Course Description

Psychology is the science of the mind. The human mind is the most complex machine on Earth. It is the source of all thought and behaviour. But how can we study something as complex and mysterious as the mind? Even if we were to split open the skull of a willing volunteer and have a look inside, we would only see the gloopy grey matter of the brain. We cannot see someone thinking, nor can we observe their emotions, or memories, or perceptions and dreams. Psychology not only studies all of these things but also teaches how we study humans to understand why they behave the way they do.

Contact:	Mrs R Jones	Exam Board:	AQA
QAN:	6014838X	Subject Code:	Pz

The Course

Unit 1: You will study how Psychologists study human behaviour including biopsychology. You will investigate how Psychologists plan and conduct their research in an ethical way and how they study individual differences scientifically. You will learn how to analyse data using statistics and how to interpret data.

Unit 2: How others influence how we behave and how we influence others; how we remember and why we forget. You will also be able to understand why people get anxious and suffer from psychological problems such as phobias and obsessive compulsive disorder and investigate the behaviour of children and long lasting effects of attachments.

Unit 3: You will study debates in psychology: how Psychologists often disagree with each other and how humans should be studied and the origins of their behaviour. We also study the different perspectives of different Psychologists.

In Forensic Psychology, we will investigate why people commit crimes, including explanations for serial killers and offender profiling. You will also study why schizophrenia occurs and how depression is treated.

Please note:  Psychology involves studying mental health with some reference to depression, effects of negative childhood experiences, crime and addiction.  We will also be learning about treatments of mental health issues such as taking drugs and therapy.  If this is triggering for you, please consider whether this subject is the best choice for you.

Entry Requirements 

It is NOT necessary to have studied Psychology at GCSE level. However, if you have studied the subject for GCSE, a Level 4 or above is required due to it being a big step-up.

Possible Subject Combinations

Will combine with any other courses. The more common combinations are Sociology, English, Mathematics, History, Geography, Biology and Health and Social Care.

Students not studying Maths A Level, may wish to choose Core Maths as an AS to support this subject.

What do the students say?

“I love Psychology - it is a very practical subject that is very interesting.”

“Psychology is my favourite subject because I learn all about why I behave the way that I do.”

“Anyone that is interested in people or working with people in the future should consider Psychology at A level.”

Where can Psychology take me?

Psychology studies human behaviour so is useful in any career that works with people. Careers dealing with people either in work or social situations e.g. management, selling, advertising, marketing, journalism, teaching, nursing, youth and social work and administrative roles as well as careers in Psychology.

Assessment