Psychology

Course summary

We follow the AQA A syllabus which is rich in fascinating topic areas. From theories of how memory works, to why people obey or conform to social expectations and why some people suffer from mental illness, our students learn to criticise and evaluate research findings using a rigorous scientific method. What skills will I learn? This course will help you develop several skills: How to view the world around you from different perspectives How to plan and conduct scientific investigations How to analyse, interpret and critically evaluate data Critical reasoning skills Content: Year 1 Social influence – You will learn how our behaviour is affected by our friends, family and other groups of people. Memory – You will learn about how memory works, what makes us forget and why eyewitness testimony can be unreliable. Attachment- You will learn how early childhood experiences can influence the relationships we hold as adults. Psychopathology – You will learn about the explanations and treatments of mental disorders including; depression, phobias and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Research Methods – You will learn about a range of methods used to investigate human behaviour. Year 2 Biopsychology – You will learn about the central nervous system and also how different parts of the brain can affect our behaviour. Relationships – You will learn about physical attractiveness and what characteristics people look for in a partner. You will also investigate celebrity worship and its impact on online relationships. Schizophrenia – You will learn about the symptoms of this disorder, what causes it and how can help treat it. Forensic Psychology – You will learn about explanations of offender behaviour and also methods of dealing with offending behaviour such as the effectiveness of prisons