| Psychology is the scientific study of human behaviour. As a discipline, Psychology attempts to provide explanations for why humans behave the way that they do; these explanations can be rooted in biology, learning from our environments, our upbringing and the way individuals process information. Credible explanations of behaviour are based on empirical evidence, which more outdated explanations lack.
Students who study Psychology A-Level will gain considerable experience in thinking critically. They are required to not only understand the key concepts of psychological theories, but also to evaluate them. By considering the quality of supporting evidence, contradictory findings and discussing ethical and methodological implications, students will develop their analytic skills. Once students have consolidated their knowledge and understanding of key concepts, they will apply these to explain scenarios of example behaviours; this will prepare them for the unseen application questions in the examination. Lastly, students will design and conduct their own research and analyse and present their findings. The skills they gain from this will help them with the research methods part of the course.
What Psychology A Level students study: We follow the AQA A Level specification. At the end of Year 13, the students will sit three papers which are 2 hours each, consisting of short answer, multiple choice questions, application and extended writing questions. Year 12 Students will build an understanding of key psychological concepts through class discussion and develop their writing and analytical skills whilst exploring the following topics: Approaches Research Methods Social Influence Memory Attachment Psychopathology Biopsychology- The nervous system, the fight or flight response Year 13 Biopsychology- Functions in the brain, ways of studying the brain, biological rhythms Research Methods(continued) Issues and Debates Relationships Schizophrenia Aggression
What are the entry requirements? There will be a considerable amount of data analysis which will require pupils to have at least a grade 6 in Maths. The demands on students to write coherent and logical extended answer questions requires at least a 6 in English. In order to grasp the difficult scientific concepts of Biopsychology and other scientific content, a grade 6 is required in Science.
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