Overview
Psychology is about studying human behaviour, for this course students will be learning about approaches and methods related to the core areas of Psychology – cognitive, social, biological, developmental, individual differences and research methods, explanations from different approaches, along with psychological issues and debates, students will be introduced to a wide range of psychology topics including Attachment, Memory and Social Influence. We are intent on delivering an engaging and interactive curriculum whereby students will fully immerse themselves into the depths of psychology, students will have the opportunity to participate in scientific research and learn about the scientific processes involved in psychology. This course would be a great opportunity for someone who is interested in a career in Social Sciences, whether that be Psychology, Criminology or even Forensic Psychology. Students will be given lots of enrichment resources to help further their knowledge and understanding of the topic, and other resources are provided to ensure students receive a well-rounded and meaningful education.
Key Stage 5 A Level
Examination Board: AQA
Units Taken:
Paper 1: Introductory Topics in Psychology
Paper 2: Psychology in Context
Paper 3: Issues and Options in Psychology
Link to Specification: Click here.
Assessment in Psychology
Psychology A Level assesses the skills of :
- Description (AO1) – of a theory or research
- Application (AO2) – of theory or research to real-life situations
- Evaluation (AO3) – evaluating how good a theory or piece of research is in explaining behaviour.
Exam questions are a mixture of:
- Multiple choice (1 mark)
- Short answer questions (2-6 marks)
- Longer essays (8-16 marks)
Your final assessment will consist of three exams on separate days, each 2 hours long.
- Paper 1
- Paper 2
- Paper 3
Course Content
The course is split into three papers, each with a different focus on an aspect of Psychology. The course is 100% exam based, there are three 2 hour exam papers (33.3% weighting each).
Paper One – Introductory Topics In Psychology
2 hour exam 33.3%
Social Influence: Why people conform and obey, factors affecting this and those that resist.
Memory: How we remember and forget things and strategies for improvement.
Attachments: How and why we form relationships with our caregiver and the consequences of disrupting this.
Psychopathology: Abnormality – different psychological approaches to psychological disorders and their treatment.
Paper Two – Psychology In Context
2 hour exam 33.3%
Approaches in Psychology: Learning, cognitive, biological, psychodynamic and humanistic approaches to explaining behaviour.
Biopsychology: The way the brain, hormones and neurotransmitters affect behaviour.
Research Methods: How psychologists design, carry out and analyse experiments.
Paper Three – Issues And Options In Psychology
2 hour exam 33.3%
Issues & Debates: Key arguments within Psychology such free will & determinism and nature vs. nurture.
Cognitive Developmental Psychology: How we learn key cognitive skills and to perspective take, explanations of Autism etc.
Forensic Psychology: Offender profiling, biological/psychological explanations or offending behaviour and dealing with it.
Schizophrenia Causes, symptoms and treatments
Assessment in Psychology
Psychology A Level assesses the skills of :
- Description (AO1) – of a theory or research
- Application (AO2) – of theory or research to real life situations
- Evaluation (AO3) – evaluating how good a theory or piece of research is in explaining behaviour
Exam questions are a mixture of:
- Multiple choice (1 mark)
- Short answer questions (2-6 marks)
- Longer essays (8-16 marks)
Your final assessment will consist of three exams on separate days, each 2 hours long.
- Paper 1
- Paper 2
- Paper 3
Entry Requirements
To be able to do Psychology, you need…
Good English skills (6) —to be able to write essays well and express yourself clearly
Good Maths skills (5) —to be able to draw graphs, analyse and interpret data
Good Science skills (6) — to understand how to carry out an experiment and how the brain / neurotransmitters work.
But above all… you need to have a passion for Psychology and the willingness to work hard!
Complementary Subjects
- Biology: Brain, biochemistry, neuroanatomy
- Maths: Research methods & statistics
- Philosophy: Free will & determinism
- Sociology: Influences from society
- Business & Economics: Marketing
- Geography: Culture
- History: Psychological basis of past events
- English: Psychological themes in key texts
- Art & Drama: Imagery & characters
Enrichment in Psychology
As well as studying interesting topics, there are a number of enrichment activities to get involved too.
- Conferences—to improve subject knowledge and exam technique
- Trips and visits—include local universities, the zoo, the Freud museum, psychological plays
- Guest speakers—people in the field of psychology and research
- Psychology Film Club—analysing films with psychological content
Finding out more in the meantime:
- Crash Course in Psychology Videos
- Hidden Brain Podcast
- Research Digest app from the BPS—round up of latest research
Careers in Psychology
Where can psychology take me?
If you want to be a psychologist there are lots of options in all sorts of areas:
- Forensic Psychologist – working with offenders to treat sexual offending behaviour, alcohol and drug misuse and violence.
- Educational Psychologist – helping children with learning difficulties, social and emotional issues and disability learn effectively
- Counselling & Clinical Psychology – helping people manage their addiction, eating, depression etc
- Sports Psychology – helping professional and amateur athletes prepare for competitions and training
- Occupational Psychology – helping get the best performance and wellbeing from groups and people in organisations including leadership and management.
For more information, click the link to careers information by the British Psychological Society (BPS) here
Other Careers….
- Police
- Lawyers
- Business
- Retail
- Marketing
- Sales
- Social work… just about anything that involves people!
Skills Gained from Taking this Course
Students develop some of the key skills of a Psychologist throughout the course. They learn how to plan, carry out, and analyse their own research.
They will be able to carry out observations, experiments and interviews competently. They develop the higher-order skills of synthesis and application, many of the examination questions require students to apply their knowledge to real-life situations.
They will also learn how to analyse, interpret and evaluate scientific information, ideas and evidence so they can make judgements and reach conclusions.
Studying Psychology delivers skills employers value, such as numerical skills, the ability to understand and work with statistics, effective communication and the ability to work productively in teams. As well as being able to effectively write focused, concise and well-balanced essays.
St Marylebone Entry Requirements
To gain entry into the sixth form at St Marylebone School, students must gain a minimum of five 9-6 grades at GCSE and a 5 grade in English and Maths GCSE.
Subject Specific Entry Requirements
Grade 5 in Maths GCSE, Grade 6 in English Language GCSE and either grade 6 in Combined Science or Single Science Biology.
Entry Suggestions
Students wishing to take Psychology should:
- Have an interest in people and the world around them.
- Understand that psychology is a science and therefore will include aspects of biology – such as understanding the role of the nervous system and hormones/neurotransmitters and different functions of the brain, synapses etc.
- Be comfortable with the format of writing up or conducting an experiment – hypothesis, aim, method procedure etc.
- Be comfortable with some aspects of maths i.e. statistics: descriptive and inferential, data handling, correlations, quantitative and qualitative analysis.
- For the above two points, must gain a 6 or above in GCSE Science and a 5 in Maths.
- Be able to understand, analyse, evaluate, draw conclusions and apply ideas.
- Be comfortable expressing ideas in essay format.
If you are made an offer, you will be expected to complete the following before your first lesson in September:
Preparing for Yr 12 – 2020
Resources Needed for this Course:
Online textbook provided
