Psychology

If you are curious about yourself and those around you, if you want to develop a toolkit to understand behaviour and the inner workings of the mind, if you are a ‘people watcher’ then Psychology is the perfect subject for you.

Psychology is a science of mind, behaviour and experience. As a recognised science, it is accepted by universities in the same standing as Biology, Physics and Chemistry. However, we are a subject that arouses hot debate as some of our methods are less ‘scientific’ than others. As such, we cross-over and complement a range of other disciplines including the humanities, sciences and social science. Typically ‘science’ orientated students will find Psychology offers an opportunity to expand their knowledge through differing methods. They can develop their critical and analytical skills which are important to the Arts. Whereas, students who favour humanity based subjects will benefit from the gentle shift into the ‘scientific method’ and develop a new way of thinking about the world around them.

We aim to create a secure and motivating environment in which students feel confident to:

Explore and understand the relationship between psychological knowledge, theories and methodology and their relationship to social, cultural, scientific and contemporary issues
Study psychological theories, research, terminology, concepts, studies and methods
Develop an understanding of debates and issues in psychology
Promote an appreciation and understanding of individual, social and cultural diversity
Develop an understanding and critical appreciation of the breadth of theoretical and methodological approaches in psychology including cognitive, developmental, physiological, social and the psychology of individual differences

Curriculum

Psychology is taught at A Level and follows the curriculum of the AQA Examination Board.

Why choose psychology?

The mind is something intangible that exists within our brain; an unseen process of enzymes, chemicals and electric currents. But why is it that some people suffer from stress or mental illness? Or that others are considered abnormal for deviating from social norms? Psychology looks at questions like these and more. It’s a fascinating science with cutting edge research that has real world applications that you are bound to find interesting.

What we study:

Year 12

Introductory topics in Psychology: learn about conformity, social norms, how the mind remembers and forgets and how children form attachments.
Psychology in context: learn more about the different approaches in psychology and how to design and conduct your own research.

Year 13

In the second year of the A Level students deepen their understanding of human behaviour. They study additional topics under Approaches in Psychology, Biopsychology, Research Methods and Issues and Debates in Psychology. Three further topics are chosen; one from each of three option groups:

Option one

relationships
gender
cognition and development

Option two

schizophrenia
eating behaviour
stress

Option three

aggression
forensic psychology
addiction

How is Psychology assessed?

At the end of Year 13, there are three exams, each account for one third of the A Level. The exams consist of multiple choice, short answer and extended writing questions.

Resources

The Psychology Department is based in Linhope House, our dedicated Sixth Form centre which is just a 2 minute walk from the Ivor Place site. Independent learning is expected at this level of study with students benefitting from teacher presentations and the ability to access material to deliver their own work in class debates or discussions. With a focus on modern collaborative working spaces, Linhope House provides the right atmosphere to focus and strive for excellence.

The library houses a range of journals, reviews and texts to support the girls in their studies. In addition, the department is fortunate in its own library of books and online resources. We have a range of interactive online resources that can be accessed at home to aid learning. But we are particularly keen to use interactive methods in class including our own ‘bio-feedback machine’ which we use to help students understand the physiological nature of stress.

Beyond The Classroom

Activities

Psychology Club encourages A Level students to select and discuss present topics that are not covered on the syllabus. This enables a wider understanding of the broad areas in Psychology.

Visits

We organise a number of visits during the academic year including trips to The Freud Museum and Student Conferences with leading psychologists in a range of fields.