Psychology

Course summary

The A-level psychology courses aim to encourage pupils to engage with the world as Psychologists. Pupils will learn about how the mind and behaviour are governed by both intrinsic and extrinsic forces, and how to apply the rules of many psychological approaches to different situations. It is a science with cutting-edge research that has real-world applications to issues in everyday life, ranging from topics such as artificial intelligence to minority influence. It involves the study of theories, empirical evidence and practical applications which include treatments for Schizophrenia, OCD and Depression. Psychology is a fast-paced and ever-changing subject that promotes a curiosity to explain everyday behaviours and those that are more abnormal. It also gives many different roads Into the jobs market. LOWER SIXTH COURSE OVERVIEW: • Social Influence - Obedience and Conformity • Memory - Models of memory, forgetting and eyewitness testimony • Attachment - Why and how we attach, how childhood influences adulthood Psychopathology - OCD, Depression and Phobias • Approaches to Psychology - Behavioural, Biological and Cognitive (inc. some Biopsychology) • Research Methods - How we conduct research into human behaviour Those studying Psychology at their fourth subject will complete this content UPPER SIXTH COURSE OVERVIEW: • Social Influence - Obedience and Conformity • Memory - Models of memory, forgetting and eyewitness testimony • Attachment - Why and how we attach, how childhood influences adulthood Psychopathology - OCD, Depression and Phobias • Approaches to Psychology-Behavioural, Biological and Cognitive, Psychodynamic (Freud) and Humanistic • Biopsychology - Brain localisation and lateralisation, plasticity, sleep and biological rhythms • Research Methods - How we conduct research into human behaviour • Issues and Debates - Culture bias, free will & determinism, nature vs nurture, amongst others • Forensic Psychology - Offender profiling, theories and treatments of crime • Gender - Theories and disorders of gender • Schizophrenia - Explanations of, explanations for and treatments of schizophrenia