Psychology A-Level
Qualification Level: A Level
Qualification Duration: 2 years
Exam Board: AQA, 7182
Introduction
Psychology is a fascinating subject which has real world application that students are bound to find interesting. It is the scientific study of the mind and human and non-human behaviour. Psychologists observe and conduct experiments to find out more about the way people act and interact. They try to understand what motivates, challenges or changes us and use this understanding to help us tackle personal and social problems.
If you study psychology, you will address key ideas and debates in our world today, for example: why is it that some people suffer from stress and mental illness, do early childhood experiences influence our later development?
You’ll be able to hone your analytical and organisational skills and learn about scientific research methods, including collecting and working with data. You will develop transferable skills which will benefit you in further education or in your career. Learning about human behaviour can also help to build your communication skills and improve your teamwork and leadership skills.
Subject Content
Students will follow the A level AQA specification linear programme. The A level consists of three papers.
The following content will be covered over the two years:
Paper 1 Introductory topics in psychology:
• Social Influence
• Memory
• Attachment
• Psychopathology
Paper 2 Psychology in context:
• Approaches in psychology
• Biopsychology
• Research methods with inferential statistics
Paper 3 Issues and debates and other options:
• Psychology of relationships
• Forensic psychology
• Schizophrenia
• Issues and debates
Students will be examined on each paper. Each written exam will be two hours; 96 marks in total and each paper is worth 33.3% of the A level. Individual topics per paper are assessed out of 24 marks.
- Questions will consist of multiple choice, short answer and extended writing.
- The skills that will be assessed are (AO1) knowledge/understanding, (AO2) application and (AO3) analysis/evaluation.
Trips and other costs:
We plan to take students to Psychology conferences, including Science and Pseudoscience and Criminology, which aim to educate, entertain and enthuse students facilitating their understanding and increasing their motivation for Psychology. Behind Bars conference will give the opportunity for students to enhance their understanding of criminal behaviour with talks from ex-offenders, prison wardens and a forensic psychologist. Furthermore, visits to museums, universities and listening to key speakers will bring psychology to life
Career and further study:
The A level Psychology course is a great subject to study because it will help students develop a range of transferable skills including critical analysis, independent thinking and research. These skills are beneficial in both the working world and when going onto further study.
Studying Psychology at university can give you a whole host of exciting career options and is useful for any job that requires lots of interaction or an understanding of human behaviour and development.
People with skills in psychology are sought after in Business Management: Marketing, Human Resources, Education; Teaching, Lecturing, Research, Social Work, careers in Medicine and Healthcare; Nursing, Sports, Research, Law, Forensic psychology and occupational psychology.