Psychology is the science of human mind and experience. It considers how individual personality develops and tries to explain all aspects of human behaviour so that we can understand how people operate in the world. It is a challenging subject, therefore it is essential that you can think critically about psychological research.
Psychology is useful for a range of degree level courses including: Psychology, Law, Medicine, Nursing, and many others.
Students who take Psychology develop skills and knowledge suitable for a range of careers including: Medicine, Nursing, Teaching, Law – anything involving interactions with people.
Revision and study skills support sessions are available for all students. You will have the opportunity to attend revision conferences with principle examiners.
5 GCSEs at 9 – 5 including English, Mathematics and Science.
• Paper 1: Introductory topics in Psychology – (96 marks – written exam 2hrs, 33.3% of A-Level)
The topics covered are:
– Social Influence – including concepts of conformity and obedience.
– Memory – involves looking at reasons why we forget and eye-witness testimony.
– Attachment – looks at why relationships with caregivers are essential for all aspects of our development.
– Psychopathology – looks at why some people suffer from disorders such as OCD or develop phobias.
• Paper 2: Psychology in context – (96 marks – written exam 2hrs, 33.3% of A-Level)
The topics covered are:
– Approaches in Psychology – how is human behaviour explained? (Is it influences in our childhood, learning processes or biology?) We try to answer this question.
– Biopsychology – Considers the role of biological processes and structures.
– Research Methods – How do Psychologist’s study human behaviour?
• Paper 3: Issues and Options in Psychology – (96 marks – written exam 2hrs, 33.3% of A-Level)
The topics covered are:
– Issues and Debates in Psychology (compulsory) – Is our behaviour controlled or do we have free will? Is behaviour inherited or are we a product of our outside environment?
– Gender – a consideration of how gender develops as well as atypical gender development.
– Schizophrenia – looks at why this mental disorder develops and what treatments are available to people with a schizophrenia diagnosis.
– Aggression – why do some people act aggressively? How is aggression linked to survival? Does human aggression have anything in common with animal aggression?
The Examination Board for this course is AQA. There are no coursework components.
• A-Level Psychology is a two-year linear course where exams are completed in the summer of Year 13. No prior knowledge of the subject is required to be successful at A-Level.
