This title provides students and teachers of the AS level psychology with an accessible, carefully organized learning text book. It covers all the topic areas of the AQA AS Specification. Each of the 12 chapters covers the topic areas in Unit 1 Introducting Psychology and Unit 2 Social and Cognitive psychology. Full coverage is given to: approaches in psychology, methods of research, attitudes, social cognition, perception and attention, language and thinking, biological psychology, psychology of gender, social influence, social psychology of sport, remembering and forgetting, cognition and law. Each chapter provides the student and teacher with a wide range of activities designed to foster a good understanding and critical appreciation of psychology. Numerous studies and experiments are briefly described in all of the chapters. Evaluative comments are provided which are designed to enhance and develop the intellectual skills of critical analysis and application of psychology to human life and problems. The activities, description of studies and evaluative comments should aid study both in the classroom and at home. At the end of each chapter, specimen questions - written in the Specification B examination style - are provided. One question in each chapter has an answer and comments on how to improve. This title is a textbook for the AQA Specification B AS level psychology. It also offers the interested reader with a general introduction to key areas of study in modern psychology.

Table of Contents

1 - Introducing Psychology 1 - Approaches to psychology / 10 - Remembering and forgetting / 11 - Language and thinking / 12 - Cognition and law / 2 - The biological approach 2 - Social and cognitive psychology 3 - Research Methods 3 - Practical Investigation 4 - Psychology gender / 5- Attitudes / 6 - Social influence / 7 - Social cognition / 8 - Social psychology of sport / 9 - Perception and attention

Author Biography

Donald Pennington is the author of numerous books on social psychology and personality. He has extensive experience of examining psychology at A level. He is Pro-Vice-Chancellor and professor at Coventry University. Karen Boswell is a very experienced teacher and senior examiner with particular interest in methodology and research. She is Head of Psychology at Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School. Liz Dancer is an experienced teacher of psychology and a senior examiner at GCE psychology level. Julie McLoughlin is an experienced senior examiner at A level and a full-time lecturer at Hopwood College, Manchester. Dave Robinson is Principal lecturer in Psychology at the University of Huddersfield where he teaches cognitive psychology and research methods. He also examines on GCE AS psychology Richard Smithson has taught psychology at A level and in higher education for many years. He is a senior examiner for AS psychology, and for Advanced VCE in Health and Social Care.