BCS Written Post-Related Psychology study plan
BCS Written Post-Related Psychology · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 6 hours per week
Intelligence, Aptitude and Personality: Theories and Assessment & Introduction to Psychology: Nature, Scope, Schools and Methods
Compare the trait, psychodynamic, humanistic, and social-cognitive approaches to personality by listing two defining assumptions and one criticism of each.
Differentiate the major theories of intelligence (Spearman, Thurstone, Gardner, Sternberg, Cattell-Horn-Carroll) by explaining what each proposes about the structure of abilities.
Describe the nature, scope, and methods of psychology, distinguishing it from pseudoscience and identifying the limits of introspection and case-study evidence.
Explain how aptitude and achievement tests differ in purpose, and outline the basic psychometric concepts of reliability, validity, and standardisation.
Your checkpoint
A 2-page comparison table of personality and intelligence theories with a one-paragraph critique of each, plus a glossary of 15 psychometric terms with definitions.
Intelligence, Aptitude and Personality: Theories and Assessment & Developmental Psychology across the Life Span
Evaluate the major personality assessment methods (self-report inventories, projective tests, behavioural observation) by stating one strength and one limitation of each.
Trace physical, cognitive, and psychosocial development from infancy through adolescence, naming the key stage theories (Piaget, Erikson, Kohlberg) and their sequence.
Distinguish longitudinal, cross-sectional, and sequential research designs and explain what each can and cannot reveal about developmental change.
Identify the ethical and cultural considerations in assessing intelligence and personality across diverse populations.
Your checkpoint
A 10-item annotated timeline of developmental milestones from conception to late adolescence, with the associated theorist and stage for each item.
Biological Bases of Behaviour: Nervous System, Brain and Endocrine Influences & Sensation, Perception, Attention and States of Consciousness
Map the divisions of the nervous system (central, peripheral, somatic, autonomic) and state the function of each subdivision.
Explain how neurons communicate across synapses and how neurotransmitters and hormones influence behaviour, using two concrete examples.
Describe the functions of the major brain structures (cortex, limbic system, thalamus, hypothalamus, cerebellum, brainstem) and the effects of damage to each.
Summarise the key principles of sensation and perception (thresholds, adaptation, Gestalt grouping, depth cues) and distinguish sensation from perception.
Compare selective and divided attention and describe how states of consciousness (sleep stages, hypnosis, meditation) differ in awareness and control.
Your checkpoint
A labelled diagram of the nervous system and brain with a one-sentence function for each labelled part, plus a 300-word explanation of synaptic transmission.
Learning: Classical and Operant Conditioning, Observational and Cognitive Learning & Memory, Forgetting and Cognitive Processes (Thinking, Language, Problem Solving)
Contrast classical and operant conditioning by identifying the unconditioned, conditioned, and reinforcing stimuli in novel scenarios.
Explain observational learning and cognitive learning (latent learning, insight, expectancies) and how they challenge strict behaviourist accounts.
Describe the multi-store model of memory (sensory, short-term, long-term) and the working memory model, and explain encoding, storage, and retrieval.
Analyse the major theories of forgetting (decay, interference, retrieval failure, motivated forgetting) and apply them to everyday examples.
Outline the cognitive processes of thinking, problem solving, and language, including heuristics, biases, and stages of language development.
Your checkpoint
A 1,000-word case analysis applying conditioning, memory, and problem-solving concepts to a described learning scenario, with each concept explicitly labelled.
Social Psychology: Attitudes, Groups, Influence and Intergroup Relations & Motivation, Emotion and Stress
Explain how attitudes form and change, including the routes of persuasion and the role of cognitive dissonance.
Describe conformity, obedience, and compliance using classic research paradigms, and evaluate the ethical criticisms of those studies.
Analyse group processes (social facilitation, loafing, polarisation, groupthink) and intergroup relations (prejudice, discrimination, stereotyping) with reference to at least two theoretical accounts.
Compare the major theories of motivation (drive-reduction, arousal, expectancy-value, self-determination, Maslow) and their applications.
Explain the components and theories of emotion and the physiological and psychological stages of the stress response, including coping strategies.
Your checkpoint
A 500-word applied essay on reducing prejudice in a workplace or campus setting, citing at least three social-psychological principles and two motivation or stress concepts.
Motivation, Emotion and Stress & Abnormal Psychology and Mental Health: Disorders, Assessment and Therapeutic Approaches
Classify the major categories of psychological disorders (anxiety, mood, psychotic, personality, neurodevelopmental) using current diagnostic criteria.
Compare the main therapeutic approaches (psychodynamic, behavioural, cognitive, cognitive-behavioural, humanistic, biological) in terms of goals, methods, and evidence base.
Describe the purposes and limitations of psychological assessment, including clinical interviews, behavioural assessment, and standardised instruments.
Explain the biopsychosocial model and apply it to the onset and maintenance of one specific disorder.
Your checkpoint
A 600-word case formulation for one fictional client that includes a diagnostic hypothesis, a biopsychosocial explanation, and a justified treatment plan with two alternative approaches.
Introduction to Psychology: Nature, Scope, Schools and Methods & Biological Bases of Behaviour: Nervous System, Brain and Endocrine Influences & Sensation, Perception, Attention and States of Consciousness & Learning: Classical and Operant Conditioning, Observational and Cognitive Learning & Memory, Forgetting and Cognitive Processes (Thinking, Language, Problem Solving)
Synthesise the foundational domains by constructing concept maps that link biological, perceptual, learning, and memory processes.
Answer 30 mixed-format practice questions across Domains 1–5 under timed conditions and review every error.
Identify the three weakest sub-topics from the practice set and write a corrective summary for each.
Explain how research methods (experiment, correlation, observation) apply across the foundational domains.
Your checkpoint
A scored 30-question practice test (with answer key and error log) plus three one-page corrective summaries for the weakest sub-topics.
Motivation, Emotion and Stress & Intelligence, Aptitude and Personality: Theories and Assessment & Developmental Psychology across the Life Span & Social Psychology: Attitudes, Groups, Influence and Intergroup Relations & Abnormal Psychology and Mental Health: Disorders, Assessment and Therapeutic Approaches
Synthesise the applied domains by constructing concept maps that link motivation, emotion, stress, intelligence, personality, development, social psychology, and abnormal psychology.
Answer 40 mixed-format practice questions across Domains 6–10 under timed conditions and review every error.
Integrate at least two domains in each of three written answers to simulated essay prompts.
Produce a personal one-page formula sheet of key theorists, models, and definitions for final revision.
Your checkpoint
A full-length 70-question mock examination with a score report, error analysis, and a one-page revision sheet.
Milestones
Week 2: Can you name and contrast at least five personality theories and three intelligence theories without notes, and correctly identify the stage and theorist for ten developmental milestones?
Week 4: Can you label the main brain structures and their functions, explain synaptic transmission, and correctly classify conditioning and memory examples in a 20-item unlabelled quiz with at least 80% accuracy?
Week 6: Can you explain three social-influence phenomena, three motivation theories, and the diagnostic criteria for three disorder categories, and justify a treatment choice in a written case formulation?
Week 8: Have you completed both timed practice sets with an error log, achieved at least 70% overall on the full mock examination, and produced the one-page revision sheet covering all ten domains?