Mrs J Scott-Palmer, Head of Psychology
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Board |
AS |
A2 |
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Psychology |
AQA |
5181 |
6181 |
Entry Qualifications and Aptitude
You do not need to have previously studied Psychology but you do need to be enthusiastic about investigating a range of aspects of behaviour using a variety of techniques and philosophical approaches. Psychology does not provide black and white answers to questions but weighs up the pros and cons of different types of explanation.
You need to have an aptitude for essay writing and a willingness to be open-minded.
Methods of Assessment & Examining
AS
Unit 1 – Cognitive Psychology, Development Psychology (33.33% AS, 16.67% A2) 1 hour.
Cognitive Psychology
Memory – Short-term memory and long-term memory; Forgetting; Critical issue – eyewitness testimony.
Development Psychology
Attachment: The development and variety of attachments; Deprivation and privation; Critical issue – day care.
Unit 2 – Physiological Psychology, Individual Differences (33.33% AS, 16.67% A2) 1 hour
Physiological Psychology
Stress: Stress as a bodily response; Sources of stress; Critical issue – stress management.
Individual Differences
Abnormality: Defining psychological abnormality; Biological and physiological models of abnormality;
Critical issue – eating disorders.
Unit 3 – Social Psychology, Research Methods (33.33% AS, 16.67% A2) 1 hour.
Social Psychology
Social influence: Conformity and minority influence; Obedience to authority; Critical issue – ethical issues in psychological research.
Research Methods
Quantitative and qualitative research methods; Research design and implementation; Data analysis.
A2
Unit 4 – Social Psychology, Physiological Psychology, Cognitive Psychology, Development Psychology, Comparative Psychology (15% A level) 1½ hours.
A selection of topics from:
Social Psychology
Social cognition; Relationships; Pro and anti-social behaviour
Physiological Psychology
Brain and behaviour; Biological rhythms, Sleep and dreaming; Motivation and emotion
Cognitive Psychology
Attention and pattern recognition, Perceptual processes and development, Language and thought.
Development Psychology
Cognitive development, Social and personality development, Adulthood.
Comparative Psychology
Determinants of animal behaviour; Animal cognition, Evolutionary explanations of human behaviour.
Exam: 1½ hrs, 3 essays
Unit 5 – Individual Differences, Perspectives, Approaches (20% A level, 20% synoptic)
2 hours
Individual Differences
Classification and diagnosis and psychological abnormality; Psychopathology; Treating mental disorders.
Plus:
Perspectives:
Issues/debates in Psychology; Key philosophical debates in Psychology eg. Free Will vs Determinism, Nature vs Nurture, Psychology and Science, Reductionism, Ethics, Gender Bias, cultural Bias etc.
Approaches in Psychology
Eg. Psychodynamic, Behavioural, Cognitive, Humanistic, Evolutionary etc. interpretations of behaviour and their application to case studies.
Exam: 2 hrs 2 essays, 1 case study analysis
Unit 6 – Coursework (15% A level)
Planning an investigation (Project Brief), reporting the investigation (Report). Data collection, analysis and discussion. Maximum of 2,000 words.
Possible costs incurred on the course
Conference: £20. Psychology Review subscription: £10.
To find out more explore the links to your amazingbrain.org, or take part in the link to a memory experiment.
