Psychology as a subject has great relevance to us all; it investigates many aspects of the way humans and animals think and behave; including memory, attachment in early childhood, research techniques, abnormal behaviour and stress. Psychology is a contemporary and popular subject providing a good basis for a number of arts and science subjects, and a wide variety of careers; clinical, forensic, educational and sports, psychology; education and teaching; social work; psychiatry and medicine; media and journalism; to name but a few.
Course Content:
AS Units:
Unit 1: Cognitive Psychology: Memory in everyday life.
Developmental Psychology: Attachments, Day Care, Social development
Research Methods: Methods and techniques; Investigation design; Data analysis and presentation
Unit 2: Physiological Psychology: Stress: Factors affecting and coping with stress.
Social Influence: Majority and Minority influence; Obedience; Independent behaviour.
Psychopathology: Definitions of abnormality; Biological and psychological approaches and therapies.
A2 Modules:
Unit 3: Topics in Psychology
Students study and select from 8 different areas of contemporary Psychology, including; Sleep and dreaming, Perception, Relationship, Aggression, Eating behaviours, Gender, Learning and Intelligence, Cognition and Development.
Unit 4: Psychopathology, Psychology in Action and Research Methods
Students study from a variety of topics, including: Anxiety disorders (phobias and OCD), Anomalistic Psychology (parapsychology, belief in the paranormal); Research methods (students carry out some research of their own).