Product Description

Key Features of this book include: comprehensive exam-focused coverage of all AQA AS; psychology specification terms, studies and concepts plus the unique 'commentary corners' dealing with the all important AO1 and AO2 questions. Extensive and valuable research features, including Research Methods Advice and 'Star Studies', provide guidance on how to tackle research activities and answer the research methods question in the exam. Interactive full-colour double page spreads provide topics in bite-sized chunks, suitable for one hour's study, aiding the learning and revision process. It is packed with great features throughout including research activities, unique diagrammatic summaries, multiple-choice questions, and sample exam questions with student answers at A and C grade, with detailed examiner's comments.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #79308 in Books
• Published on: 2003-04-11
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 256 pages

Customer Reviews

A masterpiece of a book!
Seldom do you read textbooks that change your whole outlook of the subject and I won't shy away from mentioning that this is one of those prestigious ones! 9 months into reading and using it, I can't stop short of recommending this to the whole world and its grandmother!

Seriously speaking, there are many factors that collectively go into making this book a gem that it is. First off, the very content of the book is excellent--there aren't long, continuous pages of text to doze you off. Instead, you have information very neatly broken down into chunks like introductions, case-studies, theories, explanations, APFCCs plus extra findings from the latest psychological research (as latest as 2003!). And this doesn't mean that there's any shortage of information-- in fact I personally found the book to be the most comprehensive of all the other Psychology books (which reflected on my 100% mark -yea u heard it right- 100% in January!).

And no, you don't need to plonk any amount of extra money in those trimmed-and-chopped revision guides for you have loads of revision material--like mind-maps at the end of each unit summarising the whole unit, glossary of key-terms and their definitions, multiple-choice questions, sample exam questions with students' answers and examiner comments plus some one hundred commentary corners which are insightful essay questions to probe your understanding. What takes the cake is the fact that there's a full-fledged research method question after each unit making sure you don't have to read any extra material for this last comparatively drier unit. Also, the fact that research methods are continuously mixed with the other units right from the start means you'll be familiar with the research terminology even before you know it.

The book's breakaway design is also a shocking departure from the cliche "textbooks look, sound and feel boring" as there isn't any shortage of colour anywhere(all the six units are fabulously color-coded in vibrant shades of green, yellow, red, purple, dark blue and orange). Add to this the magazine-like shimmering white pages and innovatively designed text, and you have a book that can easily claim to be a benchmark in textbook-publishing.

Conclusively, there isn't a single flaw that I could find to write here about the book. Its so vibrant, lush, colourful yet so planned and packed with just the right amount of information that even the most hardcore haters of the subject might end up taking psychology as their principal career. Wholly readable and thoroughly addictive, its a book you'll cherish years after you are finished with your A-Levels. Buy this not with a motive to get As and Bs and Cs (that it'll get you anyways) but to relish the taste of a delicious subject called Psychology. Good luck with your exams!

PS: For the uninitiated, the book is penned by Mark Cardwell and Cara Flanagan who are the chief examiners of the AQA AS Psychology exams. Now, you can't get better than this, can you? Grab this one ASAP!

A brilliant new textbook
This new textbook has recently come to my attention, and I only wish it had been printed a few months ago.

This works as an excellent revision book, as well as a class text (although it doesn't go into as much detail as others) For the Key studies on AQA 'A' this is brilliant - it sets out aims, procedures, findings conclusions and criticisms as it required by the board. (and which other textbooks lack)

It also has self assessment questions at the end of chapters which are very useful, and combines research methods into the main body (which is very useful given the lack of time there is to teach).

It's only downfall is that it does not have the breadth of information that other textbooks have, and the layout is more suitable to a revision guide.

However, as a psychology teacher, I would recommend this as an excellent resource, and one that I feel students - especially weaker ones and those who don't intend to take psychology further - will love.

This is the best textbook!
I bought this book at the beginning of December along with the A2 textbok because of re-sit exams in January.
I used a text book by Eysenck and Flanagan last year which was a good enough book at the time but in my honest opinion this is a lot better. The key studies provided are excellent.

As any AS Psychology student doing the AQA "A" specification knows the hardest part of getting full marks in the essay questions in each paper is the nasty little beast called A02. This book makes A02 as EASY as pie! For each page there is a commentary corner which if summarised creates perfect little A02 evaluative points to use in essays.

I only really used this book to revise for my resit of the PYA2 exam (stress and abnormality) so can only really comment on these two parts. What i can say is that unlike many other textbooks this book goes in to the physiological stress response in great detail and covers gender differences in stress in terms of physiology AND perception. Eating disorders is well covered too, the key studies used are perfect and farily easy to remember.

The writers of this book know what they are writing about as they are top examiners so basically they'll write a book which contains what you need to know.

BUY THIS BOOK!!