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About the course:
About the course:
Exam Board: AQA
Subject contact: Hannah Batchelor
Psychology is the ‘scientific study of the mind and behaviour’, and the A Level offers an introduction to six ‘core’ areas of the discipline. Social Psychology focuses on the social interactions people have with each other. We function fully as people in the company of, and with the help of, others. Amongst other issues, this course explains why we conform and why we are likely to obey authority figures.
Cognitive Psychology looks at how we perceive and interpret the world around us. Cognitive psychologists are interested in ‘thinking’ and are therefore concerned with internal mental processes, and how those processes are involved in the development of behaviours such as perception and intelligence.
One of the most important topics is memory. Biological Psychology looks at the role of evolutionary forces and genetics in behaviour. It investigates how the nervous system and hormones work, how the brain functions, and how changes in these can affect behaviour.
Studying psychology equips you to critically evaluate different explanations of human behaviour. You learn different approaches viewpoints such as behaviourist, social learning theory, biological, cognitive, psychodynamic, humanistic and apply their viewpoints to different topics such as how they would explain reasons for offending behaviour.
There are 3 written exams at the end of the course that are 2 hours each with 96 marks per paper. Each exam is worth 33.33% of the qualification.
Exams are a mixture of multiple choice, short-answer and extended writing questions.
Units of study:
Units of study:
Component 1
Component 1
Paper 1 - Introductory Topics in Psychology
Social Influence - covering conformity, obedience and the role of social change.
Memory - Explores models of memory, types of long-term memory and reliability of eyewitness testimony.
Attachment - Studies the emotional bonds between individuals, particularly between children and caregivers, covering attachment types and effects of maternal deprivation.
Psychopathology - Focuses on abnormal behaviour, studying disorders such as depression, phobias and obsessive-compulsive disorder as well as approaches to treatment.
Component 2
Component 2
Paper 2 - Psychology in Context
Approaches in Psychology - Looks at major theoretical approaches including biological, cognitive, psychodynamic and humanistic.
Biopsychology - Focuses on how biology influences behaviour, including the structure of the nervous system, brain function, and biological rhythms.
Research Methods - Covers the core methods psychologists use to conduct research, such as experiments, observations, case studies and a strong focus on scientific methodology and data analysis.
Component 3
Component 3
Paper 3 - Issues and Options in Psychology
Forensic Psychology - focusing on explanations of criminal behaviour, offender profiling and rehabilitation.
Schizophrenia - Examining symptoms, causes and treatments of schizophrenia.
Cognition and Development - Focusing on how thinking and reasoning develop from infancy to adulthood.
Year 12 have recently been looking at the biological approach:
Year 12 have recently been looking at the biological approach:
Students have been learning about all the approaches in Psychology and most recently applied their understanding of the nervous system in class.
Students have also studied social psychology already and explored why it is that people follow authority figures even when they know it is morally wrong as well as how minority groups can influence others.
Students are now starting to study Psychopathology and learning about the characteristics of conditions such as OCD, Depression and Anxiety.
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