suggested resources and

strategies

1 Functions of sleep Stages and patterns of

sleep

How stages of sleep

fulfil different roles for

the body and mind

Sleep research

Ask students to start

keeping dream diaries.

GCSE Psychology 2017 – Scheme of Work

2 Internal and external

factors affecting

sleep

Study: Siffre (1975)

Endogenous and

exogenous pacemakers

to maintain sleep/wake

cycle

Siffre (1975) study: use

APFC framework for

description then

evaluate using strengths

and weaknesses.

Ask students to recall jet-

lag experiences to help

illustrate the factors

affecting sleep.

3 Sleep disorders Sleep disorders

narcolepsy (possibly

include cataplexy and

hypersomnia)

Insomnia (how much

sleep do we need?)

Conduct a survey on sleep

patterns.

4 Freud’s theory of

dreaming (1900)

Why do we dream?

The Freudian

explanation of dreams

Resource: the dream diaries

students began keeping in

week 1

5 Study: Freud – Little

Hans (1909)

Little Hans (1909) study:

can use APFC framework

but as this is a case

study, it is often easier

to describe as case

history, case method,

results and conclusions.

Evaluate using strengths

and weaknesses.

6 Hobson and

McCarley’s

Understand

Activation Synthesis

Theory (1977)

Hobson and McCarley’s

activation-synthesis

model of dreaming

Resource: video sharing

sites (such as YouTube)

offer clips of fMRI scans

during sleep and their

match to dream content.

7 End-of-topic test Use questions from SAMs or

past papers to develop a

short test.

Language, thought and communication

Week Language, thought

and communication

Content Suggested resources and

strategies

1 Language–thought

issues

The relationship

between language and

thinking

The one-directional

journey

Preliminary thoughts on

language,

communication and

thought, and what

distinctions there may

be between them

GCSE Psychology 2017 – Scheme of Work

2 Piaget (1950) Piaget’s view on the

development of

language and thought

Language acquisition

within the framework of

cognitive development

Strengths and

weaknesses of the

theory

Explore the principle

differences between Piaget’s

and Vygotsky’s predictions,

e.g. is language severely

impaired in those with

learning difficulties?

3 Vygotsky (1981) Parallel development of

thought and language,

merging at

approximately two

years of age

Gradual internalisation

of speech

Strengths and

weaknesses of the

theory

4 Linguistic relativism

and linguistic

determinism

Study: Boroditsky

(2001)

Language relativity

hypothesis – hard and

soft versions

Boroditsky (2001)

study: use APFC

framework for

description then

evaluate using

strengths and

weaknesses.

The apocryphal story of the

number of words for snow in

Inuktitut (the Inuit

language) is incorrect but a

good class experiment in

the UK is the number of

English words for rain!

5 Aitchison’s criteria

(1983)

Darwinian view of

non-verbal

communication

Aitchison: determining

what allows something

to be classified as a

language Note:

Aitchison’s criteria

would exclude sign

‘language’ and toddler

‘language’, as

languages. Similarities

and differences

between human and

animal communication.

Darwin’s view on

emotional expression in

humans and non-

human species

Universal expressions

as innate

Use a simple line drawing to

show basic emotions – use

dots for the eyes and nose,

then draw the eyebrows

slanted, straight or arched

and the mouth up, down or

arched. Get students to

guess/label emotions.

6 Non-verbal

communication (NVC)

Study: Yuki et al.

(2007)

NVC: gesture, facial

expressions, body

posture, eye contact,

intonation, non-verbal

sounds, proxemics

Watch an interview with the

sound turned off and ask

the students to judge

mood/honesty/level of

interest, etc. based on NVC.

GCSE Psychology 2017 – Scheme of Work

Cultural differences and

species similarities

Yuki et al. (2007)

study: use APFC

framework for

description then

evaluate using

strengths and

weaknesses.

7 End-of-topic test Use questions from SAMs or

past papers to develop a

short test.

The remaining time in the second year of the course is intended to be primarily for

revision and the honing of examination technique. Currently GCSE examinations

occur quite early in the summer. It is possible that the period intended for

consolidation and revision may be as little as five or six weeks. No attempt has

been made to provide a scheme of work for this period as the priority areas will

vary between centres.