Course Description

The study of Psychology will introduce students to a broad range of topics, including how society may affect our behaviour; how memories are formed; eating disorders occur and detailed understanding of conditions such as depression and OCD.

This course of study covers eleven units across the two years, with no coursework. The emphasis is on applying knowledge and understanding and being able to evaluate and analyse psychological research and theory. Psychology aims to develop students’ transferable skills of critical thinking, enhancing students’ ability to construct clear and coherent arguments using evidence.

The course offers both a wide and stimulating range of topics leading students to evaluate the evidence against the research methods in context. From the beginning, the psychology specification allows students the opportunity to write essays, formulate opinion and immerse themselves in famous and advancing research. They will also develop their mathematical and scientific knowledge with research skills. These skills are all relevant and transferable to higher education courses of study or in the workplace with psychology now recognised as a science.

How will I be assessed?

  • Paper 1 – 4 units – 2 hour exam – 1/3 of A level Social Influence, Memory, Attachment and Psychopathology
  • Paper 2 – 3 units – 2 hour exam – 1/3 of A level Biopsychology, Approaches in Psychology and Research Methods
  • Paper 3 – 4 units – 2 hour exam – 1/3 of A level Issues and Debates, Forensic Psychology, Sex and Gender and Schizophrenia.

All units include extended writing and short answer questions. There is a minimum 10% mathematical requirement and a 25% expectation of research methods throughout the specification.

What could I do next?

Psychology is the science of mind, behaviour, and experience. By studying this course, pupils will obtain an excellent introduction to the key areas of psychology. The subject lies at the intersection of many other different disciplines, including biology, medicine, linguistics, philosophy, anthropology, and sociology.

For example, neuropsychology is allied with biology, since the aim is to map different areas of the brain and explain how each underpins different brain functions like memory or language. Other branches of psychology are more closely connected with medicine. Health psychologists help people manage disease and pain. Similarly, clinical psychologists help alleviate the suffering caused by mental disorders.