1. Research methods test (20 mins)
Mark scheme activity.
Mark all questions accept last …..

2. Essay question (16+4 marks) General errors
Use unnecessary wording “A relevant debate is..”
Jump from ideas too quickly
Chuck stuff in for the sake of it- e.g reliability/mundane realism
Include evaluation points but not develop them
“This only supports the nature side of the nature/nurture debate”
Be fluent and coherent
IDA points- quality not quantity
Synthesise where appropriate- If both theories are reductionist talk about this together
Be Formal throughout
Conclude your argument
‘Research shows…’ Whose research?
Fill in your green cards. Improvements you have made

3. DIRT TIME IDA POINTS (25 mins)
In your pairs look at the IDA point.
Reductionism vs. Holism
Determinism vs. Freewill
Nature/nurture debate
What are the main points/agreements to each debate in psychology

4. E.g. Reductionism vs. Holism
whether it is more appropriate to study behaviour by breaking it down into small component parts or to study many interacting and complex aspects of behaviour as a whole
Reductionism:
human behaviour can be explained by breaking it down into smaller component parts.
Look at the simplest parts that make up our systems, and use the simplest explanations to understand how they work.
Holism
Any approach that emphasises the whole system, the whole person, whole of behaviour or whole experience rather than the component parts
explains behaviour using several levels of explanation including biological, environmental, and psychological.

5. E.g. IDA POINTS IDA point: Reductionism
Why is the genetic approach to aggression reductionist?
What are problems with this?
What are the strengths of this?

6. E.g. IDA POINTS IDA point: Reductionism
The biological approach attempts to explain human behaviour such as aggression by looking at the very simplest components that make up our systems. It offers physiological explanations that attempt to explain behaviour in terms of neurochemicals, genes and brain structure.
For example, identifying a specific gene deficit such as the MAO-A gene as being the source of someone's aggression is being reductionist.
Supporters of a reductionist approach say that it is scientific. Breaking complicated behaviours like aggression down into small parts (identification of specific genes) means that they can be scientifically tested.
However, some would argue that the reductionist view lacks validity. The identification of the specific genes does not allow us to identify why behaviours such as aggression happen. For example they can explain that … but the same reductionist view cannot say why we become aggressive in the first place.
Although it is important that we understand the role genetic factors may play in aggression, we may not fully understand aggression without taking account of social factors which influence it. Thus, whilst reductionism is useful, it can lead to incomplete explanations.

7. Modal answer In your pairs create a modal IDA answer.
Collect in IDA points.

8. Evaluation of research: reliability and validity (20 mins)
Recap: what types of validity are there?
Recap: what types of reliability are there?
What research is there that you can use to support/refute the genetic approach to aggression.
Synthesis the research: Is the research valid/invalid? What does this do to the genetic explanation of aggression?
Synthesis the research: Is the research reliable/unreliable? What does this do to the genetic explanation of aggression?

9. Recap: Reliability and validity questions