specification overview
Edexcel GCSE (9-1) Psychology (1PS0) is a single-tier linear qualification with two asymmetric written papers. Paper 1 (1h 45m, 98 marks, 55%) covers Topics 1-5: development, memory, psychological problems, the brain and neuropsychology, and social influence. Paper 2 (1h 20m, 79 marks, 45%) has a compulsory research methods section (Section A) plus two optional topics chosen from criminal psychology, the self, perception, sleep and dreaming, and language, thought and communication.
subject content
1. Development, How did you develop?
Paper 1- Early brain development: forebrain, midbrain, hindbrain, cerebellum and medulla
- Piaget's stages of cognitive development, conservation and egocentrism
- Dweck's mindset theory: fixed versus growth mindset
- Willingham's learning theory and its application to education
- The development of morality
2. Memory, How does your memory work?
Paper 1- Structure and process of memory: input, encoding, storage and retrieval
- Features of short-term and long-term memory, and types of amnesia
- Atkinson and Shiffrin's multi-store model of memory
- Bartlett's theory of reconstructive memory and the War of the Ghosts study
- The reductionism versus holism debate
3. Psychological problems, How would psychological problems affect you?
Paper 1- Characteristics and symptoms of unipolar depression and of addiction
- Effects of mental health problems on individuals and on society
- Genetic, cognitive and learning explanations of depression and addiction
- Treatments: cognitive behavioural therapy and drug therapy
- The nature versus nurture debate
4. The brain and neuropsychology, How does your brain affect you?
Paper 1- Structure and function of the nervous system, neurons and synaptic transmission
- Localisation of function: frontal, parietal, temporal and occipital lobes, cerebellum
- Hemispheric lateralisation of the brain
- Effects of neurological damage: visual agnosia, prosopagnosia and prefrontal cortex damage
- Brain scanning techniques (CT, PET, fMRI) and the development of psychology as a science
5. Social influence, How do others affect you?
Paper 1- Conformity and the factors affecting it, including Asch's research
- Obedience and the factors affecting it, including Milgram's research
- Deindividuation and collective/crowd behaviour
- The bystander effect and factors affecting bystander intervention
- Preventing blind obedience, and social and cultural factors in social influence
6. Criminal psychology, Why do people become criminals?
Paper 2 (optional)- Learning explanations of criminality: operant conditioning and social learning theory
- Eysenck's criminal personality theory
- Effects of punishment on recidivism: prison, community sentencing and restorative justice
- Treatment and rehabilitation: token economy programmes and anger management
7. The self, What makes you who you are?
Paper 2 (optional)- Concepts of the self and self-concept, including Lewis and Rogers
- Identity and free will in self-development, including Erikson and Baumeister
- Humanistic theory of self: Rogers and Maslow's hierarchy of needs
- Internal and external influences on the self and on self-esteem
- Personality measurement: personality scales, personality types and trait theory
8. Perception, How do you interpret the world around you?
Paper 2 (optional)- Monocular and binocular depth cues
- Visual illusions and perceptual constancies
- Gibson's direct theory of perception
- Gregory's constructivist theory of perception
- Effects on perceptual set: motivation, expectation, emotion and culture
9. Sleep and dreaming, Why do you need to sleep and dream?
Paper 2 (optional)- Functions of sleep, the stages of sleep, REM and the sleep cycle
- Internal and external influences on sleep: circadian rhythms, hormones and zeitgebers
- Sleep disorders: insomnia and narcolepsy
- Freud's theory of dreaming
- Hobson and McCarley's activation-synthesis theory of dreaming
10. Language, thought and communication, How do you communicate with others?
Paper 2 (optional)- The relationship between language and thought: Piaget and Vygotsky
- The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis: linguistic relativism and linguistic determinism
- Features of human communication compared with animal communication
- Non-verbal communication: facial expressions, eye contact, body language and personal space
- Darwin's evolutionary theory of communication
11. Research methods, How do you carry out psychological research?
Papers 1, 2- Variables (independent, dependent, extraneous) and writing hypotheses
- Experimental designs, sampling methods, reliability and validity
- Research methods: laboratory, field and natural experiments, interviews, questionnaires, case studies, observations and correlation
- Ethical issues in psychological research
- Data handling: descriptive statistics, graphs, quantitative/qualitative and primary/secondary data
assessment structure
| Paper | What's assessed | Length | Marks | Weight | Question types |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 (Thinking and Doing) | Development, memory, psychological problems, the brain and neuropsychology, social influence | 1h 45m | 98 | 55% | Multiple-choice, short-answer, extended-response (including 9-mark essays) |
| Paper 2 (Social Context) | Research methods (compulsory Section A) plus two optional topics chosen from criminal psychology, the self, perception, sleep and dreaming, and language, thought and communication | 1h 20m | 79 | 45% | Multiple-choice, short-answer, extended-response (including 9-mark essays) |
Research methods is Topic 11 and forms the compulsory Section A of Paper 2. Sleep and dreaming and criminal psychology are distinctive Edexcel topics, both offered as Paper 2 optional topics.
assessment objectives
| AO | What it means | Overall |
|---|---|---|
| AO1 | Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of psychological ideas, processes and procedures. | 35% |
| AO2 | Apply knowledge and understanding of psychological ideas, processes and procedures. | 35% |
| AO3 | Analyse, interpret and evaluate psychological concepts, information and evidence. | 30% |
key tips for success
Learn named studies with details
Edexcel names the compulsory studies you must know - two per topic. Prepare the ones for your topics, for example Piaget and Inhelder (1956) three mountains task, Bartlett (1932) War of the Ghosts, Peterson and Peterson (1959), Sperry (1968) hemisphere deconnection and Piliavin et al. (1969) Good Samaritanism, with aims, procedures, findings and evaluation.
Master research methods for both papers
Research methods can appear on any topic. Learn: experimental design, sampling, ethics, correlation, data types, hypothesis writing.
Practise 9-mark essays
Both papers have 9-mark essays. Reward: intro, 3 developed points with evidence, considered evaluation. Practise structure until automatic.
Learn sleep and dreaming thoroughly
Sleep and dreaming (Topic 9) is a Paper 2 optional topic. If your school chooses it, learn sleep stages, functions, and theories of dreaming (Freud, activation-synthesis).
Master criminal psychology
Criminal psychology (Topic 6) is one of five Paper 2 optional topics, of which your school studies two. If chosen, learn biological and psychological theories of criminality plus treatment approaches.
Learn brain diagrams
Paper 1 tests brain structure and function. Learn to draw and label a diagram of the brain including lobes, cerebellum, brainstem.
Where to next
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