A-Level CIE Psychology: Vocabulary Memorisation Guide | A-Level CIE 心理学：词汇术语速记指南

📚 A-Level CIE Psychology: Vocabulary Memorisation Guide | A-Level CIE 心理学：词汇术语速记指南

Memorising psychological terminology at A-Level can feel like learning a foreign language — but structured recall methods and active association can turn dense jargon into accessible knowledge. This guide breaks down the most essential CIE Psychology terms by topic and provides evidence-based memory techniques to help you achieve exam fluency.

在 A-Level 阶段记忆心理学术语就像学习一门外语，但结构化的回忆方法和主动联想能将晦涩的行话转化为易于掌握的知识。本指南按照主题梳理最核心的 CIE 心理学术语，并提供基于证据的记忆技巧，帮助你在考试中流利运用。

1. Getting Started: Why Terminology Mastery Matters | 入门：为什么术语掌握如此关键

CIE A-Level Psychology (9990) rewards precise use of specialist vocabulary in all three papers. Examiners look for accurate definition, contextual application, and evaluative comment — all of which depend on a firm command of terms. Simply recognising a word is not enough; you must be able to retrieve it under timed conditions and link it to relevant studies.

CIE A-Level 心理学(9990)在所有三份试卷中都青睐对专业词汇的精准使用。考官寻找的是准确的定义、语境化的应用以及评价性的评论，而这一切都依赖于对术语的牢固掌握。仅仅认识一个词是不够的；你必须能够在限时条件下提取它，并将其与相关研究联系起来。

A common trap is passive review. Reading a glossary feels productive but produces weak retention. Instead, use active techniques: self-quizzing, dual coding, and elaborative interrogation. Treat each term as a mini-concept with a definition, an example, and a connection to a core study.

一个常见的陷阱是被动复习。阅读词汇表看似有效，但保持效果很弱。相反，使用主动技术：自我测验、双重编码和精细质问。把每个术语视作一个小概念，包含定义、例子以及与核心研究的联系。

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2. Research Methodology: The Foundation Layer | 研究方法：基础层

Without a solid grasp of research terms, it is difficult to evaluate studies or design your own investigation for Paper 2. Key terms include independent variable (IV), dependent variable (DV), operationalisation, confounding variable, and standardisation. A clear mnemonic is ‘I DO Control’: Independent variable is what you manipulate, Dependent variable is what you measure, Operationalise both, and Control the rest.

如果没有扎实的研究术语基础，就很难评价研究或者为试卷二设计自己的调查。关键术语包括自变量(IV)、因变量(DV)、操作化、混淆变量和标准化。一个清晰的记忆口诀是 ‘I DO Control’：自变量是你操纵的，因变量是你测量的，两者都要操作化，其余变量加以控制。

• IV: the condition that is deliberately changed by the researcher.
• IV: 研究者有意改变的条件。
• DV: the behaviour or outcome that is measured.
• DV: 被测量到的行为或结果。
• Operationalisation: defining variables in terms of how they will be measured or manipulated.
• 操作化: 根据变量如何被测量或操纵来定义它们。

Another crucial distinction is between types of experiments: laboratory, field, natural, and quasi. Remember them by the degree of control over the IV and the setting. A lab experiment is high control, artificial setting; field experiment is IV manipulated in a natural environment; natural experiment uses a naturally occurring IV (the researcher just measures the DV); quasi experiment lacks random allocation, often because the IV is a pre-existing characteristic like gender.

另一个关键区别是实验类型：实验室实验、现场实验、自然实验和准实验。根据对自变量的控制和设置来记忆它们。实验室实验控制高，环境人为；现场实验在自然环境中操纵自变量；自然实验利用自然发生的自变量（研究者只测量因变量）；准实验缺乏随机分配，通常因为自变量是像性别这样的已有特征。

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3. Validity and Reliability: The Quality Check Duo | 效度与信度：质量检查双要素

Students often confuse validity (are we measuring what we intend to measure?) and reliability (are the measurements consistent?). A short story helps: imagine a weighing scale. If you step on it three times and get 60 kg, 62 kg, 61 kg, it is fairly reliable but not perfectly so. If the scale actually measures height instead of weight, it lacks validity entirely.

学生经常混淆效度（我们在测量我们想要测量的东西吗？）和信度（测量结果是否一致？）。一个短故事有所帮助：想象一个体重秤。如果你站上去三次得到 60 千克、62 千克、61 千克，它相当可靠但并不完美。如果这个秤实际上测量的是身高而不是体重，它就完全缺乏效度。

Internal validity concerns whether the IV truly caused the change in DV within the study, while external validity refers to generalisability across settings, people, and time. Ecological validity, a subset of external validity, asks if the findings apply to real-life situations. Use the mnemonic ‘I In, E Out’: Internal — inside the study; Ecological — everyday life outside.

内部效度关注研究内部自变量是否真正引起了因变量的变化，而外部效度指的是跨设置、人群和时间的可推广性。生态效度是外部效度的一个子集，询问研究结果是否适用于现实生活情境。使用记忆口诀 ‘I In, E Out’：内部 — 研究内部；生态 — 外部的日常生活。

For reliability, split-half and test-retest are common checks. Test-retest involves giving the same test to the same people at two time points; split-half splits the test items into two halves and correlates them. Think ‘time vs. items’.

对于信度，分半信度和重测信度是常见的检验方法。重测信度是在两个时间点对同一批人进行相同测试；分半信度将测试项目分成两半并计算相关。可以记忆为 ‘时间 vs. 项目’。

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4. Cognitive Psychology: Memory and Thinking Terms | 认知心理学：记忆与思维术语

Cognitive terms form the backbone of the AS and A2 syllabus. Begin with the multi-store model of memory: sensory register, short-term memory (STM), and long-term memory (LTM). Encoding in STM is mainly acoustic, while LTM relies on semantic encoding. Recall that ‘A before S’ alphabetically: Acoustic is STM (shorter word, shorter store), Semantic is LTM (longer word, longer store).

认知术语构成了 AS 和 A2 大纲的主干。从记忆的多重储存模型开始：感觉登记器、短时记忆(STM)和长时记忆(LTM)。STM 中的编码主要是听觉的，而 LTM 依赖语义编码。回想 ‘A 在 S 之前’（按字母顺序）：听觉(Acoustic)对应 STM（较短的单词，较短的存储），语义(Semantic)对应 LTM（较长的单词，较长的存储）。

Working memory model components: central executive, phonological loop, visuospatial sketchpad, and episodic buffer. To remember them, picture a CEO (central executive) with a phone (phonological loop) in one hand, a map (visuospatial sketchpad) in the other, and a diary (episodic buffer) on the desk.

工作记忆模型的组成部分：中央执行器、语音回路、视空间画板和情景缓冲区。要记住它们，想象一位 CEO（中央执行器）一手拿电话（语音回路），一手拿地图（视空间画板），桌上放着一本日记（情景缓冲区）。

Thinking and decision-making terms: heuristics (mental shortcuts), availability heuristic (judging likelihood by how easily examples come to mind), and representativeness heuristic (judging by similarity to a prototype). Link them: ‘A’vailability uses ‘A’ccessible memories; ‘R’epresentativeness relies on ‘R’esemblance.

思维与决策术语：启发式（心理捷径）、可得性启发（通过例子更容易想到的程度来判断可能性）和代表性启发（通过与原型的相似性来判断）。联系起来：可得性(Availability)利用可获取(Accessible)的记忆；代表性(Representativeness)依赖相似性(Resemblance)。

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5. Social Psychology: Obedience, Conformity, and Prejudice | 社会心理学：服从、从众与偏见

Social influence terminology is rich with classic studies. Conformity refers to yielding to group pressure, and there are three types: compliance (public change, private disagreement), identification (temporary change to fit a role), and internalisation (public and private acceptance). Mnemonic: ‘C I I’ — Compliance: public only; Identification: with a group; Internalisation: truly believe.

社会影响术语充满了经典研究。从众是指屈服于群体压力，有三种类型：顺从（公开改变，私下不同意）、认同（暂时改变以适应角色）和内化（公开和私下都接受）。记忆口诀：’C I I’ — 顺从(Compliance): 只是公开；认同(Identification): 与群体一起；内化(Internalisation): 真正相信。

Obedience involves following direct orders from an authority figure. The agentic state (Milgram) is when an individual sees themselves as an agent carrying out another person’s wishes, thus feeling no personal responsibility. Think ‘agent = acting for another’. The opposite is the autonomous state, where the person acts on their own values. ‘Auto’ means self.

服从涉及遵循权威人物的直接命令。代理状态（米尔格拉姆）指个体将自己视为执行他人意愿的代理人，因此不感到个人责任。记住 ‘agent = 为他人行事’。相反的是自主状态，即个人根据自己的价值观行事。’Auto’ 意味着自我。

Prejudice terms: stereotype (belief), prejudice (attitude), and discrimination (behaviour). ABC model: Affect (prejudice), Behaviour (discrimination), Cognition (stereotype). Realistic conflict theory (Sherif) argues competition for scarce resources breeds hostility; social identity theory (Tajfel) highlights in-group favouritism and out-group denigration based on mere categorisation.

偏见术语：刻板印象（信念）、偏见（态度）和歧视（行为）。ABC 模型：情感(Affect)即偏见，行为(Behaviour)即歧视，认知(Cognition)即刻板印象。现实冲突理论（谢里夫）主张对稀缺资源的竞争滋生敌意；社会认同理论（塔杰菲尔）强调仅仅基于分类的内群偏爱和外群贬损。

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6. Biological Psychology: Brain, Scan, and Neurotransmitter Lingo | 生物心理学：大脑、扫描与神经递质术语

Biological terms often feel intimidating, but breaking them into roots helps. Neurotransmitters: serotonin (mood, sleep), dopamine (reward, motivation), noradrenaline (arousal, fight or flight). Think ‘Serene Serotonin’, ‘Dope Dopamine’ (slang for reward), ‘Alert Noradrenaline’.

生物学术语常常令人畏惧，但把它们拆成词根会有帮助。神经递质：血清素（情绪、睡眠）、多巴胺（奖赏、动机）、去甲肾上腺素（唤醒、战斗或逃跑）。想一想 ‘安静的血清素(Serene Serotonin)’、’兴奋的多巴胺(Dope Dopamine)’（俚语表示奖赏）、’警觉的去甲肾上腺素(Alert Noradrenaline)’。

Brain scanning techniques covered by CIE: PET, fMRI, and EEG/ERP. Positron emission tomography (PET) uses a radioactive tracer to measure metabolic activity; functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) detects blood oxygen levels to map brain activity; electroencephalogram (EEG) records electrical activity via scalp electrodes, and event-related potentials (ERP) are EEG traces time-locked to a stimulus. Remember: PET = metabolic, fMRI = oxygen flow, EEG = electric waves.

CIE 涵盖的大脑扫描技术：PET、fMRI 和 EEG/ERP。正电子发射断层扫描(PET)使用放射性示踪剂测量代谢活动；功能性磁共振成像(fMRI)检测血氧水平来绘制大脑活动图；脑电图(EEG)通过头皮电极记录电活动，事件相关电位(ERP)是锁定在刺激上的脑电图轨迹。记忆：PET = 代谢，fMRI = 血流含氧，EEG = 电波。

Localisation of function versus brain plasticity. Localisation suggests specific functions reside in particular brain regions (e.g., Broca’s area for speech production). Plasticity refers to the brain’s ability to reorganise itself by forming new neural connections throughout life. Link them by contrast: localisation is the ‘fixed map’, plasticity is ‘rewiring’.

功能定位与大脑可塑性。定位说认为特定功能驻留在特定脑区（例如，布洛卡区负责语言产出）。可塑性指的是大脑在整个生命过程中通过形成新的神经连接来重组自身的能力。通过对比来联系：定位是 ‘固定地图’，可塑性是 ‘重新布线’。

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7. Learning Psychology: Conditioning and Reinforcement | 学习心理学：条件作用与强化

Behaviourist terminology relies on a few core processes. Classical conditioning (Pavlov) involves associating a neutral stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus to produce a conditioned response. Names can be confusing; try this: Unconditioned means unlearned, naturally occurring. Conditioned means learned. Neutral stimulus (NS) starts as nothing, then becomes conditioned stimulus (CS). The mnemonic ‘NS + UCS = UCR; after pairing, CS → CR’ keeps the sequence straight.

行为主义术语依赖几个核心过程。经典条件作用（巴甫洛夫）涉及将中性刺激与无条件刺激联系起来以产生条件反应。名称可能令人困惑；试试这个：无条件意味着未经学习、自然发生。条件意味着习得。中性刺激(NS)开始时无任何意义，然后变为条件刺激(CS)。记忆口诀 ‘NS + UCS = UCR; 配对后，CS → CR’ 保持顺序正确。

Operant conditioning (Skinner) involves learning through consequences. Positive reinforcement adds a pleasant stimulus to increase behaviour; negative reinforcement removes an unpleasant stimulus to increase behaviour. Punishment aims to decrease behaviour. Beware the common mistake: negative reinforcement is not punishment. It strengthens behaviour by taking something away (e.g., fastening a seatbelt to stop the annoying beep). Picture ‘adding good = positive reinforcement; subtracting bad = negative reinforcement; adding bad = positive punishment; subtracting good = negative punishment’.

操作条件作用（斯金纳）涉及通过后果进行学习。正强化增加愉快刺激以增加行为；负强化移除不愉快刺激以增加行为。惩罚旨在减少行为。注意常见错误：负强化不是惩罚。它通过拿走某些东西来强化行为（例如，系好安全带以停止烦人的蜂鸣声）。想象 ‘加好的 = 正强化；减坏的 = 负强化；加坏的 = 正惩罚；减好的 = 负惩罚’。

Social learning theory (Bandura) adds cognitive factors: attention, retention, motor reproduction, and motivation. The first letters spell ARMM (minus one ‘M’ – Attention, Retention, Reproduction, Motivation). Remember that modelling is more likely if the observer identifies with the model and expects reinforcement (vicarious reinforcement).

社会学习理论（班杜拉）加入了认知因素：注意、保持、动作再现和动机。首字母拼成 ARMM（少了一个 M —— 注意、保持、再现、动机）。记住如果观察者认同榜样并期待强化（替代强化），那么模仿更可能发生。

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8. Abnormal Psychology and Diagnostic Terms | 异常心理学与诊断术语

The medical model views abnormality as a disease with symptoms, aetiology, and prognosis. Key diagnostic manuals: ICD (International Classification of Diseases, by WHO) and DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, by APA). CIE focuses on the DSM, currently DSM-5. Remember: ICD is global (World Health), DSM is American Psychological Association.

医学模型将异常视为一种具有症状、病因和预后的疾病。关键诊断手册：ICD（国际疾病分类，由世卫组织发布）和 DSM（精神疾病诊断与统计手册，由美国精神医学学会发布）。CIE 重点考察 DSM，目前是 DSM-5。记住：ICD 是国际的（世界卫生），DSM 是美国的心理学会。

Specific phobia terminology: phobia is a persistent, irrational fear. Systematic desensitisation (Wolpe) treats phobia by gradually exposing the client to the feared hierarchy while teaching relaxation. The term ‘hierarchy’ is crucial — steps from least to most anxiety-provoking. Alternative treatment flooding exposes the client to the most frightening situation all at once. Contrast: gradual vs. immediate immersion.

特定恐惧症术语：恐惧症是一种持续的、非理性的恐惧。系统脱敏（沃尔普）通过逐步让来访者暴露于恐惧层级并教授放松来治疗恐惧症。’层级’ 这个术语至关重要 —— 从最不引发焦虑到最容易引发焦虑逐步进行。替代疗法冲击疗法（暴露疗法）使来访者一次性面对最可怕的情境。对比：逐步 vs. 立即沉浸。

Schizophrenia is classified by positive symptoms (hallucinations, delusions) adding abnormal experiences, and negative symptoms (avolition, speech poverty) removing normal functions. Use the mnemonic ‘Positive = Plus something; Negative = Not there’. Reliability in diagnosis is often assessed via inter-rater reliability; validity concerns whether the diagnosis reflects a real, distinct condition.

精神分裂症通过阳性症状（幻觉、妄想）增加异常体验，以及阴性症状（意志缺乏、言语贫乏）移除正常功能来分类。使用记忆口诀 ‘Positive = Plus something; Negative = Not there’。诊断信度通常通过评分者间信度来评估；效度关乎诊断是否反映真实、独特的状况。

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9. Developmental Psychology: Attachment and Cognitive Growth | 发展心理学：依恋与认知成长

Attachment is a deep emotional bond between infant and caregiver. The four attachment types assessed by Ainsworth’s Strange Situation are secure (Type B), insecure-avoidant (Type A), insecure-resistant (Type C), and disorganised (Type D). Remember with a story: Secure babies explore happily, Avoidant ignores caregiver (like ignoring a text), Resistant clings and resists comfort (like a wet towel), Disorganised shows contradictory behaviour (like a confused dance).

依恋是婴儿和照料者之间深厚的情感纽带。艾因斯沃斯的陌生情境评估了四种依恋类型：安全型（B 类）、不安全-回避型（A 类）、不安全-反抗型（C 类）和紊乱型（D 类）。用一个故事来记：安全型婴儿快乐探索，回避型忽视照料者（就像忽略一条短信），反抗型粘人又抗拒安慰（像湿毛巾），紊乱型表现出矛盾行为（像混乱的舞蹈）。

Piaget’s stages of cognitive development: sensorimotor (0-2 years, object permanence), preoperational (2-7 years, egocentrism, animism), concrete operational (7-11 years, conservation), formal operational (11+ years, abstract reasoning). Mnemonic based on first letters: ‘Some Penguins Can’t Fly’ — Sensorimotor, Preoperational, Concrete, Formal. For object permanence, think ‘out of sight, but still exists’; for conservation, ‘same amount, different shape’.

皮亚杰的认知发展阶段：感知运动阶段（0-2 岁，客体永久性）、前运算阶段（2-7 岁，自我中心、泛灵论）、具体运算阶段（7-11 岁，守恒）、形式运算阶段（11 岁以上，抽象推理）。基于首字母的记忆术：’Some Penguins Can’t Fly’ — Sensorimotor, Preoperational, Concrete, Formal。对于客体永久性，想 ‘看不见了，但仍然存在’；对于守恒，想 ‘同样数量，不同形状’。

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10. Issues and Debates: The Big Overarching Terms | 议题与辩论：宏观术语

CIE requires you to discuss issues such as nature versus nurture, reductionism versus holism, determinism versus free will, and individual versus situational explanations. To avoid mixing them up, create opposing pairs and think of a classic study for each: nature (genetic) — Heston’s schizophrenia adoption study; nurture (environment) — Bandura’s Bobo doll; reductionism (breaking down to components) — biological explanations of OCD; holism (whole person) — humanistic approach; determinism (behaviour is caused by factors beyond control) — genetic determinism; free will — humanistic therapy.

CIE 要求你讨论诸如先天与后天、还原论与整体论、决定论与自由意志、个体与情境解释等议题。为避免混淆，创建对立对并各想一个经典研究：先天（遗传）— 赫斯顿的精神分裂症收养研究；后天（环境）— 班杜拉的波波玩偶；还原论（分解成部分）— 强迫症的生物学解释；整体论（整体的人）— 人本主义取向；决定论（行为由无法控制的因素引起）— 遗传决定论；自由意志 — 人本主义疗法。

Ethical terms are essential for exam evaluation. The four core ethical principles from the British Psychological Society and CIE guidelines: respect (informed consent, right to withdraw), competence (researcher qualified), responsibility (protection from harm, debriefing), and integrity (deception managed). They form the acronym RRCI. A useful phrase: ‘Respect, Responsibility, Competence, Integrity — always R-R-C-I before you start a study.’

伦理术语对考试评价尤为重要。来自英国心理学会和 CIE 指南的四个核心伦理原则：尊重（知情同意、退出权）、能力（研究者合格）、责任（保护免受伤害、事后解释）和正直（管理欺骗）。它们组成首字母缩略词 RRCI。一个有用的短语：’尊重、责任、能力、正直——开始研究前总是 R-R-C-I。’

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11. Speedy Recall: Mnemonics and Visual Hooks | 快速回忆：记忆术与视觉挂钩

Converting abstract terms into vivid mental images dramatically boosts recall. For example, to remember the difference between cross-sectional and longitudinal studies, imagine a cross-section of a tree trunk (a one-time snapshot) versus a long piece of string stretching over years (longitudinal). For independent groups design, picture two completely separate circles; for repeated measures, imagine the same circle doing a loop.

将抽象术语转化为生动的心理图像能极大提高回忆。例如，要记住横向研究与纵向研究的不同，想象一块树干的横截面（一次快照）对比一条拉伸多年的长绳子（纵向）。对于独立组设计，想象两个完全分开的圆圈；对于重复测量，想象同一个圆圈在循环。

Dual coding — combining verbal and visual information — is especially effective for terms like correlations. A positive correlation goes up together (sunshine and ice cream sales), negative correlation goes opposite (hours of TV and exam scores). Draw a quick sketch in your revision notes for each key concept.

双重编码——结合语言和视觉信息——对相关这类术语特别有效。正相关一起上升（阳光和冰淇淋销量），负相关方向相反（看电视的小时数和考试成绩）。在你的复习笔记中为每个关键概念画一个快速草图。

Create personal acronyms that are weird enough to stick. For the four definitions of abnormality (statistical infrequency, deviation from social norms, failure to function adequately, deviation from ideal mental health), use the first letters S, D, F, D — ‘Some Dogs Fetch Ducks’. The stranger the image, the better it sticks.

创造足够怪异的个人首字母缩略词以牢记。对于异常的四种定义（统计稀有性、偏离社会规范、不能充分运作、偏离理想心理健康），使用首字母 S, D, F, D —— ‘Some Dogs Fetch Ducks’。图像越奇怪，越容易记住。

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12. Exam-Day Application: Turning Terms into Marks | 考试日应用：把术语转化为分数

On the day, avoid dropping terms without explanation. The command word ‘Define’ requires a clear, concise sentence, e.g., ‘Operationalisation is the process of making a variable measurable.’ For ‘Apply’, link the term directly to the stem scenario: ‘In this study, the IV (noise level) was operationalised as decibel reading above 80 dB.’ Evaluation questions reward you for using terms to critique, e.g., ‘The study lacked ecological validity because the artificial setting may not represent real-life decision making.’

考试当天，避免不加解释地抛出术语。指令词 ‘定义’ 要求清晰、简洁的句子，例如，’操作化是使变量可被测量的过程。’ 对于 ‘应用’，将术语直接与题干情境相联系：’在这项研究中，自变量（噪音水平）被操作化为高于 80 分贝的读数。’ 评价性问题会因使用术语进行批判而奖赏你，例如，’该研究缺乏生态效度，因为人为的环境可能不代表现实生活中的决策。’

Build a ‘term bank’ of 15-20 high-value words to deliberately insert into essays: words like generalisability, operationalisation, standardisation, confounding variable, inter-rater reliability, reductionism, and determinism. Practise writing a sample paragraph where you smoothly integrate three of them. This habit ensures your answers read like a psychologist’s, not a casual observer’s.

建立一个包含 15-20 个高价值词汇的’术语库’，有意识地将它们插入论文中：像可推广性、操作化、标准化、混淆变量、评分者间信度、还原论和决定论等词汇。练习写一个示例段落，在其中流畅地整合其中三个。这个习惯能确保你的答案读起来像心理学家所写，而不是普通观察者的描述。

Published by TutorHao | Psychology Revision Series | aleveler.com

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