MATSEC IM Psychology study plan

Map the full MATSEC Intermediate Psychology syllabus into a one-page topic checklist, marking each topic as secure, shaky, or unknown before any revision begins.

Define psychology as a discipline and distinguish it from pseudo-psychology and common-sense explanations, writing a 150-word comparison in your own words.

List the main approaches (biological, behaviourist, cognitive, psychodynamic, humanistic) and state one core assumption and one criticism for each.

Outline the standard research-report structure (introduction, method, results, discussion) and label what belongs in each section using a study you have read.

Describe the structure and function of the neuron, and explain synaptic transmission in a labelled diagram drawn from memory.

Distinguish the central, peripheral, somatic and autonomic nervous systems, and state the role of each in everyday behaviour.

Explain the endocrine system's contribution to behaviour using at least one worked example, such as adrenaline and the fight-or-flight response.

Compare at least two methods of studying brain function (for example EEG, fMRI, lesion studies) and note one strength and one limitation of each.

Summarise one split-brain or localisation-of-function study and explain what it demonstrates about hemispheric specialisation.

Define classical conditioning and apply its terms (unconditioned stimulus, conditioned stimulus, conditioned response) to a novel scenario you construct yourself.

Explain operant conditioning, distinguishing positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, punishment and extinction with one original example each.

Summarise social learning theory and identify the conditions under which modelling is most likely to occur.

Evaluate behaviourist explanations of learning by listing two strengths and two limitations compared with cognitive accounts.

Design a simple behaviour-modification plan for a everyday habit and justify each scheduled reinforcement.

Describe the multi-store model of memory (sensory, short-term, long-term) and state the capacity, duration and encoding of each store.

Explain the working memory model and contrast it with the multi-store model in a short written comparison.

Distinguish episodic, semantic and procedural memory, and give one original example of each.

Outline at least two explanations of forgetting, such as interference and retrieval failure, and identify evidence supporting each.

Apply two memory-improvement techniques to your own revision schedule and record whether they help.

Define attachment and describe the stages of attachment development in infancy.

Explain at least two theories of attachment and state a key criticism of each.

Describe Ainsworth's strange situation procedure, the attachment types it identifies, and one ethical or methodological concern.

Summarise the findings and implications of one deprivation or privation study without naming commercial question banks or secondary summaries.

Evaluate the influence of early attachment on later relationships using evidence for and against.

Define conformity and obedience, and distinguish them clearly with one original scenario each.

Explain at least two explanations for conformity, such as normative and informational influence, and apply them to a workplace example.

Summarise the procedure and findings of one classic obedience study and identify two ethical issues it raises.

Describe factors that increase or decrease obedience and evaluate how well they explain real-world behaviour.

Outline one bystander-intervention or group-behaviour concept and explain its practical implications.

Distinguish reliability from validity, and identify the types of each relevant to psychological measurement.

Explain the purpose and basic logic of an experiment, including independent and dependent variables, and identify both in three sample designs.

Describe one observational, one correlational and one self-report method, stating a strength and limitation of each.

Outline the core ethical principles for research with human participants and apply them to a hypothetical study you design.

Interpret a simple set of descriptive statistics (mean, median, mode, range) and explain what they do and do not show.

Consolidate the diagnostic checklist from week 1, re-rating every topic and targeting only remaining shaky areas.

Write two full timed essay answers under exam conditions and self-mark them against a checklist of argument, evidence, and evaluation.

Recite definitions of 30 core terms from memory and correct any that are inaccurate.

Review all week deliverables and produce a condensed one-page revision sheet of the highest-yield points.

Plan a post-exam review of recurring errors so weaknesses are addressed rather than repeated.