Psychology
Psychology
- Mrs Sibley – Psychology teacher
- Miss Maher – Psychology teacher
Psychology is the scientific study of human behaviour. We are all amateur psychologists, every time we try and work out why someone acted the way they did or try to predict how someone might behave or react. Psychology tries to answer these questions by investigating them in a more scientific manner. The two-year A level course gives students a taster of the many topics that psychology has to offer.
Our mission in psychology is to offer an engaging and effective introduction to Psychology. Students will learn the fundamentals of the subject and develop skills valued by Higher Education (HE) and employers, including critical analysis, independent thinking and research. Our exam board is AQA, who have worked with teachers, HE and the British Psychological Society to produce a clear, up-to-date and stimulating specification.
Curriculum
In year 12, students will study the key introductory topics in psychology. These topics are social influence, memory, attachment, psychopathology, biopsychology and research methods.
Social influence
- Types of conformity, explanations for conformity, variables affecting conformity, including group size, unanimity and task difficulty as investigated by Asch. Conformity to social roles as investigated by Zimbardo. Explanations for obedience as investigated by Milgram. Situational and dispositional explanation for obedience. Explanations of resistance to social influence. Minority influence and the role of social influence processes in social change.
Memory
- The multi-store model of memory, types of long-term memory, the working memory model, explanations for forgetting, factors affecting the accuracy of eyewitness testimony, improving the accuracy of eyewitness testimony.
Attachment
- Caregiver-infant interactions in humans, Schaffer’s research into stages of attachment, multiple attachments and the role of the father. Animal studies of attachment: Lorenz and Harlow. Explanations of attachment including Bowlby. Ainsworth’s ‘Strange Situation’ and the types of attachment. Cultural variations in attachment, including van Ijzendoorn. Bowlby’s theory of maternal deprivation. Romanian orphan studies: effects of institutionalisation. The influence of early attachment on childhood and adult relationships.
Psychopathology
- Definitions of abnormality, the behavioural, emotional and cognitive characteristics of phobias, depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The behavioural approach to explaining and treating phobias, the cognitive approach to explaining and treating depression, the biological approach to explaining and treating OCD.
Biopsychology
- The divisions of the nervous system, the structure and function of sensory, relay and motor neurons. The process of synaptic transmission, including reference to neurotransmitters, excitation and inhibition. The function of the endocrine system: glands and hormones. The fight or flight response including the role of adrenaline. Localisation of function in the brain and hemispheric lateralisation. Plasticity and functional recovery of the brain after trauma. Ways of studying the brain. Biological rhythms: circadian, infradian and ultradian.
Research methods
- Experimental method. Types of experiment, laboratory and field experiments; natural and quasi-experiments. Observational techniques. Types of observation: naturalistic and controlled observation; covert and overt observation; participant and non-participant observation. Self-report techniques. Questionnaires; interviews, structured and unstructured. Correlations. Analysis of the relationship between co-variables. The difference between correlations and experiments. Content analysis. Case studies. Scientific processes, Data handling and analysis and Inferential testing.
In year 13, students will build on their understanding, application of knowledge, analysis and evaluation skills by learning about psychological approaches, issues and debates in psychology, relationships, schizophrenia and forensic psychology.
Approaches
- Origins of Psychology: Wundt, introspection and the emergence of Psychology as a science. Learning approaches: i) the behaviourist approach; ii) social learning theory. The cognitive approach, the biological approach, the psychodynamic approach, humanistic psychology and the comparison of approaches.
Issues and debates
- Gender and culture in Psychology, free will and determinism, the nature-nurture debate, holism and reductionism, idiographic and nomothetic approaches to psychological investigation. Ethical implications of research studies and theory, including reference to social sensitivity.
Relationships
- The evolutionary explanations for partner preferences, factors affecting attraction in romantic relationships, theories of romantic relationships. Duck’s phase model of relationship breakdown. Virtual relationships in social media. Parasocial relationships: levels of parasocial relationships, the absorption addiction model and the attachment theory explanation.
Schizophrenia
- Classification of schizophrenia. Positive symptoms of schizophrenia, including hallucinations and delusions. Negative and positive symptoms. Reliability and validity in diagnosis and classification of schizophrenia. Biological explanations for schizophrenia, psychological explanations for schizophrenia. Drug therapy, cognitive behaviour therapy and family therapy as used in the treatment of schizophrenia. Token economies as used in the management of schizophrenia. The importance of an interactionist approach in explaining and treating schizophrenia.
Forensic psychology
- Offender profiling, including investigative Psychology; geographical profiling. Biological explanations of offending behaviour, psychological explanations of offending behaviour and dealing with offending behaviour.
Curriculum plan
Learning journey
Where can psychology take me?
Psychology is a great option to choose at A-level due to its wide range of career opportunities following sixth form. You could choose to continue studying psychology at university, with courses available such as applied psychology, clinical psychology, child psychology, educational psychology, forensic psychology, sport psychology and experimental psychology.
There are also a vast amount of careers to choose from depending on your area of interest. Some examples include working in the healthcare field such as occupational therapy or mental health, working within marketing and sales such as conducting market research, working in the public sector such as the police or teaching, or working in business management such as human resources.
How will I be assessed?
There are a total of three exams at the end of year 13.
Paper 1: Introductory topics (written exam, 2 hours, 96 marks, 33.3% of A-level)
Paper 2: Psychology in context (written exam, 2 hours, 96 marks, 33.3% of A-level)
Paper 3: Issues and options in psychology (written exam, 2 hours, 96 marks, 33.3% of A-level)
Assessments employ a variety of types of question such as multiple choice, short answer and extended writing/essays, which target the skills of knowledge and understanding, application and evaluation.
Students’ understanding of research methods, gained through classroom experience of practical Psychology, will be assessed using the familiar scenario-based question style and research methods questions embedded in topics.
Assessment objectives
- AO1: Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of scientific ideas, processes, techniques and procedures.
- AO2: Apply knowledge and understanding of scientific ideas, processes, techniques and procedures: in a theoretical context, in a practical context, when handling qualitative data, when handling quantitative data.
- AO3: Analyse, interpret and evaluate scientific information, ideas and evidence, including in relation to issues, to: make judgements and reach conclusions, develop and refine practical design and procedures.
Exam board
AQA A-Level Psychology
https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/psychology/a-level/psychology-7182/specification
Useful websites and resources
Past papers and mark schemes:
Resources and courses:
https://www.tutor2u.net/psychology
Revision videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PokyYvuL7Q&list=PLp8BSCLLWBUCuyMc0-2cHFid4x1xuXoQM
Lesson consolidation and interesting articles: