Psychology

• 5 GCSEs at grade 4 or above
• GCSE English Language at grade 4
• GCSE Maths at grade 4
• Two Science GCSEs at grade 4

The three modules to be covered over the two years will be:

Unit 1

• Introductory topics in Psychology
• Social influence (conformity, obedience, minority influence and social change)
• Memory (models of memory, explanations for forgetting, eye-witness memory)
• Attachment (care-giver infant interactions, explanations for attachment, maternal deprivation research)
• Psychopathology (abnormality definitions, phobias, depression and OCD)

Unit 2

• Psychology in context
• Approaches in psychology (behaviorist, cognitive, biological, psychodynamic, humanistic)
• Biopsychology (nervous system, fight or flight response, localization of function, brain scanning techniques, biological rhythms)
• Research methods in psychology (experimental and non-experimental techniques, data handling and analysis)

Unit 3

Issues and options in Psychology

In depth look into how psychology is applied to 3 areas from a selection, including cognition and development, schizophrenia and forensics, and an exploration of issues and debates in psychology including, gender & culture bias, free will & determinism, nature-nurture debate, ethical implications of research.

Students learn through:

• Theory-based lessons
• Study of psychological research
• Discussion and analysis of key ideas
• Exam-focused preparation

100% exam-based assessment

Three examinations at the end of the second year

Students benefit from:

• Opportunities to take part in practical research activities within lessons
• Learning through class discussions and collaborative work
• Regular use of assessment and essay-based tasks to support understanding

No specific additional costs are listed for this course.

Psychology can be studied alongside a wide range of subjects.

This course supports progression into:

• Psychology and related degree courses
• Careers in areas such as education, healthcare, social work and criminology

Students benefit from:

• Practical research using peers as participants in class
• Opportunities to develop skills through discussion-based learning
• Exposure to a range of real-world psychological applications and careers