A Level: Psychology

Psychology is the study of the mind and behaviour; in particular how and why people behave in certain ways. It can provide theories and suggestions, as well as practical ways of explaining, understanding, and solutions for behaviour. If you are interested in human behaviour and why we are all different but also share similarities, then A Level Psychology is for you.

This course would suit being taken with subjects, such as Sociology and Law.

Over the course of the two years we study the following topic areas: Approaches in Psychology (different ways of explaining behaviour), depression, OCD, phobias, memory, attachment (how babies form relationships with their carers), social influence (for example why people obey), research methods including statistics, schizophrenia, gender development, offending behaviour, biopsychology (looking at how biological factors can explain behaviour) and issues and debates in Psychology (for example, the nature/nurture debate).

Structure of programme:

In Year 12 we study the following:

Paper two: Psychology in Context - Approaches in Psychology, Psychopathology, and Research Methods.

Paper one: Introductory topics in Psychology - Memory, and Psychopathology.

In Year 13 we study the following:

Paper one: Introductory topics in Psychology – Social Influence and Attachment.

Paper three: Issues and options in Psychology -Issues and Debates in Psychology and then three Psychology options (for example; Gender, Schizophrenia, and Forensic Psychology).

We start with paper two because it includes the key approaches to explain human behaviour as well as research methods which can be applied to the other papers.

Three x 2 hour exams.

• All Loughborough College Sixth Form courses have minimum entry requirements of at least five GCSEs at grade C/4 or above, including English Language and Maths.

• GCSE English Language and one science at grade 5.

Students who have studied A Level Psychology often go on to Higher Education to study for degrees in Psychology, Criminology, Forensic Psychology, Social Policy, Sociology, Media, Law, or other humanities-related courses.

Psychology is particularly relevant for careers that are people-based, such as human resources, advertising, business, social work, or politics.