Psychology
Psychology A Level
The Psychology A Level follows the OCR Specification and is classed as life or medical science.
What Entry Requirements Do I Need?
Normal Sixth Form entry requirements will gain access to the course. A GCSE grade 4/5 in English and a 5 in Maths/Science is desirable as you will need to express yourself clearly in writing and be able to analyse numerical data. You must be willing to apply yourself consistently to a demanding but interesting subject.
How Will I Be Assessed?
Assessment for the course will be examined through 3 x 2 hour exams at the end of the second year.
What Will I Learn On This Course?
Throughout the Psychology course you will develop:
1. Your ability to learn independently
2. Your ability to critically analyse and evaluate research and theories
3. Your ability to carry out practical investigations and analyse data using descriptive and inferential statistics and write research reports.
4. Your understanding of scientific methodology and ethics
5. An understanding of debates in Psychology
Topics in year one will include:
Social Psychology: Obedience to Authority/Disobedience and Whistle Blowing
Cognitive Psychology: Eyewitness memory/Context-dependent memory
Developmental Psychology: Transmission of aggression/Funhaler study
Biological Psychology: Split brain study/Neural correlates of delay gratification
Individual Differences: Analysis of phobia/Autism in adults
Research Methods and data analysis
In year 2:
Issues in Mental Health including historical context of mental health, the medical model of mental illness and alternatives to the medical model of mental illness.
Child Development including pre-adult brain development and attachment
Criminal Psychology including what makes a criminal (including brain abnormalities) and the effects of imprisonment
Areas as per year one but with 10 new studies
ASSESSMENT: Research methods = 2hr exam
Psychological Themes through Core Studies = 2 hrs exam
Applied Psychology = 2 hrs exam
What Kind Of Person Studies This Course?
If you have an interest about what makes people tick then Psychology, the science of mind and behaviour, provides a valuable background for all occupations where you are in contact with people. Psychology is academically rigorous and is accepted by all universities, including many medical schools as Psychology forms part of a medical degree.
Understanding people, how they develop and relate to each other will give you a head start in your personal and professional life. Understanding is the key to personal progression; Psychology has many professional and practical applications.
Where Will An A Level In Psychology Lead Me?
Psychology is used in most employment today: Police, Medical Profession, Advertising, Management, Leisure Industry, Retail, Personnel, Teaching, Training, Service Industries, Air Force, Engineering and many more.
Applied Psychology includes Sport and Exercise Psychology, Clinical Psychology, Educational Psychology, Occupational Psychology, Research, Forensic & Criminal Psychology, Counselling, Advertising and many more.
Research in Psychology is wide and varying, covering such topics as Neuro-imagery, Child Development, Mental Illnesses and Media influences on behaviour.
Whether you study Psychology for your own development or as a key to a profession, there is endless scope for the use of that which you will learn in this introduction to the scientific study of 'mind and behaviour' - understanding what makes people tick.
