The mind is the most sophisticated thing we know of in the universe. For many centuries the province of philosophers, the scientific study of mind and behaviour that we call psychology emerged relatively recently and remains one of the most exciting areas of human inquiry as there is still so much to learn. People talk of our minds being shaped by our genes, our upbringing and our social groups but how accurate is this? You will not only learn in depth about what has been found but also learn about how to conduct the research itself: how to design an experiment and how to analyse results. You will consider how memory works and how it is far from the simple recording device we take it to be. You will be surprised how easily eyewitness ‘memory’ can be corrupted by seemingly irrelevant factors! You will also look at explanations of criminal behaviour, how we form relationships and attachments, explanations of schizophrenia as well as a range of abnormalities from compulsive behaviours to phobias. It is important to remember that psychology is a science. You will be involved in studying the biology of the brain in detail. You will also need to develop the complex mathematical skills needed to interpret experimental data. Psychology is not about the interpretation of dreams or learning how to develop a healthier mind. This said, by learning more about how the mind works, you may well find it gives you a healthier conception of how humans work. In the first year, you will study two papers. You will begin by studying the origins of psychology and all six major approaches: the biological, the behaviourist, social learning theory, the cognitive, the psychodynamic and the humanistic approach to explaining human behaviour. You will also complete all the research methods. These two modules are part of Paper 2 (Psychology in Context). In Paper 1 (Introductory Topics in Psychology), you will begin with topics in psychopathology, such as obsessive-compulsive disorders depression and phobias. You will then consider different kinds of theories of memory and its fallibility. You will also look at theories of attachment. Finally, you will look at social influence topics such as conformity, obedience and social change. In the second year, you will study additional topics under Paper 2. For instance, you will look at biopsychology, which examines the structure and functioning of the nervous system and how biological rhythms affect human behaviour. In Paper 3 (Issues and Options in Psychology), you will look at four topics. First, you will look at the different issues and debates in psychology and psychological research. Then you will explore the different explanations for why human beings form romantic relationships or how human beings develop their gender. You will then look at schizophrenia: how to define it, explain it and treat it. Finally, you will look at different explanations of human and animal aggression.