Psychology AS/A2

Psychology AS/A2
Psychology is the 'science' of mind and behaviour
We are all essentially naive psychologists. Everyday we analyse the actions of those around us in order to predict what they will do next.

Psychology takes this one step further by adopting a more scientific approach to explaining why people behave the way they do. This will often involve the use of experimentation, rigorous observations, or simply asking people questions.

By investigating behaviour using a scientific approach we can attempt to answer questions such as;

Are humans the only species capable of language?
How reliable is memory?
How much of my behaviour is biologically determined?
To what extent does my immediate environment influence my behaviour?
Why are some people more aggressive than others?

What will I study on this course?
From September 2008 the AS GCE is made up of two mandatory units, which are externally assessed and form 50% of the corresponding four-unit Advanced GCE.

The areas studied in the AS are:

• G541 Psychological Investigations (worth 30% of the overall AS grade)
• Candidates will study and conduct four investigations.
• G542 Core Studies (worth 70% of the overall AS grade)
• Candidates will study 15 core Psychological studies, which are either classics in psychology or studies that raise interesting debates and issues in psychology.

The areas studied in the A2 are:

G543 Options in applied psychology (worth 50% of the A2 grade)

Candidates will study two out of the following options of applied psychology:

• Forensic psychology,
• Health and clinical psychology,
• Psychology of sport and exercise
• Psychology of education

G544 Approaches & Research methods in Psychology (worth 50% of the A2 grade)

Approaches and research methods in psychology

Candidates will study a range of perspectives, issues, methods and debates and will study aspects of research design and implementation.

How is this course assessed?
The areas assessed in the AS are:

G541 Psychological Investigations

• This will be assessed in a 1 hour examination.

G542 Core Studies

• This will be assessed in a 2 hour examination

The areas assessed in the A2 are:

G543 Options in applied psychology

• This will be assessed in a 1.5 hour examination.

G544 Research Methods & Approaches in Psychology

• This will be assessed in a 1.5 hour examination

What kind of student will do well on this course?
This is a new subject for most students, and therefore students must be prepared to learn a large amount of new, complex terms and concepts relatively quickly.
This would suit students who are;

• Self disciplined
• Open to new ideas
• Able to express ideas verbally and orally
• Able to analyse data
• Able to work independently or as a group
• Organised in the way they structure their class notes
• Able to evaluate based on empirical evidence

Exam Board
The examination board for this A level is OCR

The course Specification in Psychology is:
H168 for AS Psychology
H568 for A2 Psychology