Psychology

Introduction to the subject

Psychology is the scientific study of the human mind and behaviour. The science of psychology asks some challenging questions such as: how important is an early attachment relationship? Do animals learn in the same way as humans? What makes us happy and content?

Structure of the course

The AS comprises of two examination papers. There is no coursework in Psychology A Level.

Unit 1: introduction to the five approaches which explain behaviour in psychology with an application of each approach to explaining different types of relationships. Each of these approaches include and evaluation of both therapy and explanations.

Unit 2: knowledge and application of research methods, planning and writing hypotheses, selecting participants, data analysis, validity and reliability. You will be expected to read and construct graphs, calculate the mean average and standard deviation. Also include are debates such as: Is neuroscience ethical?

The A2 comprises of two examination papers.

Unit 3: explanations of stress, schizophrenia and criminal behaviour are evaluated as are methods which help to modify these behaviours. Unit 3 also includes controversies in psychology, such as: should psychologist’s conduct research on non-human animals?

Unit 4: you are required to conduct two psychological investigations, analyse the data and record your findings. The first half of this paper asks questions about the research methods, hypotheses, variables, sampling, reliability, validity and ethical issues used in these studies and the final section is an assessment of the your application of research methods to novel scenarios.

Career paths and next steps

All careers require an understanding of human behaviour, and a degree in psychology is highly valued.

FAQ about the subject

Is it a Science?

Yes, psychology is classed as a science by UCAS, although some subjects such as medicine may have a preferred science.

What’s the difference between Psychology and Sociology?

The focus of psychology is the explanation of individual human behaviours, whereas the focus of sociology is the explanation of patterns of behaviour across social groups.

Teacher Profiles

Ruth Allen MBPsS (BA Honours)