AS/A2 Psychology

Why should I study Psychology at Cardinal Newman?In the words of one of our students: "Psychology lessons give you a real buzz! Not only do you learn new and fascinating scientific facts, you get to voice your opinion too. The classroom atmosphere is very friendly and enables you to achieve your best." Results are outstanding and you will become part of a supportive and happy learning environment where your tutors will do everything they can to help you achieve your very best.

Psychology is the single most popular subject in the College and despite large numbers the pass rate has been consistently excellent for many years.
What is Psychology?
Psychology is the scientific study of the human mind and behaviour. It strives to discover how and why people behave as they do and what they think and feel, so that this knowledge can be used to help improve people's lives. Psychologists study people using a variety of different methods such as observation, interviews and questionnaires; but as scientists they make particular use of experiments to inform their theories. You can study Psychology alongside a wide range of other A Level subjects. The courses offered aim to provide you with a broad introduction to Psychology and assume that you have no previous knowledge of the subject.
What exactly will I study?
The topics covered during the first year are:

· Do children copy violent behaviour?

· What happens when the two hemispheres in our brain cannot communicate with each other?

· What affects whether we will help another person in an emergency?

· Can chimpanzees learn to use language?

· What is "multiple personality disorder"?

· Can we tell the difference between sane and insane?

In the second year you will apply your knowledge of Psychology to two specialist areas such as Health & Clinical Psychology and Forensic Psychology. You will also increase your knowledge of the wider 'debates' in Psychology such as the status of Psychology as a science and the usefulness of psychological research.
Will I enjoy Psychology?
Psychology is a scientific subject and does involve learning about how research is conducted and the strengths and weaknesses of such techniques whilst gaining insight into the complex theories psychologists have produced to help us understand human behaviour. During the course, you will take part in group activities and presentations, discussions and experiments, as well as undertake individual research from textbooks and the internet. Psychology is also highly beneficial in improving your critical and analytical skills through evaluating psychological evidence.
Is there any practical work?
Yes. You will have the opportunity to carry out four small practical investigations to include an experiment, a correlation, an observational study and a questionnaire survey. This practical work is aimed at building your knowledge of the common research methods used in psychology so that you can plan and evaluate appropriate research in an examination setting.
Progression
Psychology is a popular subject at university where it can be studied on its own or in combination with a range of arts or science subjects. Psychology is also useful for a wide range of careers including teaching, law, social work, the police, personnel work, the media, management, advertising, medicine, nursing and the health professions. There are also specialist careers in psychology itself such as educational, clinical and occupational and health psychology.