A-Level
Psychology was first available as an AS Level in 2000/2001. From September 2001 it is also available as a full A Level subject. A Level Students may choose to study to AS only or go on to A2.
The course followed is that of AQA Specification A. This has the benefit of requiring no coursework at AS Level. Coursework will form a part of A2. It is a modular course, with the first AS module examined in January and the remaining two in June. At A2 it is anticipated that a similar pattern will be followed. The module contents are:
AS:
Unit 1
Cognitive Psychology: studying memory, forgetting and the problems associated with eyewitness testimony.
Developmental Psychology: studying sociability and attachment, deprivation, privation and the possible effects of day care on cognitive and social development.
Unit 2
Physiological Psychology: studying stress as a bodily response, sources of stress and the field of stress management.
Individual Differences: studying abnormality and the eating disorders of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa.
Unit 3
Social Psychology: studying social influence, obedience to authority and ethical issues in psychological research.
Research Methods: experiments, correlational analysis, naturalistic observations, questionnaire surveys and interviews.
A2:
Unit 4
This will study selected aspects of Social, Physiological, Cognitive, Developmental and Comparative Psychology. Sample topics will include: attraction, aggression, brain and behaviour, sleep and dreams, perception, language and thought, animal behaviour and evolution.
Unit 5
This will study Individual Differences and Perspectives. Topics will include: abnormality, personality disorders, depression, behavioural therapies and issues and debates in Psychology.
Unit 6
A single piece of coursework, produced along standard scientific lines, length approximately 2000 words.
The entry qualifications for this course are a minimum of grade B in GCSE Mathematics, English and one science.