AS Level Psychology (PSYC-S)

AS Level Psychology (PSYC-S)

Course Description
What will I learn on this course?
AS
Covers the main themes and perspectives in psychology and focuses on 3 core research studies from each of the 5 areas.

· Cognitive - How can words alter our memory ? What is a theory of mind ? Can chimps be taught to communicate with humans ?

· Developmental - Do children think differently to adults? Does TV make us aggressive ? What is the Oedipus complex?

· Social - How does being in prison affect our behaviour? Would we obey if we were told to kill? Would we help a stranger?

· Individual differences - How is schizophrenia diagnosed? Is there such a thing as multiple personality ?Why do we gamble on fruit machines?

· Physiological - How do others know when we're dreaming ? Does one half of the brain know what the other half is doing? Do taxi drivers' brains develop as they get better at navigation?

You will be taught about 4 methods used by psychologists when they research theories and the problems that occur when we research human behaviour and you will be carrying out investigations yourself.

You will have the opportunity to cover key skills in IT or Communication during the year.


A2
You will study two specialist areas:

Forensic Psychology Health and Clinical Psychology
You will learn how to design practical project, understand all aspects of research methods and how to write essays on your knowledge and understanding of the approaches, perspectives, methods, issues and debates we explore in psychology.

What kind of assessments will I have to complete to get my qualification?
AS
1 x 2hr. Exam : based on the 15 Research Studies .

1 x 1hr. Exam : based on Research Methods .

A2
1 x 1½ . Exam: based on the 2 Specialist Areas.

1 x 1½. Exam: based on the Approaches in Psychology and Research Methods.

What kind of student is this course suitable for?
Psychology is a good subject to choose if you are interested in people, and if you are willing to examine your own thoughts, feelings and emotions. You will also have a scientific enquiring mind. You will be developing logical skills of analysis and interpretation, and an appreciation of how psychology can contribute in our multi-cultural society. You should be strongly motivated by the desire to both understand and to explore why people behave as they do. In addition, the content is demanding and you will need to be happy with working hard in class and working on your own, as well as being self-motivated to set personal goals and meet deadlines.

What could I do with a qualification in this subject?
Ideal for students who would like to read Psychology at University. Psychology complements other A level subjects such as Biology, Sociology, English Language, Business studies and Politics. It also adds scientific discipline to Philosophy, Law, Art, Design, History, Foreign Languages, Literature and Music subjects, as well as contrasting well with Mathematics, Economics and Computing.

In terms of careers and professional opportunities - any area where you will work with others, whether it is in the caring professions, law, medicine, or in business, psychology is used in training and will always be useful! There are also plenty of opportunities to work as a Psychologist in education, sports, health, business organisations, clinical work, forensic work and counselling, etc.