How do you structure an A2 24-mark Psychology essay?

A psychology essay can be split into 3 sections: AO1, AO2 and IDA (issues, debates and approaches). Each essay should take about 30 minutes to complete and so there is no requirement to include an introduction. However, it is a good idea to start with a sentence introducing the subject of the essay. You should immediately begin outlining AO1 points. This refers to your theoretical knowledge of the topic. For example, in an essay on evolutionary explanations of sleep you might describe Webb's theory of energy conservation or Meddis's theory of predator avoidance. This part makes up about a quarter to a third of the content of the essay. The rest of the essay must be evaluation points, such as supporting or conflicting research evidence, as well as criticisms of the research evidence that underpins AO1 theory. Within your evaluation it is vital to include at least two IDA points in order to get top marks. This includes ethical implications and real world applications of research, issues with animal studies, as well as potential reductionism ( or determinism within the outlined research. You may also consider the nature/nurture debate in this section. Rather than just saying 'this is reductionist/deterministic', it is important to explain why this is the case and why this is a potential problem. For example, when considering biological explanations of schizophrenia you might argue that genetic theory ignores important environmental factors and reduces the complex phenomenon of schizophrenia down to the workings of the genes. At the same time, a genetic explanation is deterministic as it assumes that people who have schizophrenia can have no impact on their condition, suggesting a lack of free will - somebody carrying the genes will develop the disorder.

When it comes to structuring the essay, some people prefer to outline all AO1 points together and then all the AO2/evaluation points. Personally, I like to have about two main AO1 points which I evaluate separately in detail. Taking the biological explanations of schizophrenia example again, I would start by outlining the genetic explanation and then evaluating it (twin studies, environmental factors). Then I would outline the dopamine hypothesis and then evaluate it (correlational evidence, Parkison's disease, L-Dopa). I would ensure that I add at least two IDA points.