I'm still here - honest!

I can't believe it's been over 2 weeks since my last post, it's all got a bit crazy here with exams and whatnot, but I am still here - honest!

Totally snowed under with Biology and Psychology revision this week as I was ill during the first exams and messed up big time, so I need to ace these ones to bring my grades up.

Snowed under Psychology

Those of you that are observant may notice that i'm wearing shorts - DO NOT BE FOOLED! I'm only wearing them to convince myself that it is in fact, summer (it's not working). At 10am this morning, it was 10 degrees celcius, on the 30th May...less than a month before midsummer...

I've rediscovered a childhood love - My parents are aliens, I've actually ended up scheduling revision breaks for 14:30 and 17:30 just so I can tune into CITV and watch it! I know, I know, It's a bit sad for a 17 year old to be watching a kids TV show, but it makes me laugh and there's so much humour that I didn't pick up on 10 years ago!

I also spent a good few minutes exchanging "miranda memes" with a friend - and formed an entire conversation! (This was before settling down for revision)

In fact, all this Miranda talk is making me want to watch it, I'm going to have to dig out the DVDs any minute now! (Well, I have powered through todays revision and I need a good laugh!)

In fact, I can't contain myself any longer, I must leave now while I still have time before dinner.

Alons-y My hearty reader chums! (Anyone see what I did there...No? Just me then.)

2 down, 6 to go.

Well, today officially marked the start of the exam period for me, I arrived at school, as usual, at 8am, I then spent an hour drifting between last-minute revision and ultimate panic.

9am - TO THE SPORTS HALL, SEAT T11. (I thought the italics might make it seem more dramatic...no? Oh well.)

This was for my history exam on Race and American society 1865-1970s, I was well prepared for this exam(a little too prepared, it would seem), I had fairly good knowledge of the entire period and was fairly confident. 

On reading the interpretation, my initial thought was "well, that's a bit odd compared to all the past papers, oh well, I can still use the sources in the same way."

Oh boy was I wrong, barely ANY of the sources supported the interpretation and it was so difficult to find similarities between them as they varied so greatly and contradicted each other.

Despite this, I think I've done ok.

I then spent 10:30-11:20 trying to de-stress in preparation for my geography exam at 1, it wasn't very effective.

At 11:20 I went to my geography lesson (only 3 of us actually turned up!) and we went over some last minute facts and figures (but did any of them prove to be of any use in the exam..what do you think?..) before explaining to our teacher that we all have have a revision website: www.examtime.com following us on Twitter because we're such geography nerds. 

After this, we went to the sixth form block just to relax and try not to think about what was quickly approaching  and had a banana :P 

By the time we left at 12:50, I was feeling strangely calm, all the way until lining up outside. This didn't last.

This is was me about a minute before going in:

And this was my face afterwards:

I'll elaborate: there was little range in the topics that came up and it was very difficult to actually include any case studies in my answers, I managed to somehow though, it's difficult to explain but it was just...odd.

Come out of the hall at 2:30...straight to my history lesson for the Elizabeth Topic, we did a bit of revision on parliament and factions and my teacher gave us all a toffee crisp as a reward for the history exam this morning.

After this, it was FINALLY hometime, or so I thought...

I wasn't looking forward to waiting outside at the bus stop for 20 minutes in the rain but I knew i'd be home soon, little did I know that the bus had actually broken down and we'd have to wait over an hour for a replacement coach to pick us up.

Finally arrived home just after 5 and had dinner before doing some light biology revision and writing this post.

So exams are officially underway now and I just need to keep focussed for a few more weeks...and then another year...

I'd better go now and get on with some more geography or biology revision for round two.

Then I'm going to settle down in front of the TV (probably fall asleep in front of it - I'm knackered) and have the giant cookie my Dad bought me as a treat (he's seen how much revision I've done recently and felt I needed a pick-me-up)

GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE ELSE WITH EXAMS! :D

REVISING CASE STUDIES

REVISING CASE STUDIES

Just thought I'd let you know how I've been revising case studies for geography (although I'll be using it for psychology and other things too.)

First: I write down the rough notes (as few as possible) on the topic, in this case: The Philippines as a hazard hotspot:



Next, condense these notes into revision card size on the same piece of paper (I drew around a card on my piece of paper)

. I've underlined in different colours to create an order to put on the real card.

I then copied these notes onto a flash card:

Finally, I do the whole Look,cover,write,check palava on another card outline to ensure that all the information has been digested :)

And that's it, I've done that for each case study and I'm feeling way more confident about using them in the exam on Tuesday now! :D

Good luck!!!!!!



Aaaaand I'm back!

Hello world,

Long time no speak, sorry about that (if you missed me, of course!), it’s been a pretty hectic few weeks here, the exam stress is multiplying daily, as is the homework.

I haven’t posted much revision-y stuff recently as I’ve done a lot by hand; mind maps/ flash cards and the like.

I finally fixed my laptops internet problem – I realised that my internet dongle was fried so I’m sharing my dads until I get a new laptop that isn’t 10 years out of date, that’ll be around June 2014.

So what else has happened recently? Well, you know that DIY I was doing during the holidays, building loads of cupboards to put on the wall…Well, a couple of weeks ago they decided they would rather be freestanding, so at 2am I awoke to an almighty crash, clambered out of my room to see what had happened and was was met with the sight of one cupboard, having ripped out of the wall, pulled another with it, it also turned the light on and knocked the thermostat of the wall.

So there we were, 2am, me trying to support the offending cupboard (bear in mind, the reason it broke free was due to the literal tonne of books that lay within), while my dad tried to unscrew it from the other cupboards before the house completely fell apart, unfortunately, I didn’t quite manage to say that doing that would mean I would be single-handedly lifting the cupboard full of books before my dad had done the aforementioned unscrewing.

Not surprisingly, this resulted in a rather loud outcry as my right arm was crushed between the heavy cupboard and the one that stood beneath it, how I didn’t break my arm I don’t know, maybe I was owed some luck.

I also purchased my first skirt for school since the age of 11, and this was shortly followed by a dress (I had many Christmas and birthday vouchers), many gasps were heard from friends as they realised I am in fact, a girl!

I started as a young leader at cubs recently, they aren’t half a lively bunch. In fact, we have to split the group in two during games as having them all inside while playing hockey is just a minibus to A&E waiting to happen, but I’m enjoying it so far.

If anyone has some good games that won’t get them over-excited, I’m all ears! (Literally, if anyone has seen me in my Pudsey ears, no? Well, you’re in luck.)

I took part in the St George’s day parade on Sunday 21^st April, this consisted of a march through the high street, followed by a service in the church in which a played the part of an old woman and narrator number 2, much enjoyment was had by all, I have to say.

Had a bit of a crazy one this past week, geography mock on Tuesday along with a (somewhat anticipated) breakup, never an easy thing to go through, but I think I learnt a lot from my last relationship and didn’t make the same mistakes, and I think I’m handling it pretty well this time around. Besides,  it wasn’t messy.

I then went to Cardiff’s open day on Wednesday, leaving at 4am, I wasn’t too keen at first but it really grew on me, the course is amazing and the parks and gardens are gorgeous, I can see myself waiting all year for a day to be able to work outside haha!

Then on Thursday I had a biology and a psychology mock, which I don’t think went too badly, Friday was non-uniform day with an on-site music festival (complete with a downpour right on cue) and as I walked home with my friend Jonny, many laughs were had about 9 people sharing a bed, chimpanzees and some clear confusion about the male anatomy; this is a pretty average conversation for us.

Saturday consisted of 3 essays, a quick trip into town, geography homework and settling down to watch Doctor Who followed by Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince.

Sunday (today) I did a bit of revision for each subject, ran into town for some bread and to enjoy the sunshine, gobbled down a fish finger sandwich all before my dad picked me up at 1pm. On returning home I’ve unpacked and written this post, I now need to fine tune my essays before watching Catchphrase and Endeavour.

All in all, a pretty hectic week but I’d rather be busy than bored and restless any day, even if it does involve getting up at  and revising for exams.

I have decided that I know longer want to be an adult…if anyone wants me, I will be in my blanket fort, colouring.

Alons-y.

Psychological investigations

Psychological investigations

Experiments

• Lab – Researcher manipulates one variable and measures the effect on another. All other variables are controlled as far as possible. Sometimes considered Cause (IV) and effect (DV).  E.g. Loftus & Palmer

-High control

-Not ecologically valid.

-Demand characteristics.

-Often involve deception – ethics.

• Field – Real-life situation. IV and DV still exist, but not in controlled way. E.g. Piliavin et al.

-Natural environment (ecological validity)

-Lack of control

• Quasi – Naturally occurring IV such as age or gender, cannot be experimentally manipulated. E.g. Maguire.

-Not high control.

-Difficult to establish causal relationships.

Extraneous variable - A variable other than the IV that affects the DV.

Experimental design

INDEPENDENT MEASURES

• Using different participants for each condition of an experiment.
• This means there is no problem with order effects.
• Error may result from individual differences.
• Uneconomic as twice the number of participants are required.

REPEATED MEASURES

• Testing the same individuals in each condition.
• No individual differences.
• Fewer participants required.
• Order effects – people behave differently according to which order the conditions were carried out (Pps may become bored/tired). Reduced by counterbalancing which randomises the order that different Pps carry out each condition.

MATCHED PAIRS

• Using different participants for each condition but participants are matched in key variables, such as scores in certain tests.
• Difficult to obtain matched pairs.
• Time consuming.
• Expensive.

Hypotheses

A predictive statement that can be tested.

ONE-TAILED HYPOTHESIS (DIRECTIONAL)

• Predicts the direction of results.
• E.g. Participants will perform better on memory tests at 10am than 10pm.

TWO-TAILED HYPOTHESIS (NON-DIRECTIONAL)

• Does not predict the direction of results.
• E.g. There will be a difference in performance on a memory test between participants tested at 10am and participants tested at 10pm.

ALTERNATE HYPOTHESIS

• States expected results
• All adult participants will gain higher scores on memory tests at 10am than 10pm.

NULL HYPOTHESIS

• States no difference.
• E.g. there will be no significant differences in performance on a memory test between participants tested at 10am and participants tested at 10pm.

Control

• Sometimes, the results of an experiment are due to the individual, e.g. If participants perform better on a test in the morning than the evening, it might be that participants who took the test in the morning are better at memory tests.
• Sometimes however, results mat be due to the situation, e.g. if the test was conducted in a noisy environment. Scientists reduce this as far as possible.
• To reduce demand characteristics, a single-blind technique can be used. Here, participants are not aware of the aims of the experiment.
• To reduce experimenter bias, a double blind technique can be used, both researcher and participant are unaware of the aim.

Descriptive statistics

• Descriptive statistics offer a summary of data.
• Do not allow us to make a conclusion.
• Two main ways:

-Measure of central tendency (mean, median, mode).

-Measure of dispersion (range, Standard deviation).

Observations

• Tend to be high in ecological validity
• Does not manipulate an IV.
• No demand characteristics.
• Useful as a starting point.
• Difficult to replicate.
• Do not give information on thoughts or feelings.
• Little control of extraneous variables so cannot conclude casue and effect.
• Observer bias.
• Lack of informed consent.
• Time consuming.

NON-PARTICIPANT OBSERVATION

• Researcher does not join in activity being observed.

PARTICIPANT OBSERVATION

• Observer is also a participant in the activity being studied.
• Provides more insights about behaviour.
• Observer may lose some objectivity.

UNDISCLOSED (COVERT) OBSERVATION

• Participants are not fully aware that they are being studied.
• Researchers may use one-way mirrors.

STRUCTURED OBSERVATION

• Researchers design a coding system to record and categorise participants behaviour.
• Generally provide quantitative behaviour.
• Sometimes behaviours may overlap or a behaviour may occur that has not been previously thought of.

UNSTRUCTURED OBSERVATION

• Researchers record behaviour they can see.
• Can be difficult without a camera.
• Can be difficult to analyse.
• Provides rich, qualitative data.

CONTROLLED OBSERVATION

• Researchers control some variables.

Reliability – How consistent a measuring device is.

Inter-rater reliability - How closely the ratings of two observers compare.

Validity – Whether a study measures what it set out to.

Self-report

• Any method that involves asking the participant about feelings, attitudes, beliefs etc.

QUESTTIONAIRES

• Consist of a set of questions.
• Open questions - invite the respondent to provide their own answers.

-provide qualitative data.

-difficult to analyse.

-can produce more in-depth responses.

• Closed questions - provide a limited choice of answers.

-Provide quantitative data.

-Easy to analyse.

-Do not allow for in-depth insights.

• Likert scale - A scale used for participant to decide how strongly they agree or disagree with statements.

Meeting the challenge of religion: The Elizabethan Religious Settlement

Meeting the challenge of religion: The Elizabethan Religious Settlement

The religious beliefs of Elizabeth I

• She left no clear statement of her own religious views.
• Upbringing predisposed towards Protestantism – legitimacy of mothers marriage coincided with break from Rome, likely to associate her own right to the throne with opposition to the Papacy. Education was also distinctly protestant.
• Anne Boleyn had entrusted Matthew Parker with the spiritual welfare of Elizabeth – Elizabeth made him her first Archbisop of Canterbury.
• Catherine Parr was the one that brought Elizabeth back to court, and was herself protestant.
• The Dean of St Paul’s in 1561 left a prayer book in Elizabeth’s place, it contained engraved pictures of saints and martyrs – she told him she had an “aversion to idolatry, to images and pictures of this kind.”

Supremacy and Uniformity: The First Moves

• Options:

-Maintain Catholicism - would preserve alliance with Spain but Elizabeth was Protestant.

-Maintain Catholicism without Pope – Follow her father’s footsteps.

-Switch to Calvin’s Protestantism – Rebellions

-Moderate Protestantism – No one is put out too badly.

     

• Had to be passed by act of parliament so had to bear in mind the attitudes of the Marian Bishops.
• Kept 2 principles in mind:

-The need to establish a national church to secure the religious conformity and attendance of as many of Elizabeth’s subjects as possible.

-The need to perform a balancing act between Protestants and Catholics.

• Forbade elevation of the host at mass in Royal chapel on Christmas day. Priest refused & Queen walked out.
• Jan 1559 – snubbed monks at Abbey of Westminster crying “Away with these torches” “we can see very well”.
• Elizabeth told the Spanish ambassador that she aimed to restore the form of religion as practised in the final years of Henry’s reign – which many Catholics had found acceptable.

Supremacy and Uniformity: The Parliament of 1559

• When parliament assesmbled in 1559, the international situation remained uncertain.
• Spanish interests bound up in her retaining the throne otherwise Mary Stuart unite England, Scotland and France against Spain.
• Negotiations took place at Cateau-Cambresis between France, Spain and England in Feb 1559 to end the war.

The acts of Supremacy and Uniformity

• First 3 government bills were sufficiently radical to arouse opposition. One aimed to sever connections with Rome – the bill of supremacy.
• Likely that the other two bills included re-adoption of the second Prayer book used by Edward. Passed in house of commons but rejected by Lords. 2^nd attempt saw the Lords alter the bills beyond recognition.
• French threat removed in April 1559 when The Peace of Cateau-Cambresis was signed.
• Elizabeth learned that Marian Bishops were to oppose any measure tampering with Catholicism. She therefore instigated aggressive propositions attacked authority of pope, spiritual value of mass and use of Latin in public worship.
• Catholic representatives withdrew in anger and Elizabeth took the opportunity to arrest 2 of them on a charge of disobedience.
• The reduced number of Catholics in the Lords giving the government a greater chance of pushing through Protestant measures.
• Substituted “Supreme head of the church of England” with “Supreme Governor”.
• Act of Supremacy demanded that clergy & royal officials swear an oath that they accepted Queen’s title.
• It also sought to repeal laws on heresy and set up a Commission for Ecclesiastical causes which would have the right to judge on orthodox doctrine.
• Only one layman voted against it in the Lords due to the absence of the Abbot of Westminster and the 2 arrested bishops.

The act of Uniformity 1559

• Required use of the book of common prayer and provided a punishment for those who refused.
• Amended the 552 book which included the “black rubric” which declared that kneeling at communion must not be taken to imply that Christ was a real presence in brad and wine. This was omitted.
• Also removed insulting references to the Pope.
• Fine of one shilling for absence from church on Sundays and holy days.
• Surplice and Cope.

Race and American Society, 1865-1970s

Race and American Society, 1865-1970s

Chapter 3: Change from above: evidence concerning the role of state and federal authorities

OVERVIEW

• The system of ‘checks and balances’ was designed to prevent any one institution becoming too powerful.

CONGRESS, THE CONSTITUTION AND RECONSTRUCTION

• Enshrined in American Constitution were principles that civil rights activists fought for.
• Most relevant to race were amendments 13, 14 and 15.
• Their objective was to make sure these amendments were fully implemented in the whole of society.

Amendment 13

1. Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United states, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.

      2. Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

Slavery cannot be enforced except as a punishment, for which the offender as been lawfully convicted.

 

• The abolition of slavery represented a social and economic revolution in southern states, enabling mass migration from plantations to cities, and then from South to North, setting up African-American businesses, black churches, schools and colleges.
• The southern former slave states resisted further concessions to equality by imposing the Black codes.
• They varied between states but effectively prevented most freed slaves from voting, sitting on juries, marrying whites, carrying guns and giving evidence against a white person.
• Also, many were obliged to agree to binding new contracts with plantation owners who had formerly owned them – the T&Cs were not far from slavery.
• In retaliation, northern republicans in congress, without support of President Johnson, passed a civil rights act in 1866 and demanded a 14^th amendment making Black codes illegal. Ratified in 1868.

Amendment 14

1. All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the Jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside. No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

2. Representatives shall be apportioned among the several states according to their respective numbers, counting the whole number of persons in each state, excluding Indians not taxed. But when the right to vote at any election for the choice of electors for president and vice-president of the United States, Representatives in congress, the Executive and Judicial officers of a state, or the members of the legislature thereof, is denied to any of the male inhabitants of such state, being twenty-one years of age, and citizens of the United states, or in any way abridged, except for participation in rebellion, or other crime, the basis of representation therein shall be reduced in the proportion which the number of such male citizens shall bear to the whole number of male citizens of twenty-one years of age in such State.

3. No person shall be a senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice-President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any state, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an Officer of the United states, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any state, to support the constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or Rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may by a vote of two-thirds of each house, remove such disability.

4. The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorised by law,

including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned. But neither the United States nor any state shall assume or pay any debt or obligation incurred in aid of insurrection or rebellion against the United states, or any claim for the loss or emancipation of any slave; but all such debts, obligations and claims shall be held illegal and void.

   

5. The Congress shall have power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.

• The final ‘reconstruction’ amendment was the 15^th – in theory, this guarunteed voting rights of African Americans.
• In reality, intimidation and other strategies disenfranchised many for a long time afterwards.
• 15^th amendment ratified in 1870.

Amendment 15

1. The right of citizens of the United States shall not be denied or

      abridged by the United States or by any state on account of race,

      color, or previous condition of servitude.

2. Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate

      legislation.

                     

• 15^th amendment should have enfranchised 700,000 southern blacks, giving them the majority over the 600,000 white voters.
• Many African Americans were elected in lesser posts, none were elected as governors during the reconstruction era, whites continued to dominate senates.

Sanders gave several possible reasons for this:

• Blacks lacked education, organisation and experience
• Blacks were accustomed to white leadership and domination
• The black community was divided. Ex-slaves resented free-born blacks who saw themselves as superior
• Blacks were a minority in most states
• Sure of the black vote, the Republican Party usually put forward white candidates in the hope of attracting more white votes.
• White republicans usually considered blacks to be less able to govern than whites
• Southern black leaders were usually moderates who had no desire to exclude ex-confederates from office.