Psychology

Psychology is the science of behaviour and mind, embracing all aspects of conscious and unconscious experience as well as thought. It is an academic discipline and a social science, which seeks to understand individuals and groups by establishing general principles and researching specific cases.

Psychologists use human behaviour as a clue to the workings of the mind. Although we cannot observe the mind directly, everything we do, think, feel and say is determined by the functioning of the mind. So psychologists take human behaviour as the raw data for testing their theories about how the mind works.

Since the German psychologist Wilhelm Wundt (1832-1920) opened the first experimental psychology lab in Leipzig in 1879, we have learned an enormous amount about the relationship between brain, mind and behaviour.

Students studying the subject at A Level follow the AQA specification. During the course the following topics are covered.

Year 12

Year 13

Social Influence

Memory

Attachment

Psychopathology

Approaches: Origins of Psychology, Biological approach, Learning approaches, Cognitive approach

Biopsychology: Divisions of the nervous system, Structure and Function of Neurones, Endocrine system, Fight-ir-Flight response

Research Methods

Biopsychology: Functions of the Brain, Studying the Brain, and Biological Rhythms

Approaches: Humanism and Psychodynamic Perspective

Issues and debates in Psychology

Relationships

Schizophrenia

Forensic Psychology

Research Methods

For more detailed information about the course content and assessment requirements, please refer to the examination board website: http://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/psychology/as-and-a-level/psychology-7181-7182

http://www.s-cool.co.uk/a-level/psychology

https://simplypsychology.org/a-level-psychology.html

https://www.psychologytoday.com/

http://beta.bps.org.uk/