PsychExchange.co.uk Shared Resource

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GCSE Psychology Topic C Do TV and Video games affect young people’s behaviour?

Key terminology - the role of the brain in aggression:amygdala – a brain structure thought to be involved in aggression.limbic system – an area of the brain involved in emotion.

Revision notes: - a person can be aggressive because of their biological make up - so far scientists haven’t found a gene responsible for aggression as research has

focused more on how the brain functions and how areas of the brain are involved in aggression

- the limbic system and the amygdala are involved in aggression- the limbic system is called the ‘emotional area’ of the brain because it is

responsible for the emotions needed for survival, like fear and aggression- people with emotional disorders have been shown to have had damage to the

limbic system- the amygdala recognises emotion, creates emotional responses and produces aggression- in animal studies removing the amygdala makes the animal very calm whereas damage to this area may

cause increased levels of aggression- some human case studies offer evidence that the amygdala might cause aggression – e.g. Charles Whitman

who shot 13 people. He left a note saying he was convinced something was making him aggressive. An autopsy revealed a tumour pressing against his amygdala

- human and animal brains are similar, but not similar enough to make direct comparisons however- we cannot purposely damage human brains to see if it results in aggression because that would be unethical- therefore it is difficult to tell if the limbic system and the amygdala are involved in aggressive behaviour or

not, as there is limited direct proof.

Task 1: for each of the following statements, identify whether it is a strength or a weakness for evaluating the link between biology and aggression:

1) Animal studies that have involved damage to or removal of the amygdala offer evidence for its link with aggression. STRENGTH WEAKNESS

2) Studying the human brain is difficult and can be very risky, so there is no way of making sure areas of the brain are linked to aggression. STRENGTH WEAKNESS

3) Animals and humans are different in many ways, so animal research suggesting a link between the brain and aggression may not be applicable to humans. STRENGTH WEAKNESS

4) The case study of Charles Whitman (1966) and the case described by King (1961) are evidence for its link with aggression in humans. STRENGTH WEAKNESS

5) Case studies are unreliable, as the reason for an individual’s aggression maybe unique to that individual. STRENGTH WEAKNESS

6) Aggression could equally be explained by the way children copy the media. STRENGTH WEAKNESS

Key terminology - the role of hormones in aggressionhormones – chemicals produced by the human body that send signals to organs around the body via the bloodstream.

- women also have testosterone but males produce more of it (10 times more!)- animal research has shown that injecting testosterone increases levels of

aggression whilst removing the testes decreases levels of aggression

Revision notes:- In almost every culture, males are far more aggressive than females; could this

be because of testosterone (male sex hormone)?- testosterone is secreted by the adrenal glands and testes and is needed to

produce sperm, develop the male reproductive system and produce male features e.g. facial hair, deep voice etc.

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- castrating a male animal lowers its testosterone level making it less aggressive- if that animal is then injected with testosterone its aggression level is restored to normal - this is strong evidence that testosterone is responsible for aggression- can we say the same about humans? It is unethical to deliberately increase the testosterone level in men.- Psychologists can take blood from humans to see what level of testosterone they have and compare it to

how aggressive they feel or act. Some correlation studies have found a relationship between high testosterone levels and questionnaire results showing greater reported aggression. However, it is not certain whether testosterone causes increased aggression or aggression causes increased testosterone.

Task 2: For each of the following statements, circle whether it is true or false.1) In animals, there is no clear cause and effect relationship between testosterone

and aggression. TRUE FALSE2) Human studies show a relationship between aggression and testosterone in

correlation studies. TRUE FALSE3) All humans with high testosterone levels are aggressive. TRUE FALSE4) Correlation and animal studies have weaknesses. Animal studies may not

apply to humans, and correlation studies just look for relationships and are not direct evidence. TRUE FALSE

5) If testosterone is the cause of aggressive behaviour, why are all women more violent than men? TRUE FALSE

6) This explanation of aggression completely ignores the huge impact of upbringing and social circumstances on our behaviour. TRUE FALSE

Key terminology – social learning theoryobservational learning – the process of learning from watching others.modelling – observing, identifying with and copying the behaviour of a role model.identification – a feeling of similarity with a role model that leads to the imitation of their behaviour – we believe we can be like them.vicarious reinforcement – learning though the positive consequences of other people’s actions rather than first-hand – we are more likely to copy if they are rewarded.

Revision notes: - Albert Bandura developed SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY as an explanation for behaviour- Children learn through watching other people either directly (family, friends etc.) or through watching

people in the media – these are role models- Role models are chosen through the process of identification – people they look up to, or who are similar to

themselves.- We don’t copy everything we have seen, but we still learn it.- Attention: we pay attention to the person being observed.- Memory: being able to remember what we have seen until we need it- Reproduction: being able to act out what we have seen until it is needed.- Motivation: we have an incentive to learn through vicarious learning = learning through other people’s

rewards or punishments.- Vicarious learning: if we observe another person being rewarded for their behaviour, we are more likely to

copy it. On the other hand if we observe somebody being punished for their behaviour we are less likely to copy it.

- Bandura's classic STUDY of the Bobo doll showed that when children observed an adult playing aggressively with the Bobo doll, they copied that behaviour.

- He found that if the adult was rewarded they were more likely to copy.- He found that if the adult was punished they were less likely to copy.- He found that boys were more likely to copy male adults than female adults

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EVALUATION of SOCIAL LEARNING THEORYSTENGTHS WEAKNESSES

The study is supported with evidence from Bandura’s Bobo doll studies because he showed that children copy behaviour.

BUT not all children who observe aggressive behaviour copy it.BUT Bandura’s study was a laboratory experiment, this means it is not VALID

There are many real life aggressive incidents that have been linked to TV and video games, such as the Columbine Massacre, and the James Bulger murder.

BUT it may be that aggressive children watch aggressive TV rather than the other way around.BUT some studies have shown that watching aggressive TV can lower aggression in people because it can act as a release.

Task 3: Radley has been in trouble at school and outside school for bullying other pupils and fighting. His older brother used to have the same kind of trouble when he was at school.

a) Using social learning theory explain why Radley is behaving aggressively.b) Describe how you could explain Radley’s behaviour using biological reasons.c) Which studies would suggest explanation a is true?d) Which studies would suggest that explanation b is true.

Key terminology – comparing theories of aggressionnature – what we are born with.nurture – what we learn from the way we are raised.

Revision notes:- The NATURE-NURTURE debate is an on-going discussion about whether our behaviour is caused by our

biology (NATURE) or the environment around us (NURTURE).- The biological theory sees aggression as something that comes from our body, something we are born with

WHEREAS social learning theory believes that we learn aggression from the people around us.- The social learning theory says that we are motivated to be aggressive through vicarious learning from

observing other people, WHEREAS the biological theory says that we are driven to be aggressive through the levels of testosterone in our body, or damage to our amygdala.

- BOTH theories are SIMILAR because they are difficult to study – we cannot open people’s brains to investigate their amygdales, and we cannot easily test the effects of observational learning over a long period of time.

- BOTH theories are SIMILAR because it is difficult to test because of ethical reasons of testing on people.- BOTH theories are SIMILAR because they have been criticised as it may be that the reverse of the theory

might be true – e.g. aggressive children might like watching aggressive TV (rather than aggressive TV causing aggression in children).

- CONCLUSION? Both theories have strengths. Aggressive behaviour is probably caused by a combination of them both.

Task 4: Go back to task 3 – now try and explain Radley’s behaviour using a combination of both theories together.

Ramirez et al (2001): culture and aggressionKEY STUDY

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Revision notes:

Aims: Ramirez and his colleagues wanted to investigate whether aggression varied between cultures. They were also interested in the different aggression levels between males and females.

Procedure: Their study involved 400 psychology students who volunteered to participate – half were at university in Japan, the other half in Spain.

- All students were asked to complete a questionnaire that measured different types of aggression: verbal aggression, physical aggression, anger and hostility.

- The questionnaires included Likert-style questions, where Pps had to respond by saying to what extent they agreed with the statement. (1 = extremely uncharacteristic of me – 5 extremely characteristic of me)

Findings: Ramirez found that Japanese students showed more physical aggression than Spanish students.

- Spanish students showed more verbal aggression and anger than Japanese students.- Males showed more physical and verbal aggression and hostility than females in both cultures.- Male and females in both cultures showed the same level of anger.

Conclusions: - Ramirez concluded that despite the cultural stereotype of the Japanese culture of being shy and not

showing emotion, Japanese males and females were more physically aggressive than Spanish students. - The finding that Spanish students are more verbally aggressive is consistent with the stereotype of

Spaniards being expressive of their emotions.- The study supports previous theories that males are more aggressive than females. This could be because

of the way men are raised, as masculine, or because of hormonal differences between the sexes.

STENGTHS WEAKNESSESthe questions produce quantitative data so cannot be interpreted differently by researchers.

some questionnaires are criticised because the answers can be interpreted in such a way that they meet the expectations of the researcher.

all students had volunteered and were fully aware that the results would be published – it was an ethical study.

all the Pps were psychology students – they may have guessed the aim of the study (response bias) or answered questions in a socially desirable way.students may have answered the questions according to how they think they would act, but in real-life situations they may be unlikely to behave that way.

Task 5: Answer the following exam question.Describe Raimerez et al’s (2000) study into culture and aggression. (4 marks)

Key terminology - Content analysis as a research method

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content analysis – a research method used to measure the number of times something comes up in a book, newspaper article, television programme, etc.tally – a single mark on a chart to show that a behaviour/category has been found during content analysis.unrepresentative – limited so that it might not apply to everyone.reliability – refers to whether findings from a study would be found again if the study was repeated.

Revision notes:- If researchers wanted to see how much aggression occurred on

television they could use content analysis as a research method. They would have to take a number of steps:1. Decide what aggressive behaviour is2. Develop a list of behaviours that could be measured as aggressive3. Decide on the sample they need to study (e.g. which TV programmes

or ads, times of the day etc.)4. Tally (count) the times aggression occurred.5. Assess the reliability of their results.

- Once they have completed their content analysis, they can add up the total number of aggressive acts so they can decide how much aggression is on television.

- This process is quite straightforward but a few things need to be considered:1. The list of behaviours needs to be a good example of that is being measured 2. Good content analysis depends on looking at a good sample of programmes, books or other forms of

media to study. Even the time of the day or type of programme can lead to a biased sample. 3. A poor sample means the study’s findings will be unrepresentative, the programmes in the sample

cannot be said to be similar to all television programming or media forms being analysed.

- When a researcher does a content analysis they might record tallies that other researchers would not, each researcher has their own views, and this means that the results of their study might not be reliable. This could lead to different researchers coming to different conclusions.

- One way of overcoming this is by getting two or more researchers to do the same study. Everyone’s results can they be compared and only those that are agreed upon are used as a result.

Task 6: Answer the following exam question:Jean wanted to see if aggression was present in children’s television cartoons. Using a tally chart, she recorded the number of times a cartoon character hit another character. She recorded male and female characters separately.

Jean’s tally chart

a) Which gender displayed more aggression? (1 mark)

b) State one problem with Jean’s investigation. Give a reason for your answer. (2 marks)

Problem__________________________________________________________________________________

Reason__________________________________________________________________________________

The ethics of psychological research

Number of times a female hit another character I I I I I Number of times a male hit another character I I I I I I I I I I

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Key terminology - the ethics of psychological research consent – permission to take part in a study.right to withdraw – a participant’s right to leave a study at any time and their ability to do so.deception – being lied to.debrief- being told the truth about a study when it is over.competence – a psychologist’s ability to conduct a study.protection of participants – looking after the rights and welfare of participants to ensure no physical or psychological damage.

Revision notes: - Psychologists are bound by a strict set of ethical guidelines that are regulated by

the British Psychological Society (BPS).- These guidelines help to protect participants of psychological research and make

sure that the research conducted is carefully considered. - Ethical guidelines are moral rules that prevent us from doing harm.

1. Consent – PPs should give their consent to taking part in a study, and if possible, psychologists should try to inform Pps about the nature and aim of the study. The purpose of this guideline is to allow Pps to refuse permission if they don’t want to participate in a study.

2. Right to withdraw – PPs should be able to withdraw their consent at any point in a study. If they feel stressed, distressed or embarrassed they should be able to leave the study so they are not harmed.

3. Deception – Pps should not be lied to unless it is absolutely necessary, because it can make them feel humiliated when they eventually find out.

4. Debrief – Pps should be told the real aim of the study when it is over. This is to ensure they are left in the same state as when they started. However, a debrief is not an excuse for deception!

5. Competence – a researcher must be qualified to conduct the study and if they are chartered they might need approval from the BPS. Researchers might also seek advice from other colleagues if they are not sure how the study will affect Pps.

6. Protection of participants – PPs of psychological research should not experience any physical or psychological harm. Psychologists have to consider the rights and welfare of Pps and weigh this up against the benefits or gains of the research. Psychologists also have to consider whether the study might cause embarrassment, distress, anxiety or concern.

- So, how can we protect Pps?- Before research is carried out, we should make sure that all risk of harm is identified, and minimised where

possible.- Psychologists should seek professional help from colleagues or advisers about the identified risks.- Researchers should inform Pps where possible about risks involved.- Pps should always be given the right to withdraw at any point in the study.

Even if they are not fully informed about the aim of the study, at least they can chose to leave the study if they begin to feel distressed or embarrassed etc.

- Counselling or other professional services should be provided if the participants have been affected by the study. There should be follow-up of all Pps to ensure that they have not suffered any long-term damage.

- When debriefing Pps, they should be reassured that their participation will be confidential and that their participation in the study has been of great value.

Task 7: How could Anderson and Dill’s (2000) study been seen as unethical?

Anderson and Dill (2000): video games and aggression

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Key terminology - Anderson and Dill (2000): video games and aggression independent variable – the factor which is changed by the researcher in an experiment to make two or more conditions.dependent variable – the factor which is measured in an experiment.

Revision notes: Aims: Wanted to see whether people who played violent video games became aggressiveProcedure: Laboratory experiment with 210 psychology students split into 2 groups (= independent groups design)

IV = The type of video game played (condition 1= non-violent, condition 2 = violent)DV = The level of aggression shown after playing the video game (measured by how loud and long they gave a punishment to their opponent for)

Pps told the study was about the development of motor skills so they would not know the true aims. Pps told to play a video game in a cubicle for 15mins against an opponent (who didn’t really exist) After 15mins they were told to play a competitive game against their opponent and the winner would give

out a punishment of a loud noise – they could choose how loud to make the noise. The experimenter measured how loud and long a punishment each Pp gave to their ‘opponent’.

Findings: a) The longest and loudest punishments were given by the Pps who played the violent video game.b) Women gave bigger punishments than men

Conclusions: Playing violent video games affected level of aggression. Video games made the Pps think in an aggressive way. Long term use of violent video games could result in a permanent change to aggressive thought patterns.

Task 8: Are the following evaluative points STRENGTHS or WEAKNESSES?

a. The experiment was in a laboratory this means there were good controls and it means the experiment can be repeated. STRENGTH WEAKNESS

b. The participants knew they were being experimented on which may have made them alter their behaviour meaning the experiment wasn’t measuring natural behaviour STRENGTH WEAKNESS

c. The experimenters didn’t tell the Pps the true aims of the experiment. They also told them they were playing against an opponent when in fact they weren’t STRENGTH WEAKNESS

d. The experiment took place in a laboratory – playing games in a cubical is not a normal activity for people and is not realistic STRENGTH WEAKNESS

e. The findings are really useful for real life applications because we now have age restrictions on certain games since we can see they may adversely affect young people STRENGTH WEAKNESS

f. The experiment may have caused the Pps stress knowing that they were punishing people STRENGTH WEAKNESS

g. The participants were all psychology students this means they do not represent the general population which means we cannot apply the findings to other groups of people and situations STRENGTH WEAKNESS

Task 9:Match the following evaluative POINTS up to the descriptions above (a –f)

POINT Deception(ethical issue)

Demand characteristics Reliability Generalisablility

Protection from harm (ethical issue)

ValidityUseful in real life

Description CCharlton et al (2000): St Helena study

KEY STUDY

KEY STUDY

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Key terminology - Charlton et al (2000): St Helena studynatural experiment – an experiment where the independent variable is naturally occurring and not set up by the researchers.

Revision notes:Aims: Wanted to investigate the effects of television on children’s behaviourProcedure: natural experiment

IV = television before and after its introduction DV = the children’s behaviour on the island

Charlton collected data about the children’s behaviour using a number of methods:

The researchers collected information on the children using questionnaires and asking parents and teachers about the behaviour of the children

Observations of the children’s behaviour were made in the school playground, particularly the level of aggression the children displayed.

The researchers’ content analysed what and how much the children watched on television. They were particularly interested in how much violence children watched and for how long.

Video cameras were placed in the school classrooms and playgrounds to watch the children and measure the level of aggression.

Findings: a) Charlton found very little difference in the children’s behaviour before and after the introduction of

television. The island had a very low rate of behavioural problems with children before the study, and this did not significantly increase because of watching TV.

b) Because the population of St Helena is so small (everyone knows everyone!) and parents have high control over their children’s behaviour, the effect of TV seems to have been reduced.

Conclusions: TV did not have a significant impact on children’s behaviour. Even if violence was watched it was not copied.

Task 10: Are the following evaluative points STRENGTHS or WEAKNESSES?

a) This study is a natural experiment, which means it has greater realism than a laboratory or field experiment. This is because the researcher does not set up the situation – it is happening naturally. STRENGTH WEAKNESS

b) Because of the close nature of the community it might be that the children were more aggressive after watching TV, but that the parents and teacherswere unwilling to report this because of the negative view researchers wouldhave of the island. Also, if children were aggressive in the classroom or playground this could have been controlled quickly by teachers to prevent a negative perception of the children. STRENGTH WEAKNESS

c) Discreet cameras were used so the children would have acted naturally, because they did not know they were being watched. STRENGTH WEAKNESS

d) Other psychologists have reported that the programmes watched by children contained less violence than programmes watched by mainland children. Popular programmes with high violent content, such as ‘Mighty Morphin Power rangers’ or Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’, were not broadcast to St Helena. STRENGTH WEAKNESS

Task 11: Answer the following questions:a) What was the main finding of Charlton et al’s (2000) study?

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b) Suggest 2 similarities and 2 differences between the isolated St Helena community and your community.

c) Describe one strength of Charlton et al’s (2000) study.

d) Describe one weakness of Charlton et al’s (2000) study.

Williams et al (1981): does TV affect children’s behaviour?Revision notes:

Aims: Williams wanted to measure children’s behaviour before and after television had been introduced to the town (a remote town in British Columbia, Canada) and also to compare the children’s behaviour with that of other towns that did have TV.Procedure: natural experimentIV - television before and after its introduction DV = the children’s behaviour

- They measured a range of behaviours before and after the town received TV:1. Aggression of children in the playground and classroom2. Leisure activities the community were involved in3. Intelligence level (IQ) of children4. Creativity and reading ability of children- Two observers watched children in the school playground and classrooms but they didn’t start recording

until the children were used to their presence. This was to make sure the children didn’t behave differently.- They measured the number of physically aggressive acts (e.g. hitting) and verbally aggressive acts (e.g.

teasing) - They called the town ‘Notel’ (not it’s real name) and also studied two neighbouring towns with similar

population and economy – ‘Unitel’ (had one TV channel) and ‘Multitel’ (had many TV channels) - All three towns were studied before TV was introduced in Notel, and for two years after.

Findings:- The children were twice as aggressive after TV was introduced to Notel- Children and adults spent less than half the time they had in the past on leisure activities- Children began to see increased gender differences between boys and girls after watching TV- Children became less creative- IQ scores dropped slightly after the introduction of TV- Although aggression in all towns increased over the two-year study, aggression in Notel children increased

far more in comparison. Unitel and Multitel were quite similar.Conclusions:

- Notel showed increased levels of aggression because of the introduction of television. - Television also reduced time spent on leisure activities, lowered creativity and intelligence slightly.

KEY STUDY

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STENGTHS WEAKNESSESConducted in a real place and TV was introduced naturally. Far greater realism than any other type of experiment.

The researchers did not control what or how much TV the children watched, or the adult supervision and control of viewing.

Because the same children were followed over a two-year period, their behaviour before and after TV could be directly observed.

Observations might be biased because the researchers see what they want to see. They might have reported higher levels of aggression because they expected it to happen after children started watching TV.

The children were observed in their natural surroundings; at school in the class and playground. The researchers also allowed the children time to get used to them being there.

Task 12:Outline one factor, other than television, that might explain the increased aggression in the children in Notel.

Comparing Charlton et al (2000) and Williams et al (1981)Revision notes:

- What do these two studies tell us about the effect of TV?- Most TV programmes contain violence – even children’s TV!- Is TV bad for children or not?

SIMILARITIES between Charlton et al (2000) and Williams et al (1981)

DIFFERENCES between Charlton et al (2000) and Williams et al (1981)

Both studies were natural experiments – the experimenters did not control the introduction of TV - TV was naturally introduced.

St Helena is so remote that it had developed a unique culture of parental control. Notel was not unique in this way because it was a mainland town.

Both studies were conducted in real-life communities. On St Helena most people knew each other – Notel was a normal town with inhabitants coming and going; not everyone knew each other well.

The communities of St Helena and Notel had never had broadcast TV (as opposed to videos) and were introduced to satellite TV for the first time.

Notel was on the mainland, so had access to popular cultural trends whereas St Helena only had ferry visits every month to deliver supplies and so was isolated from popular culture.

There were variables outside the control of both studies: other children or parents’ behaviour.

The adults on St Helena may have been reluctant to admit the children had aggressive behaviour because it might create a negative image of the island. The same reluctance would be unlikely of a mainland town whose name was never disclosed.

Both Charlton and Williams conducted observations to measure the amount of aggression displayed. Both studies used questionnaires to ask teachers and parents about their children’s behaviour and viewing habits.

Conclusions:

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- Children are affected by watching TV. - But parents and community can lessen the influence of TV by controlling what their children watch and

how they behave. - Living in smaller neighbourhoods with a strong sense of community helps.- However, we should remember that although TV and family are important, aggression occurs for a number

of reasons; friendship groups, biological factors and triggers in the environment can also play a part.

Task 13:St Helena has taught us how important community can be. If you were the prime minister, how would you use the research findings of this study to reduce aggression?

The job of an educational psychologistRevision notes:

An Ed Psych works with a wide range of issues with young people in schools to help resolve problems of classroom behaviour or to help with developmental issues such as dyslexia or autism.

They work with children, staff, parents, clients.

The focus is always children these are some of the features of their job: Legal assessments of children with special needs – to ensure they get the relevant help and their needs met

–children, parents are involved too. Consultation with various schools they are attached too. They talk to teachers, head teachers, special needs

co-ordinators, children, parents – school visits are usually once per half term or more. Carries out individual assessments and tests (IQ etc) as well as physical abilities and language. They test for

dyslexia – they collect qualitative and quantitative data from as many sources as possible. Communication is important so a child is able to answer questions.. Open questions are more likely to

uncover meaningful information. Planning interventions – working with the child and teachers to make changes necessary to help the child.

They usually set up a plan for other people to carry out. They can train people to carry out interventions. They carry out research and work with many agencies.

Key terminology - becoming an educational psychologistempathic listening – a way of listening to another person so that there is real understanding. It also involves responding in a way that shows you have listened.

Revision notes:

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An educational psychologist can work with The Local Education Authority (for state schools like ours) Private Schools Or themselves – self employed

Skills needed: COMMUNICATION SKILLS and EMPATHIC LISTENING, be able to talk with a RANGE OF PEOPLE (range of pupils, parents, teachers, and other professionals).Qualifications: Degree in Psychology + Experience in Education + Doctorate in Educational Psychology (studying a 3 year PhD at University)Chartered status: To achieve chartered status an Ed Psych must prove they are Continuing Professional Development (CPD) - doing courses to keep up to date in their area of specialism.Quick check: Why do you think it is important for an Educational Psychologists degree to be recognised by the BPS?

Task 14:Imagine you work for the Local Education Authority and you need to recruit a new Educational Psychologist. Create a job advertisement detailing what the job would involve, who they would be working with and what skills and qualifications are needed.

Educational psychology and anger management Revision notes:

An Ed Psych can deal with cases that involve anger management, often following an incident in the classroom (or a series of incidents)

The child will not be learning if they are emotionally aroused and other children or adults will be affected so it is important for the child to be able to control their behaviour

The starting point is observation – the Ed Psych may go into the classroom to watch the child to see what triggers the behaviour and to look for patterns

The teacher is also asked to observe and keep records The aim is to try and find out what causes the anger, and how to identify an ‘incident’ before it occurs Often there is no specific trigger for an outburst, so general features of what goes before an incident need to

be identified The Ed Psych needs to gather as much information as possible about what happens in the classroom, and

whether or not the child displays this behaviour at home Parents are invited to the school to discuss issues, and sometimes the Ed Psych will visit the child’s home to

make observations Parents are asked questions about whether or not the child’s behaviour is like anyone else’s behaviour in the

home in an effort to establish patternsChartered status means you have satisfied the requirements of the BPS (British Psychological Society) and have enough qualifications to be called a psychologist. Not all educational psychologists are chartered. Most psychologists who work on a self-employed basis are chartered.

Being in the Directory of Chartered Psychologists is a sign of competence that can help them gain business.

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If parents say there are no problems at home the Ed Psych tries to establish what triggers the behaviour at school

The Ed Psych will also ask the teacher to note whether there is a particular time of day or lesson when the behaviour takes place, also teachers are asked if they can tell straight away that they child will have a bad day – the answer to this is often yes!

The Ed Psych also talks to the child to see if they can get to the bottom of the problem Helping the teacher to identify when an incident is going to happen can be very useful to stop the problem

before it starts. Teachers can then react appropriate before the situation kicks off. The child can also learn what feelings and emotions come before an outburst and taught techniques to calm

down or use relaxation techniques, breathing exercises or ‘relax’ words to bring them down.

Task 15:Exam question:Jonah is having trouble concentrating and completing any of his work at school. He is described as being aggressive, and seems to have an inability to listen to or follow instructions, and his behaviour disrupts his classmates. He is underachieving for a student of his age, and so has been referred to an educational psychologist.

Describe how an Educational Psychologist might help Jonah. 7marks

Key terminology - introducing censorship and the 9 o’clock watershed

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watershed – term used to indicate a turning point. When applied to TV programming it is the 9pm deadline before which programmes (including cable and satellite programmes) that contain certain levels of violence and/or sex cannot be broadcast.censorship – preventing information from being circulated in some way.moral censorship – deciding what material is suitable for broadcasting or publishing and what material is not considered moral or suitable. authoritarian – a style of government where society’s members have little input and have to accept the government’s decisions.paternalistic – a style of government where its decisions are made for the good of everybody else. This rests on the idea of the head of the household knowing what is best for everybody else in that household.

Revision notes:

Censorship and the 9 o’clock watershed In the UK some programmes have to be shown after 9 o’clock because they are

deemed unsuitable due to their content Censorship means preventing the circulation of information what might be harmful in

some way; in this case we are looking at moral censorship Material that is thought to be obscene or objectionable can be censored and this is

done by the BBFC, the British Board of Film Classification The BBFC was set up in 1912 by the film industry to monitor films E.g. a U film has the following censorship guidelines: suitable for children over 4, some

kissing is acceptable, handles themes sensitively without bad language, some nudity is acceptable but not in a sexual way, mild horror is OK but no emphasis on realistic weapons or any behaviour that might be dangerous for children to copy and no reference to illegal drugs

However, an 18 categorisation means that you have to be 18 to see the film or rent or buy the DVD. There are exceptions e.g. when the sex material is informative and educational

The role of the watershed is to protect children from viewing unsuitable material, such as acts of sex and/or violence

There are different types of government and some types are more likely to want strong censorship than others. Authoritarian or paternalistic governments are more likely to favour censorship although this can result in a lack of freedom of speech which is considered a basic human right.

For and against censorship and the watershed

Revision notes: British TV does seem to have less violent and sexual acts on it than other countries so maybe the watershed

is unnecessary. However, counting violent acts might not be a good indication of what is suitable for young children and

what is not Most adults agree with the 9 o’clock watershed which backs up the idea that censorship and the watershed

protect society Arguments FOR censorship Arguments AGAINST censorshipCensorship protects children from acts they aren’t ready for

Takes away freedom to choose, Restricts freedom of speech, tool of governmental control

Studies show the majority of people are in favour of the watershed

Might not be necessary – fewer violent and sexual acts on British TV anyway