Course Summary
What is more important, nature or nurture? What is intelligence and why do we care? What makes a person more predisposed to psychotic or criminal tendencies? Psychology is the scientific study of human behaviour and mental processes. Essentially, psychology helps because it can explain why people act the way they do. Many of the primary modern applications for psychology revolve around protecting people from emotional and physical harm. It is an exciting and dynamic subject which stimulates lots of discussion and debate.
What you will study:
Paper 1: Introductory topics in psychology (Social Influence, Memory, Attachment.)
Paper 2: Psychology in context (Approaches, Psychopathology, Research Methods)
Paper 3: Issues and options in psychology (Issues & Debates, Gender, Schizophrenia, Forensic Psychology)
Skills you will gain:
Reflective thinking and the ability to apply your understanding of psychological ideas to your own thoughts and behaviours. You will develop skills of literacy, numeracy, application, analysis, evaluation and critical thinking. You will learn quantitative and qualitative research skills.
Career Paths:
Clinical psychologist, occupational psychologist, sport psychologist, forensic psychologist, counsellor, detective, psychotherapist, journalism, marketing, human resources, educator, healthcare (doctor, dentist, nurse, physiotherapy).
Please note: Psychology supports other Social Science subjects such as Sociology, Economics, Business Studies, Politics and Law. It also supports other subjects with a scientific element; Biology and Physical Education.
Assessment Method
The course is assessed through three 2-hour examination papers in Year 13. Each paper is of equal weighting and contains a mixture of short answer and extended writing questions.
Entry Requirements
GCSE English Grade 6 and GCSE Maths Grade 5 Any GCSE Science grade 5
General Requirements
- 5 GCSE/i GCSE/WJEC (Welsh GCSE) qualifications with minimum grade 6.0
Specific Requirements