AS/A Level Psychology

Subject Staff: Lucy Harrison; Liz Henry; Julie Liddell (Head of Subject); Beverley Lindsley; Sarah Murray; Ariane Swart

Why should I choose this course?

Psychology is the scientific approach to understanding behaviour
Former students say that it is an extremely interesting, challenging and enjoyable subject to study. They also emphasise that despite being fun, there is a lot to learn and the subject requires commitment and hard work
By studying psychology using scientific methodology, students gain a broad skill set that prepares them for Higher Education or a wide range of potential careers
Skills include:
• Data analysis, theoretical evaluation, essay writing, communication & presentation skills

AS topics include:

Approaches in Psychology
A fascinating exploration of the four major psychological approaches on why people behave as they do
Core Studies
AS students will learn details of ten classic research studies carried out by psychologists
Applied research methods
Students will consider some of the diverse methods used by psychologists to gather information about human behaviour e.g. the use of experiments and case studies

A2 topics include

Research methods
Students will build on work done at AS levels and acquire a deeper understanding and evaluation of research methods
Issues in research
Including the ethics of using humans and animals in psychological research
Controversies, Topics and Applications in Psychology
Introducing students to the interesting topics of memory, sleep, dreams and explanations of mental disorders such as schizophrenia and depression and methods of treating these disorders

At least 5 A* to C passes at GCSE
We recommend that students have a good GCSE pass in both Maths and English, and preferably a Science

Two exams in AS and two in A2 - examination questions include short answer, stimulus-response and essay questions

Specific Careers: Educational Psychologist, Sports Psychologist, Clinical Psychologist
General Careers: Teaching, Media, Management, Personnel, Nursing etc

If you have any questions about this course, e-mail psychology@stocktonsfc.ac.uk