Minimum Grade Requirement:
Grade 6 in Maths, and either grade 6 in Biology or 6:6 in Double Science.
Assessment:
Examination at the end of the course.
Course Overview
This qualification offers an engaging and effective introduction to Psychology. Students will learn the fundamentals of the subject and develop skills valued by employers and universities including critical analysis, independent thinking and research.
The course consists of eight modules, plus three optional subjects:
Module 1 Social influence: Conformity and obedience.
Module 2 Memory: Models of memory and eyewitness testimony.
Module 3 Attachment: Caregiver interactions and the influence of early attachment.
Module 4 Psychopathology: Definitions of abnormality.
Module 5 Approaches in psychology: Learning, cognitive, psychodynamic and humanistic.
Module 6 Biopsychology: The divisions of the nervous system, ways of studying the brain.
Module 7 Research methods: Experiments, observational methods, self-reports and case studies.
Module 8 Issues and debates in psychology: Gender and culture, the nature nurture debate and ethical issues in Psychology.
Students must also study one of the three optional subjects:
Option 1 Relationships: Factors affecting attraction in romantic relationships, virtual relationships in social media.
Option 2 Schizophrenia: Symptoms, explanations, treatments.
Option 3 Addiction – Physical and psychological dependence, explanations for nicotine dependence and treating addiction.
Throughout the course students will be encouraged to develop critical and analytical skills. They will also get a useful insight into how and why individuals behave in the ways they do.
There is the opportunity to attend Psychology Revision Conferences. Last year students attended an arachnophobia workshop at Dudley Zoo. Dependent on grades students may be offered the opportunity to take the Extended Project in Psychology. There are considerable benefits to the Extended Project for those students who wish to develop their psychological skills further and strengthen their application for competitive courses at university.
The knowledge and insight into human behaviour which you will gain will be valuable assets for any career. If you are interested in human behaviour and experience then Psychology should be one of your choices.
Future Opportunities
A level Psychology is useful for those wishing to pursue a career in law, as well as the more traditional areas of educational, occupational, forensic and clinical psychology. Recent Sixth Form psychology students have pursued careers in medicine, international politics, marketing, philosophy and theology, and town planning.
Complementary Subjects
All A level subjects.