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Psychology

Psychology at A Level provides students with the opportunity to study a range of psychological concepts. In Year 12 students will have the opportunity to investigate topics such as, Memory, Attachment, Social Influence, Biopsychology and Psychopathology. Alongside this, students will study the Psychological approaches which provide students with a perspective of how different psychologists analyse how we think and behave. Students will also learn how psychologists study the world through research methods such as questionnaires, laboratory investigations and observations. 

In Year 13 students will develop their understanding further with a focus on specialist topics. In Forensic Psychology students study the causes and ways in which crime is dealt with. The topic of Schizophrenia allows students to understand the underlying causes of this complex mental health issue as well as the range of treatments available. Finally, students will study Relationships which looks at how we form new relationships, how we maintain relationships and why some relationships break up, as well as online relationships.

Students will also build on what they have learned in Year 12 to tackle some of the key debates within Psychology. For example, students will take what they have learned about crime, mental health and schizophrenia to answer the nature vs nurture debate. Is the way in which we think and act mainly influenced by the genes we inherit or the environment we have been raised in?

Staffing

Head of Department

Mrs C Shore

Teachers

Miss I Crampton

Mr B Mac

Prefects

 

 

 

 

 

Zuzanna

Becki

Aimee

Libby

Tamara

Beatrice

Curriculum Map

Click here for the Psychology Curriculum Map

A Level

Content

In Year 12, the following topics are covered:

Psychopathology (Psychiatric disorders)

  • Definitions of abnormality
  • The behavioural, emotional and cognitive characteristics of phobias, depression and OCD
  • The behavioural approach to explaining and treating phobias
  • The cognitive approach to explaining and treating depression
  • The biological approach to explaining and treating OCD

Social influence (changing our behaviour because of the presence of others)

  • Types of conformity
  • Conformity to social roles
  • Explanations for obedience and resisting obedience
  • Minority influence
  • The role of social influence processes in social change

Memory (explanations of why our memory can be excellent and why forgetting occurs)

  • The multi-store model of memory
  • Types of long-term memory
  • The working memory model
  • Explanations for forgetting

Attachment (childhood development)

  • Caregiver-infant interactions in humans
  • Animal studies of attachment
  • Explanations of attachment
  • Ainsworth’s ‘Strange Situation’
  • Bowlby’s theory of maternal deprivation
  • The influence of early attachment on childhood and adult relationships

Biopsychology (The link between behaviour and complex biology)

  • The divisions of the nervous system
  • The structure and function of neurons
  • The function of the endocrine system
  • The fight or flight response
  • Localisation of function in the brain and hemispheric lateralisation
  • Ways of studying the brain
  • Biological rhythms

In Year 13, the following topics are covered:

Issues and debates in Psychology (Discussions within psychology)

  • Gender and culture in Psychology
  • Free will and determinism
  • The nature-nurture debate
  • Holism and reductionism
  • Idiographic and nomothetic approaches
  • Ethical implications of research studies

Approaches in Psychology (Global explanations of human behaviour)

  • Origins of Psychology
  • Learning approaches
  • The cognitive approach
  • The biological approach
  • The psychodynamic approach
  • Humanistic Psychology
  • Comparison of approaches

Romantic Relationships

  • The evolutionary explanations for partner preferences, including the relationship between sexual selection and human reproductive behaviour
  • Factors affecting attraction in romantic relationships (e.g. psychical attraction and self-disclosure)
  • Theories of romantic relationships
  • Virtual relationships in social media (e.g. relationships via the internet)
  • Parasocial relationships (e.g. one-sided relationships such as being a fan of a singer)

Schizophrenia

  • Classification of schizophrenia
  • Biological explanations for schizophrenia
  • Psychological explanations for schizophrenia
  • Drug therapies
  • Cognitive behaviour therapy and family therapy
  • Interactionist approach

Forensic Psychology

  • Building up a personality profile for crimes
  • Psychological explanations of why people commit crimes
  • Biological explanations of why people commit crimes
  • The effectiveness of prison sentences
  • The effectiveness of non-prison sentences (e.g. restorative justice)

Assessment, Marking and Feedback

There are three examinations at the end of Year 13

Each is worth 33% of the full A Level

Specification 

Please click here for the AQA A Level Psychology specification

Reach Stars

Psychology reach stars

Exam Support

Advice

Use the AQA website link below, use past papers, mark schemes, examiners reports. Access Google classroom.

Write up notes and make revision cards and mind-maps as you learn. Don’t allow yourself to get behind

Past papers

Please click here for the A Level Psychology specimen papers, past papers and AQA resources

Careers

Potential Careers:

  • Clinical Psychologist
  • Forensic Psychologist
  • Occupational Psychologist
  • Educational Psychologist, Counsellor
  • Health Psychologist
  • Neuropsychologist
  • Sport Psychologist

Also useful for Careers in business, marketing, education, the police, nursing and health related fields.