Welcome to Practical Applications!
Hi there! You’ve already done the hard work of learning the core studies, the different areas of psychology, and the tricky research methods. Now comes the most exciting part: Practical Applications. This is where you get to be a "Psychology Detective."
In this section of your OCR AS Level course, you will take a "novel source" (which is just a fancy way of saying a news article, a blog post, or a short story you haven't seen before) and use your psychology knowledge to explain why the people in that story are behaving the way they are. It’s about taking psychology out of the textbook and into the real world!
What is a "Practical Application"?
A practical application is simply a way that psychological research can be used to solve a problem or improve lives.
For example, if we know from Loftus and Palmer that leading questions can change a person's memory, a practical application would be training police officers to use "open questions" (like "Tell me what happened") rather than "leading questions" (like "Did you see the blue car?").
Don't worry if this seems a bit overwhelming at first! All you are doing is looking at a situation and asking: "Which study or area of psychology helps me understand this?"
The "I.A.E." Technique
To succeed in this section, you need to master three main skills. Think of the mnemonic I.A.E. (like the word "Eye"):
1. Identify: Look at the source and spot the psychological behavior. Is it someone being aggressive? Someone forgetting something? Someone following a leader?
2. Apply: Connect that behavior to a specific Core Study (like Milgram or Bandura) or a Psychological Area (like the Social Area or Biological Area).
3. Evaluate: Think about how useful this information is. Does it help us solve the problem in the story? Is it ethical to use this psychological trick to change behavior?
Using Your "Psychological Toolbox"
When you read a source in the exam, you should reach into your "toolbox" of the five main Areas you have studied. Here is a quick guide on what to look for:
The Social Area: Look for people in groups, following orders (obedience), or helping/ignoring others (helping behavior).
Example: If the source is about a crowd of people ignoring someone who fell over, you could apply Piliavin’s study on the subway.
The Cognitive Area: Look for anything to do with the mind, such as memory, attention, or how people think.
Example: If the source is about a student struggling to revise, you could apply Grant’s study on context-dependent memory (matching your revision environment to your exam environment).
The Developmental Area: Look for how behavior changes over time, especially in children, or how we learn from those around us.
Example: If the story is about a child copying a character they saw on TV, you would apply Bandura’s study on imitation of aggression.
The Biological Area: Look for behaviors that involve the brain, genetics, or physical reactions.
Example: If a person is struggling with self-control or "waiting for a reward," you could apply Casey’s study on high and low delayers.
The Individual Differences Area: Look for behaviors that are unique or "different" from the "norm," such as phobias or autism.
Example: If the source describes someone who finds it hard to understand what other people are feeling, you could apply Baron-Cohen’s Eyes Task study.
Quick Review: Which tool for which job?
• People in a group? Use Social.
• Thinking and memory? Use Cognitive.
• Kids learning? Use Developmental.
• Brain and biology? Use Biological.
• Unique behaviors/disorders? Use Individual Differences.
How to Suggest a Strategy
Sometimes the exam will ask you to suggest a strategy to change or improve the behavior in the source. This is your chance to be creative, but you must base your suggestion on psychological principles.
Step 1: The Goal. What do you want to change? (e.g., "I want to help children take their medicine.")
Step 2: The Action. What should be done? (e.g., "Give the children a fun inhaler that plays music.")
Step 3: The Evidence. Why will it work? (e.g., "This is based on Chaney’s Funhaler study, which showed that positive reinforcement makes children more likely to follow medical advice.")
Common Mistakes to Avoid
1. Forgetting the Source: One of the biggest mistakes students make is talking only about the core study and forgetting to mention the people in the story provided. Always use names or details from the source text!
2. Being Too Vague: Don't just say "Psychology says people follow orders." Say, "Based on Milgram’s research into obedience, the workers in this office might be following the boss's instructions because he is wearing a suit, which acts as a sign of legitimate authority."
3. Ignoring Ethics: When you suggest a way to change behavior, always consider if it’s fair. Is it okay to "trick" people into behaving better? (Think back to your BPS Code of Ethics: Respect, Competence, Responsibility, and Integrity).
"Did you know?"
Psychological applications are all around you! The reason grocery stores put milk and bread at the very back of the shop is a practical application of psychology—it forces you to walk past all the other items, making you more likely to "impulse buy"!
Key Takeaways for Practical Applications
• Source-Based: You are applying what you know to a brand-new text.
• Links are Key: You must link the behavior in the text to a specific Area or Core Study.
• Strategies: If you suggest a fix, use a psychological theory (like Operant Conditioning or Social Learning Theory) to explain why it would work.
• Evaluate: Always consider the strengths and weaknesses of your application. Is it practical? Is it expensive? Is it ethical?
Don't worry if it takes a few tries to get the hang of linking the studies to the sources. Like any detective work, it takes practice to see the clues! You’ve got this!