Psychology (AQA

Entry Requirements

Students will be required to have at least a Grade 6 in GCSE Biology or 6/6 in the Double Award (with a 6 overall in the Biology modules). In addition, a minimum of a Grade 6 in Mathematics and English Language are also required.

Psychology is a fascinating science concerned with the study of the mind and behaviour. It asks the simple yet fascinating question, “what makes us and others tick?” It has links with biological, computer and forensic sciences, as well as with the humanities such as sociology, philosophy and literature. The common factor linking people who study psychology is curiosity and the search for knowledge.

An interest in analysing the causes of human behaviour and engaging in lively discussion is, of course, expected.

Course Content

Y12

Paper 1: Introductory Topics in Psychology There are four sections in this exam, each containing a range of multiple choice, short answer and extended essay answers. The four topics are: Memory, Social Influence, Attachment and Psychopathology. These interesting and important topics will also provide a guiding framework for how research methodology should and should not be done. It will also illustrate to pupils the differences in approaches used to explain psychological phenomena.

Paper 2: Psychology in Context In ‘Approaches in psychology’ pupils will study the origins of psychology and the emergence of Psychology as a science. They will learn the assumptions of six distinct approaches to ‘doing’ Psychology. They will compare and contrast the learning approach, the social learning approach, the biological approach, the humanist approach, the psychodynamic and finally the cognitive approach. Each of these will then be evaluated and conclusions reached.

Y13

Paper 2: Psychology in Context (continued) Pupils will begin by studying a unit on Biopsychology, a fascinating investigation of the physiological influences over our thoughts, feelings and behaviours. Pupils will be asked to learn about brain localisation, ways of investigating the brain, plasticity and functional recovery after trauma. Pupils will also complete the year 2 section of Research Methods, where they will use inferential statistical tests to investigate the statistical significance of research findings. Paper 3: Issues and Options in Psychology The major issues and debates in psychology will covered, including nature vs nurture; free will vs determinism, as well as gender and culture bias. The three other topics in this paper are Relationships, Schizophrenia and Addiction. Pupils will use all of their acquired skills and knowledge from the course so far to investigate these thought-provoking areas of psychological research.

Psychology at Berkhamsted

Awarding Body: AQA

There are a number of reasons why students want to study psychology: • Psychology is exciting • Psychology is challenging • Psychology is useful

There is no coursework in the Psychology course but students will carry out a series of individual and group practical investigations. Students will be required to write their own hypothesis, aims, collect and interpret their data. These investigations will ensure you have a full understanding of how psychologists conduct their research and the issues they face.

Future Prospects

Psychology is an increasingly popular subject and the skills gained by students can be utilised in many different careers, for example, in advertising, human resources, law and of course in specialised areas of Psychology such as Forensic, Organisational or Clinical Psychology.

Student Comments Psychology at A level is a very enjoyable and interesting subject, where you have the opportunity to learn about the differences in people’s behaviour and why these differences exist…… The combination of working independently as well as group experiments …. provided different styles of learning throughout the course