Psychology

Course summary

Why study A Level Psychology? Psychology is the scientific study of the brain and human behaviour. It is a vast and varied discipline with topic areas ranging from cognitive models of memory to theories of social conformity. Studying A Level Psychology will help you to analyse and evaluate theories and research studies related to a range of human behaviour. It will provide you with a foundation in quantitative and qualitative research methods, including a thorough knowledge of ethical issues. You will be equipped to conduct scientific investigations and critically evaluate the academic research of others. What will I be studying? Paper 1: Introductory topics in psychology: Topics studied include social influence, memory, attachment and psychopathology. Paper 2: Psychology in context: Topics studied include approaches in psychology, biopsychology and research methods. Paper 3: Issues and options in psychology: Topics studied currently include issues and debates in psychology, gender, stress and forensic psychology. How will I be studying? The A Level course will help you to develop a variety of skills, including essay writing, oral debate, experimental design and statistical analysis of data. Lessons include plenty of class practicals, discussion activities and analysis of video footage. Independent learning is highly encouraged and you should expect to carry out a range of extended research tasks with the support of ICT. How will A Level Psychology help me in the future? A Level Psychology is an excellent foundation for many academic undergraduate degrees, since it unites so many different skills, for example experimental design, extended writing and data handling. The subject is an excellent platform for most careers, including areas such as human resources, marketing and advertising, business and education. If you wish to work in applied fields such as clinical, educational, forensic, sports and occupational psychology, then a degree in this subject is required.