Psychology
A Level
Exam Board: AQA
Subject Leader: Miss H Clifford
Psychology is a fascinating subject to study and asks questions about individuals and groups that no other subject does. For example: What can be recognised as ‘normal’ and why? Can we survive if half of our brain is removed? What causes Schizophrenia, OCD and Depression and how are they treated? Is attachment important, and what are the effects if we do not get to form an attachment when we are young?
Psychology as a subject takes a scientific approach as it seeks to ‘study’ not just speculate about human behaviour and so psychological research will form an important part of the course. The course aims to develop your critical thinking, apply your understanding to the real world and build skills that will be transferable to wide range of university courses and careers.
How is the course organised and assessed?
In class, students will get a chance to conduct psychological research, take part in creative activities, and participate in debate and discussions on topics. Independent learning is essential to the course, but our topics are supported by excellent resource booklets that have been developed by the subject specialist teachers using a range of textbooks, knowledge and experience.
At the end of the course, students will sit three 2 hour exam papers, all of which include a mix of multiple choice questions, research method questions, short mark questions, and extended 8 and 16 mark questions. The first paper covers Social influence Memory, Attachment and Psychopathology (OCD, Depression, and Phobias; the second paper covers Psychological Approaches, Biopsychology, and Research Methods; the third paper covers issues and debates in psychology, and students will choose from a list of these topics, Schizophrenia, Aggression, and Cognition and Development.
What's next?
Psychology A Level is a good background for a wide range of careers in Health, Education, Social Work, and Human Resource Management. Psychologists are also extensively involved in media- related fields such as marketing. Psychology A Level easily leads on to a host of different university level courses including Psychology (Clinical, Forensic, Occupational), Criminology, Education, and much more.