Psychology

Course summary

Psychology is a broad subject that covers a range of topics, all investigating how and why humans behave as they do. For example, does an imbalance of hormones make you more aggressive? Why were the Nazis able to kill 6 million Jewish people? Why do phobias develop and how can we treat them? This course is challenging, but psychology is one of the most popular subjects to study at A Level and a flexible choice that sits very well alongside most other subjects, including humanities, maths, and the sciences. Many universities view psychology as a science. Some topics will be a continuation of what was covered in GCSE such as social influence, research methods, and memory but in greater depth. We will also look at schizophrenia – what is it, how can we get it and is it treatable?; forensic psychology – profiling, what makes a killer, and can they be rehabilitated? There are also topics on gender, psychopathology, and attachment. There are links to maths and biology throughout the course. You will develop your skills of critical thinking and evaluation, as well as discussion and working in groups. There will be an opportunity for you to carry out your piece of research and a subject of your choice. This will be a great opportunity if you are unable to do an EPQ.