A Level Psychology (AQA) – Subject to change dependent on number of teachers
Paper 1
Topic of Study & Content Memory (models, types, forgetting, eyewitness testimonies, cognitive interviews)
Social Influence (conformity, obedience, minority influence and social resistance )
Attachment (theories, studies, cultural variation,) deprivation, privation, institutionalisation, adult relationships)
Psychopathology (defining abnormality, phobias, depression, OCD)
Social Influence
Continued
Paper 2
Topic of Study & Content
The Cognitive Approach
(Schema, models, cognitive neuroscience)
Research Methods (Experiments, validity, reliability, Case Studies)
The Behaviourist Approach continued (Classical & Operant Conditioning, Social Learning Theory))
Research Methods (Observations)
Psychology as a Science (paradigms, objectivity, reliability, hypothesis testing, falsification)
Biopsychology (the nervous system, neurons, the endocrine system)
Research Methods (Self-Reports)
Paper 3
Topic of Study & Content
Issues & Debates
The Nomothetic vs Idiographic debate
Issues & Debates Culture Bias
The Biological Approach (genetic basis for behaviour, genotype, + phenotype, evolution and natural selection)
The Psychodynamic Approach
(Personality, Ego defence mechanisms, Consciousness, Psychosexual Stages)
The Humanistic Approach (Congruence, SelfActualisation, ClientCentred Therapy)
To be able to:
● describe
● evaluate
… all research evidence (70+) and theory from the 4 topics in Paper 1.
To be able to:
● describe
● evaluate
● apply …behaviourist, cognitive, biological, psychodynamic and humanistic approaches to research and theory.
To be able to:
Research Methods (Correlational analysis, statistical testing)
● describe the biopsychological processes of neuronal communication, the nervous system, the endocrine system and the fight / flight response
To be able to:
● identify
● describe
● evaluate research methods and techniques that psychologists use to investigate behaviour.
To be able to:
Issues & Debates
Nature v Nurture debate
Issues & Debates
Determinism v Freewil
● apply
… these debates when evaluating research and theory in Paper 1 exam questions
Assessment
2 homework or inclass assessment
2 homework or inclass assessment
In class JANUARY ASSESSMENTS
1 hour paper (30 mins on paper 1, 30 mins on Paper 2)
A Level Psychology (AQA) – Subject to change dependent on number of teachers
Paper 2
Topic of Study & Content
The Psychodynamic Approach
(Personality, Ego defence mechanisms, Consciousness, Psychosexual Stages)
Research Methods
(Correlational analysis, statistical testing, validity and reliability)
Biopsychology (the brain)
Cognitive Development
(Piaget stages and theory, Vygotsky, Baillargeon, Selman, ToM, mirror neurons)
Paper 3
Topic of Study & Content
APRIL/MAY
MOCKS. Full Paper
1 exam, partial Paper 2 exam.
1 homework or inclass assessment
Approaches (Comparing approaches)
Biopsychology (biorhythms)
Forensic Psychology
(psychological explanations, dealing with offender behaviour)
Research Methods (Content & Thematic Analysis, Writing a Report)
The Humanistic Approach (Congruence, SelfActualisation, Client-Centred Therapy) Study Leave
To be able to describe, evaluate and apply psychological approaches to research and theory.
To be able to describe and evaluate the biopsychological processes of biological rhythms, brain function, plasticity and brain investigation techniques
To be able to describe and evaluate content analysis, thematic analysis, case studies.
To be able to choose (and justify choice of) statistical tests, judge the statistical significance of research findings and understand and explain the limitations of statistical testing
To be able to apply debates when evaluating research and theory in Paper 1 and Paper 3 topic exam questions.
Forensic Psychology (psychological explanations, dealing with offender behaviour)
Issues & Debates Ethics & Social Sensitivity
Schizophrenia (diagnosis and classification, biological and psycho-social explanations, treatments)
Issues & Debates Ethical and Socially Sensitive Research & Determinism Study Leave
To be able to describe and evaluate all research evidence (70+) and theory from the 3 topics in Paper 3 (Cognitive Development, Forensic Psychology, Schizophrenia)
Assessment
1 homework / in- class assessments
NOVEMBER assessments. Full Paper 1 & 2 exam.
MARCH MOCKS. Full Paper 2 and 3 exams
1 homework or in- class assessment assignment A Level Examinations