Teaching Staff
- Mrs L Kennedy - Head of Department
Psychology is currently offered at Post 16 at
both AS and A2 Level. However from September 2010,
it will also be offered at GCSE level.
Teaching Time
AS/A-Level
7 periods a week
Content includes:
GCSE:
There are 2 units:
Unit 1: Making Sense of Other People
Summary of content:
- Memory
- Non-verbal communication
- Development of personality
- Stereotyping, prejudice and discrimination
- Research methods
Unit 2: Understanding Other People
Summary of content:
- Learning
- Social influence
- Sex and gender
- Aggression
- Research methods
Psychology can also be completed as a Short
Course where Unit 1 would only be completed.
Assessment is exam based with a one and a half
hour exam for each unit.
AS Level:
There are two units. Unit
1:
- Cognitive psychology, including memory and
eyewitness testimony
- Development psychology, including early
social development, attachment and the effects
of day care
- Research methods, in the context of the
topic areas
Unit 2:
- Biological psychology, including stress,
factors affecting stress, coping with stress and
managing stress
- Social psychology, including majority and
minority influence, obedience and independent
behaviour
- Individual differences, including
definitions of abnormality, approaches and
therapies
Assessment:
2 one and a half hour exams using compulsory structured questions.
A2 Level:
There are two units. Unit
3:
- Biological rhythms and sleep - Biological
rhythms, sleep states and disorders of sleep
- Relationships - Romantic relationships,
human reproductive behaviour and effects of
early experience and culture on adult
relationships
- Eating behaviour - Eating behaviour,
biological explanations of eating behaviour and
eating disorders
Assessment:
3 compulsory essay style questions in a one and a
half hour exam.
Unit 4:
- Psychopathology: Depression - clinical
symptoms, Biological and Psychological causes,
treatments
- Psychology in Action: Media Psychology - how
media affects our behaviour, celebrity worship
- Research Methods: Psychological Research and
Scientific Method - designing and analysing
scientific method and statistics
Assessment:
A two hour exam answering two essay style questions
and 1 structured question.
Other Information
Guest speakers
with experience
in the field of
Psychology
complete
workshops in
particular
topics. For
example, Eating
Disorders
Network and
Aware Defeat
Depression. This
provides pupils
with the
opportunity to
increase
understanding of
the topic areas.
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