PSYCHOLOGY

AQA SPECIFICATION  B

Behavioural sciences refer to a cluster of disciplines of which psychology is a member along with biology, anthropology and sociology.  They are all interested in studying humans and animals and why they behave as they do.  Psychology is concerned with mental processes and the mind, emphasising that humans and animals are both legitimate objects of study.

Training in psychology opens up many career paths. In addition to laying the foundations for further study, it is useful not only for future health care professionals, but also in a broad range of jobs involving the management of people.  It is a fascinating subject in its own right, with insights that will prove useful for everyone.

You will learn how to design experiments, evaluate scientific research, and use statistics effectively to deal with ethical issues.

Each full A level consists of an AS and A2 syllabus. The AS and A2 courses can be sat in their own right as an individual course, but you are required to have completed the AS syllabus before starting theA2. Topic areas of study include:

- Biopsychology
- Social learning theory
- Cognitive psychology
- Gender studies
- Remembering and forgetting
- Anxiety disorders, stress, anorexia nervosa.
- Perceptual processes
- Autism and schizophrenia

The qualification is gained by 4 externally marked units; each is 1 hour 30 minutes / 2 hours long and is worth 25% of the A2 examination.

Unit 1 - Introducing psychology
Unit 2 - Individual differences
Unit 3 - Child development and Applied options
Unit 4 - Approaches, Debates and Methods in psychology.

Head of the Department: Ms. Susanna Mulligan