Page 35 - Clitheroe Royal Grammar School Prospectus 2020-21

Psychology
Why study Psychology?
Psychology is a science concerned with the study of the human mind and behaviour. It has a number of real-world applications and is therefore a useful subject that offers good career prospects. You will study a variety of topics ranging from the influence of early childhood experiences to how memory processes work. Through studying Psychology, you will enhance your skills of written and spoken communication, numeracy, data analysis and independent research.
Course Outline
Psychology is the study of the human mind and behaviour. When you study Psychology, you will learn about a range of biological and psychological explanations of human behaviour. You will also study a number of topics that allow you to explore the various approaches in an applied context. There is a strong scientific basis to Psychology A Level and, therefore, you will need to be reasonably good at Biology. From a psychological perspective, human behaviour is often explained through the interaction of biological factors such as genetics and neurochemical functions in the brain and environmental influences, some of which cannot be controlled through free will.
The compulsory topics you will study are:
• The origins of Psychology and the major approaches (learning,
cognitive, biological, psychodynamic and humanistic)
• Memory
• Social Influence (conformity and obedience)
• Infant Attachment (bonding)
• The major issues and debates in psychology such as the nature
of free will and gender and culture issues
• Psychopathology (abnormality)
• Biopsychology (a biological topic covering the nervous system,
hormones and the structure and function of the brain)
There are also three other topics that you will study: Schizophrenia, Aggression and Gender. Research methods are an important component of the course. You will study a range of research methods that psychologists use to investigate human behaviour and the mind.
Assessment
There are three written papers that are taken at the end of the two-year course and they include both short answer and long answer types of question. Your understanding of research methods will be assessed in the examination using scenario- based questions. Research methods will also be embedded in questions about the topics.
Paper 1: Introductory Topics in Psychology
(2 hours, 33.3%)
Paper 2: Psychology in Context (2 hours, 33.3%)
Paper 3: Issues and Options in Psychology (2 hours, 33.3%)
“My Psychology teachers always make the lessons engaging and enjoyable.”
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