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Hi! These are my A-Level notes, essays and resources I used to sit the 2018 summer exams, in AQA Psychology, AQA Economics and AQA English Literature (achieving A*A*A). Hope you find these useful.
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Hi! These are my A-Level notes, essays and resources I used to sit the 2018 summer exams, in AQA Psychology, AQA Economics and AQA English Literature (achieving A*A*A). Hope you find these useful.
All resources
AQA Economics A-level: example 25 mark essays (A* grade)
AQA Economics A-level: Example 25 mark essays - specification 7135, 7136
Includes 25 mark essays:
Assess whether you agree that governments should subsidize companies who are developing cars which run on clean fuels such as hydrogen (25 marks)
Assess whether you agree that the government should give financial assistance to firms producing cars in the UK to increase their competitiveness (25 marks)
Assess whether you agree that the implementation of pollution permits could play a role in reducing global warming (25 marks)
Discuss the view that falling unemployment will inevitably lead to trade-offs with other macroeconomic policy objectives (25 marks)
Evaluate policies that the government could use to reduce obesity, referring to classical solutions such as taxes, subsidies and regulations, and behavioural solutions such as nudges and default choice (25 marks)
Using your knowledge of behavioural economics and neoclassical economics, evaluate the possible policies that could be used to reduce congestion in the UK’s cities. (25 marks)
Evaluate the view that imposing a tax is the most effective government policy for reducing the market failure arising from overconsumption of unhealthy food and drink (25 marks)
Using the extracts and your economic knowledge, assess whether you agree that fixing a maximum price for energy that is sold households is the best way of dealing with market failure in the UK energy industry (25 marks)
Using the extracts and your economic knowledge, assess the view that inequality is ‘good for us all’ (25 marks)
9 and 15 mark essays:
With the help of a diagram, explain how export subsidies may help promote economic growth in India (9 marks)
Explain how government policies can reduce the natural rate of unemployment (15 marks)
Explain why, in a free market, sugary drinks may be overconsumed (15 marks)
Essay plan
To what extent do you agree that expansionary monetary policy is always effective in creating economic growth? (25 marks)
AQA A-level English Literature A: The Great Gatsby and Love Anthology Exemplar Essays
AQA English Literature A-level; Specification A (7711, 7712). Love through the ages; comparative set texts (Great Gatsby and Love poetry pre-1900)
Includes example essays and teacher-assessed marks (all Band 5, 21-22/25)
Compare how the authors of two texts you have studied present ideas about unrequited love
Compare how the writers of two texts you have studied present ideas about immorality in love
Compare how the writers of two texts you have studied present ideas about truth and deception in love
Compare how the authors of two texts you have studied present ideas about romantic commitment
Compare how the writers of two texts you have studied present ideas about conflict within relationships
(Cross-poetry analysis) Compare how the authors of two texts you have studied present ideas about loss of love
Othello Exemplar Essays and Essay Plans (A-level)
From AQA A-level English Literature A ‘Love through the ages’ (7711, 7712) -*I sat my exams in June 2018 and achieved an A grade. *
This resource contains a list of 25-mark essay plans (fully-written essays as well as structured plans), and a list of key quotations:
Discuss how Shakespeare presents the relationship between Othello and Desdemona in this extract and elsewhere in the play (25 marks)
'As lovers, Othello and Desdemona either worship or despise one another. There is no middle ground.’
In light of this view, discuss how Shakespeare presents Othello’s and Desdemona’s attitudes towards one another in this extract and elsewhere in the play. (25 marks)
‘Paradoxically, texts present jealousy as a destructive force existing within the deepest of love’. In light of this view, discuss how Shakespeare presents Othello’s feelings for Desdemona in this extract and elsewhere in the play. (25 marks)
Structured plans
‘Bleak, pessimistic view on love: it is a cause of misery and sadness’
Typically, love is presented as an all-consuming, malicious force’. In light of this view, discuss how Shakespeare presents love in this passage and elsewhere in the play.
In Othello, females are presented as weak-minded and subservient in their relationships with their husband’. In light of this view, discuss how Shakespeare presents marital love in this extract and elsewhere in the play.
‘Shakespeare presents love as successfully transcending boundaries and difficulties’. In light of this view, examine the relationship between Othello and Desdemona in this extract and elsewhere in the play.
‘Typically, texts present men as unable to control their emotions or act rationally upon them’. In light of this view, discuss how Shakespeare presents Othello’s emotions in this extract and elsewhere in the play.
AQA Psychology A-level: Psychopathology (A* notes)
AQA Psychology A-level: Psychopathology
From specification 7181, 7182 - Introductory topics in Psychology (I achieved an A* in Psychology A-level in 2018, across all three papers. I prioritised revision on evaluation, necessary for accessing higher grade!)
Includes
Definitions for abnormality and evaluation of each
Phobias - types of phobia, behavioural, emotional and cognitive characteristics of phobias
Behavioural explanations for phobias - two-process model, Watson and Rayner (1920) and evaluation
Alternative explanations - biological preparedness Seligman (1970)/ Ohman et al (1975) and social learning theory and evaluation
Behavioural approach to treating phobias - systematic desensitization, flooding and evaluation
OCD -behavioural, emotional and cognitive characteristics of OCD
Biological explanations of OCD - genetic basis (candidate genes) and neural basis (neurotransmitters/brain structures) and evaluation
Biological approach to treating OCD - drug therapy, SSRIs and SNRIs and evaluation
Depression - categories, behavioural, emotional and cognitive characteristics of depression
Cognitive explanation for depression - Beck’s Negative Triad and Ellis’ ABC model and evaluation
Cognitive approach to treating depression - CBT, Beck’s cognitive therapy, REBT and evaluation
Bundle
AQA A-Level Psychology Paper 1 - A* Example Essays
AQA Psychology A-level: Attachment, Memory, Psychopathology and Social Influence
From specification 7181, 7182 - Introductory topics in Psychology (I achieved an A* in Psychology A-level in 2018, across all three papers. I prioritised revision on evaluation, necessary for accessing higher grade!)
-> These are FULL 16 mark example essays I created for revision, which helped me get my A*!
Attachment:
Discuss research into early infant-caregiver interaction (16 marks)
Outline and evaluate research by Schaffer and Emerson into attachment (16 marks)
Outline and evaluate research into the stages of attachment (16 marks)
Outline and evaluate research the role of the father (16 marks)
Outline and evaluate animal studies into attachment (16 marks)
Outline and evaluate learning theory as an explanation for attachment (16 marks)
Outline and evaluate Bowlby’s monotropic theory as an explanation for attachment (16 marks)
Outline and evaluate Ainsworth’s ‘Strange Situation’ research (16 marks)
Outline and evaluate cultural variations of attachment (16 marks)
Outline and evaluate Bowlby’s theory of maternal deprivation (16 marks)
Discuss research into the effects of institutionalization (16 marks) / Outline and evaluate Rutter’s study of Romanian orphans (16 marks)
Discuss research into the influence of early attachment (16 marks)
Memory:
Outline and evaluate the multi-store model of memory (16 marks)
Outline and evaluate the working memory model (16 marks)
Outline and evaluate the types of long-term memory (16 marks)
Outline and evaluate interference theory as an explanation for forgetting (16 marks)
Outline and evaluate retrieval failure as an explanation for forgetting (16 marks)
Outline and evaluate the effect of misleading information on eye witness testimony (16 marks)
Outline and evaluate the effect of anxiety on eye witness testimony (16 marks)
Outline and evaluate the use of the cognitive interview in improving the accuracy of eye witness testimony (16 marks)
Psychopathology:
Outline and evaluate two ways of defining abnormality (16 marks) x2
Outline the characteristics of phobias (6 marks)
Outline the characteristics of OCD (6 marks)
Outline the characteristics of depression (6 marks)
Discuss behavioural explanations for phobias (16 marks)
Outline and evaluate the behavioural approach to treating phobias (16 marks)
Outline and evaluate one or more biological explanation for obsessive-compulsive disorder (16 marks) x2
Discuss the biological approach for treating OCD (16 marks)
Outline and evaluate one or more cognitive explanations for depression (16 marks) x2
Discuss the cognitive approach to treating depression (16 marks)
Social Influence:
Outline and evaluate explanations for conformity (16 marks)
Discuss research by Asch into conformity (16 marks)
Discuss research by Zimbardo into conformity (16 marks)
Discuss research by Milgram into obedience (16 marks)
Outline and evaluate the situational factors affecting obedience (16 marks)
Outline and evaluate legitimacy of authority and the agentic state (16 marks)
Outline and evaluate Adorno’s authoritarian personality (16 marks)
Discuss social support as an explanation for the resistance to social influence (8 marks)
Outline and evaluate Rotter’s LOC as an explanation for resistance to social influence (16 marks)
Discuss research into minority influence and its implications on resistance of social influence (16 marks)
Outline and evaluate social change and its implications on resistance to social influence (16 marks)
AQA A-Level Psychology - Forensic Psychology Exam Practice A* Exemplar Essays
AQA Psychology A-level: Forensic Psychology
From specification 7181, 7182 - Issues and options in Psychology - paper 3 (I achieved an A* in Psychology A-level in 2018, across all three papers. I prioritised revision on evaluation, necessary for accessing higher grade!)
Here are my practice exam questions
Includes:
Outline and evaluate methods of measuring crime (16 marks)
Outline and evaluate the top-down approach of offender profiling (16 marks)
Outline and evaluate the bottom-up approach of offender profiling (16 marks)
Outline and evaluate one or more biological explanation for offending behaviour (16 marks)
Discuss Eysenck’s theory of criminal personality as an explanation for offending behaviour (16 marks)
Outline and evaluate cognitive explanations for offending behaviour (16 marks)
Outline and evaluate differential association theory as an explanation for offending behaviour (16 marks)
Outline and evaluate the psychodynamic explanation for offending (16 marks)
Outline and evaluate custodial sentencing as a way of dealing with offending behaviour (16 marks)
Outline and evaluate behaviour modification as a way of dealing with offending behaviour (16 marks)
Outline and evaluate anger management as a way of dealing with offending behaviour (16 marks)
Outline and evaluate restorative justice programmes as a way of dealing with offending behaviour (16 marks)
Bundle
AQA Economics A-Level (A* Notes, Essay Examples and Plans)
AQA Economics A-level: specification 7135, 7136
*I sat my Economics exam in summer 2018 and achieved A star grades across all three papers. Here is a bundle of all my content/theory notes and 25 mark essay examples and plans!
Includes:
Paper 1 - Micro
Economic Problem and Methodology
Supply and Demand
Production, Costs and Revenue
Market Structure
Labour Market
Income and Wealth
Market Mechanism, Market Failure and Government Intervention
Paper 2 - Macro
Macroeconomic performance
Aggregate Demand and Aggregate Supply
Economic Performance
Financial Markets
Fiscal and Supply Side
International Economy
Paper 3 - Synoptic
Synoptic practice questions
AND *A Example 25 mark essays and practice questions covering:
**
Includes 25 mark essays:
Assess whether you agree that governments should subsidize companies who are developing cars which run on clean fuels such as hydrogen (25 marks)
Assess whether you agree that the government should give financial assistance to firms producing cars in the UK to increase their competitiveness (25 marks)
Assess whether you agree that the implementation of pollution permits could play a role in reducing global warming (25 marks)
Discuss the view that falling unemployment will inevitably lead to trade-offs with other macroeconomic policy objectives (25 marks)
Evaluate policies that the government could use to reduce obesity, referring to classical solutions such as taxes, subsidies and regulations, and behavioural solutions such as nudges and default choice (25 marks)
Using your knowledge of behavioural economics and neoclassical economics, evaluate the possible policies that could be used to reduce congestion in the UK’s cities. (25 marks)
Evaluate the view that imposing a tax is the most effective government policy for reducing the market failure arising from overconsumption of unhealthy food and drink (25 marks)
Using the extracts and your economic knowledge, assess whether you agree that fixing a maximum price for energy that is sold households is the best way of dealing with market failure in the UK energy industry (25 marks)
Using the extracts and your economic knowledge, assess the view that inequality is ‘good for us all’ (25 marks)
9 and 15 mark essays:
With the help of a diagram, explain how export subsidies may help promote economic growth in India (9 marks)
Explain how government policies can reduce the natural rate of unemployment (15 marks)
Explain why, in a free market, sugary drinks may be overconsumed (15 marks)
Essay plan
To what extent do you agree that expansionary monetary policy is always effective in creating economic growth? (25 marks)
AQA Psychology A-level: Research Methods 1
AQA Psychology A-level: Research Methods (part 1)
From specification 7181, 7182 - Psychology in context (paper 2) I achieved an A* in Psychology A-level in 2018, across all three papers. I prioritised revision on evaluation, necessary for accessing higher grade!
Includes
The basis of experiments
Variables and control
Experimental methods
Experimental design
Non-experimental methods
Sampling techniques
Pilot studies, content analysis and ethical issues
AQA Psychology A-level: Forensic Psychology (A* notes)
AQA Psychology A-level: Forensic Psychology
From specification 7181, 7182 - Issues and options in Psychology - paper 3 (I achieved an A* in Psychology A-level in 2018, across all three papers. I prioritised revision on evaluation, necessary for accessing higher grade!)
Includes
Defining crime - cultural/historical issues, measuring crime using official statistics, victim/offender surveys
Evaluation of measuring crime
Top-down approach - organised vs disorganised offenders, stages of top down approach and evaluation
Bottom-up approach - investigate psychology, forensic awareness, geographical profiling, circle theory, criminal geographical targeting (CGT) and evaluation
Biological explanations for offending - atavistic form, Lombroso, environmental influence and evaluation
Genetic explanations for offending - twin studies, candidate genes and evaluation
Neural explanations for offending - pre-frontal cortex, limbic system, brain injury, mirror neurons and evaluation
Psychological explanations - Eysenck’s criminal personality, role of socialisation and evaluation
Cognitive explanations - distortions; hostile attribution bias, minimalisation, moral reasoning and evaluation
Differential association theory - crime as learned behaviour, pro-criminal attitudes, reoffending and evaluation
Psychodynamic explanation - inadequate superego, maternal deprivation and evaluation
Dealing with offending behaviour
Custodial sentencing, psychological effects and evaluation
Behaviour modification; reinforcement and conditioning, Hobbs and Holt’s token economy and evaluation
Anger management - stress inoculation model, Keen et al and evaluation
Restorative justice - RJC, features of process and evaluation
AQA A-Level Psychology - Biopsychology Exam Practice A* Exemplar Essays
AQA Psychology A-level: Biopsychology
From specification 7181, 7182 - paper 2 (I achieved an A* in Psychology A-level in 2018, across all three papers. I prioritised revision on evaluation, necessary for accessing higher grade!)
These are my exam practice questions
Includes:
Describe the structure of the nervous system, with reference to the central and peripheral nervous systems (16 marks)
Describe the structure and role of the endocrine system, with reference to the flight or fight response (16 marks)
Describe the role of neurons and the process of synaptic transmission (8 marks)
Outline and evaluate research into the localisation of function (16 marks)
Discuss research into hemispheric lateralisation and split-brain study (16 marks)
Outline and evaluate research into brain plasticity (16 marks)
Outline and evaluate research into functional recovery (16 marks)
Outline and evaluate ways of studying the brain (16 marks)
Outline and evaluate research into circadian rhythms (16 marks)
Discuss research into infradian and/or ultradian rhythms (16 marks)
Outline and evaluate research into endogenous pacemakers and exogenous zeitgebers (16 marks)
Othello Critical Analysis (A-level English Literature)
Othello AQA English Literature A; Love through the ages (7711, 7712) - I sat my A-levels in June 2018 and achieved an A grade in English Literature
Here is a list of scholarly criticisms of Othello, great for using in essays to engage in wider debate (and achieve higher band answers). Includes:
Commentary from Godfrey, Leavis, AC Bradley, Samuel Coleridge and various others
Critical approaches; post-colonial, new historicist, feminist, marxist
Analysis of Othello as a protagonist, themes of justice and revenge, marriage and women etc.
AQA Psychology A-Level: Cognition and Development (A* notes)
AQA Psychology A-level: Cognition and Development
From specification 7181, 7182 - Issues and options in Psychology - paper 3 (I achieved an A* in Psychology A-level in 2018, across all three papers. I prioritised revision on evaluation, necessary for accessing higher grade!)
Includes
Piaget’s theory of development, schemas, motivation to learn, assimilation/accomodation and evaluation
4 stages of intellectual development and evaluation of studies
Vygotsky’s theory of development - language, zone of proximal development, scaffolding and evaluation
Baillargeon and infant abilities - violation of expectation research (VOE), physical reasoning and evaluation
Selman’s perspective-taking research, stages of perspective taking and evaluation
Theory of mind - false belief tasks, eyes tasks, biological basis, role in ASD and evaluation
Mirror neuron system - role of mirror neurons, relation to evolution, relation to ASD and evaluation
AQA Psychology A-level: Biopsychology (A* notes)
AQA Psychology A-level: Biopsychology
From specification 7181, 7182 - Psychology in context - paper 2 (I achieved an A* in Psychology A-level in 2018, across all three papers. I prioritised revision on evaluation, necessary for accessing higher grade!)
Includes:
Nervous system - Division of nervous system - CNS and peripheral nervous system; somatic vs autonomic
Endocrine system - glands, pituitary gland; anterior vs posterior, flight/fight response; appraisal, HPA/SAM
Types of neurons, synaptic transmission, EPSP and IPSP
Localisation of function- motor/somatosensory areas, visual centres, auditory centres, language centres
Broca’s area and Wernicke’s area and evaluation
Lateralisation and split-brain study - Sperry and Gazzaniga (1967) and evaluation
Brain plasticity - Boyke et al, Kuhn et al, Davidson et al and evaluation
Functional recovery - stem cells, neural unmasking, animal vs human studies and evaluation
Ways of studying the brain - FMRI and evaluation, EEG and evaluation, ERPs and evaluation, post-mortem and evaluation
Biological rhythms - circadian rhythms, sleep-wake cycle, Siffre’s cave study, Folkard et al and evaluation
Ultradian rhythms and evaluation - BRAC and sleep stages
Infradian rhythms and evaluation - weekly, monthly and annual rhythms
Endogenous pacemakers; SCN, pineal gland and melatonin and evaluation
Exogenous zeitgebers; light, social cues, jet lag studies and evaluation
AQA Economics A-level: Financial Markets
AQA Economics A-level: Financial Markets, specification 7135, 7136
*I achieved an A in my Economics A-level in 2018, across all three papers. These are the notes I used for theory-based learning of the specification
Includes:
Functions of money and the money supply
The role of financial markets - capital vs money, foreign exchange
Debt vs equity
Market interest rates and bond prices
Commercial vs investment banking - objectives of each
Central banks and monetary policy - contractionary vs inflationary and evaluation
The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) and considerations - evaluation of the MPC
The transmission mechanism of monetary policy
Bank of England and monetary supply - QE and Funding for Lending Scheme (FLS)
Regulation of financial markets - PRA, FPC, FCA
Why banks fail - moral hazard, liquidity vs capital ratios, systemic risk
Implications of intervention, evaluation of regulation
Bundle
AQA A-Level Psychology Notes (Papers 1, 2&3 Bundle)
From A-level specification 7181, 7182
(I achieved an A* in Psychology A-level in 2018, across all three papers. I prioritised revision on evaluation, necessary for accessing higher grade!) Here is a complete bundle of all my notes.
INCLUDES:
Introductory Topics in Psychology
Social Influence
Memory
Attachment
Psychopathology
Psychology in Context
Approaches
Biopsychology
Research Methods
Issues and Options
Issues and Debates
Cognition and Development
Eating Behaviour
Forensic Psychology
AQA A-Level Psychology - Memory A* Exam Practice Exemplar Essays
AQA Psychology A-level: Memory
From specification 7181, 7182 - paper 1 (I achieved an A* in Psychology A-level in 2018, across all three papers. I prioritised revision on evaluation, necessary for accessing higher grade!)
These are my exam practice questions
Includes:
Outline and evaluate the multi-store model of memory (16 marks)
Outline and evaluate the working memory model (16 marks)
Outline and evaluate the types of long-term memory (16 marks)
Outline and evaluate interference theory as an explanation for forgetting (16 marks)
Outline and evaluate retrieval failure as an explanation for forgetting (16 marks)
Outline and evaluate the effect of misleading information on eye witness testimony (16 marks)
Outline and evaluate the effect of anxiety on eye witness testimony (16 marks)
Outline and evaluate the use of the cognitive interview in improving the accuracy of eye witness testimony (16 marks)
AQA A-Level Psychology: Attachment A* Exam Practice Exemplar Essays
AQA Psychology A-level: Attachment
From specification 7181, 7182 paper 1 (I achieved an A* in Psychology A-level in 2018, across all three papers. I prioritised revision on evaluation, necessary for accessing higher grade!)
These are my example essay practice questions
Includes:
Discuss research into early infant-caregiver interaction (16 marks)
Outline and evaluate research by Schaffer and Emerson into attachment (16 marks)
Outline and evaluate research into the stages of attachment (16 marks)
Outline and evaluate research the role of the father (16 marks)
Outline and evaluate animal studies into attachment (16 marks)
Outline and evaluate learning theory as an explanation for attachment (16 marks)
Outline and evaluate Bowlby’s monotropic theory as an explanation for attachment (16 marks)
Outline and evaluate Ainsworth’s ‘Strange Situation’ research (16 marks)
Outline and evaluate cultural variations of attachment (16 marks)
Outline and evaluate Bowlby’s theory of maternal deprivation (16 marks)
Discuss research into the effects of institutionalization (16 marks) / Outline and evaluate Rutter’s study of Romanian orphans (16 marks)
Discuss research into the influence of early attachment (16 marks)
Economics A-level: Market structures
AQA Economics A-level (specification 7135, 7136)
Includes:
Objectives of firms; profit, sales, survival, growth, stakeholders etc.
Divorce of ownership from control
Allocative, productive and ‘x’ efficiency
Growth of firms; internal vs external, horizontal vs vertical vs lateral integration
Mergers and takeovers (and evaluation)
Perfect competition; conditions, evaluation and price determination
Monopolistic competition; assumptions, evaluation, comparison with PC
Oligopolistic markets - types of collusion, impact of collusion, evaluation
Kinked demand curve
Anti-competitiveness, natural/artificial barriers to entry
Monopoly power, profit maximisation, barriers to entry, evaluation
Analysing efficiency, social burden triangle
Price discrimination, conditions and evaluation
Contestable markets - conditions, market concentration, impact and determinants
Consumer surplus - determinants, price elasticity
Producer surplus - determinants
Monopsony power and evaluation
AQA Psychology A-level: Research Methods 2
AQA Psychology A-level: Research Methods (part 2)
From specification 7181, 7182 - Psychology in context - paper 2 (I achieved an A* in Psychology A-level in 2018, across all three papers. I prioritised revision on evaluation, necessary for accessing higher grade!)
Includes
Reliability and validity - measuring, improving, evaluation
Extraneous variables
Data handling - types of data, presentation/display of data, measures of CT, dispersion and standard deviation
Probability and significance - statistical and inferential tests, type 1 vs type 2 errors
Inferential tests
Features of science, writing the scientific report, peer review and evaluation
AQA Economics A-level: Synoptic paper practice questions
AQA Economics A-level: Synoptic (paper 3) preparation questions, specification 7135, 7136
I achieved an A in my Economics a-level in 2018, across all three papers. This document is an example of potential synoptic content, practice exam questions*
Based on brazil synoptic:
Includes example 10 mark, 15 mark and 25 mark planned essay