Psychology

Psychology is the scientific study of human behaviour, the brain and the mind. Psychologists observe human behaviour, create theories to explain the behaviour, and then carry out research to test these theories. Psychology is a challenging subject, requiring commitment and hard work. Ultimately though, the hard work is rewarded with a deeper understanding of people and society, and perhaps even yourself.

Career Opportunities linked to Psychology

Psychology compliments a huge range of careers due to development in empathy and human understanding, essay writing and communication, maths and science skills. Many managerial positions now require knowledge of psychology and mental health. Careers specifically linked to Psychology are vast and include: clinical psychologist, sport and exercise psychologist, animal psychologist, counselling psychologist, forensic psychologist, human resources roles, advertising, lawyer, occupational psychologist, teaching and research to name a few.

Psychology gives you a mental toolkit for analysing and interpreting information and builds empathy and understanding, supporting your ability to express yourself clearly and logically.

Psychology lessons vary, but tend to be made up of discussions, reading, investigating sources, debates and presentations. It is a broad subject, with many different areas and a number of different approaches towards explaining behaviour. Not all psychologists agree with each other.

Half Term 1 - Social Psychology: Conformity, obedience and bystander behaviour

Why do people sometimes not help in emergency situations?

Students research the case study of Kitty Genovese, and analyse bystander behaviour. 

What causes someone to ‘act out of character’ - is it the social situation they are in?

For example, why did so many people obey the immoral instructions from Hitler in WWII? And why did some people resist?

Is it true that teenagers feel more ‘peer pressure’ than adults?

This topic has been chosen first as it allows students to apply their psychological knowledge to the real world. 

Half Term 2 - How memory works and eyewitness testimony

How does memory work? 

What is the key to enhancing your long term memory and how would a psychologist suggest you revise?  Why do we forget?  

This topic introduces the cognitive approach of psychology and the reductionism versus holism debate, showing students that psychologists take many different perspectives to understanding behaviour.

Students learn about why our memories may not always be accurate and link this to eyewitness behaviour in the courtroom.

This topic is taught early in the course so that students can apply their memory knowledge to how best to study at GCSE.

Half Term 3 - Neuropsychology: the brain and gender differences

How do our brains influence our behaviour?

What is the role of the brain and the central nervous system?  How does brain damage impact behaviour?

Is it true that men and women have different brains?

This topic allows students to develop an idea of the nature side of the debate with regard to human behaviour and allows for a comparison to the nurture debates previously covered.

Half Term 4 -  Developmental Psychology

Mindset, learning, practice and effort  

Dweck’s mindset theory and Willinghams learning theory.

Are skills with us from birth (nature) or do they change because of our experiences (nurture)?

This topic allows students to understand how they are motivated to learn and can be applied to their PPE revision. 

Half Term 5 - Developmental Psychology: Stages of development and morality

When do we start to understand the difference between right and wrong?

This topic allows students to build a more complex understanding of human development as they build their psychological knowledge.

Half Term 6 - Criminal Psychology: what makes someone a criminal?

Are criminals born or made? 

Students use their understanding of genetics, brain areas and learning theories to explain why someone might become a criminal.

What influences our personality and is there such a thing as a ‘criminal personality type’?

This topic allows students to apply the exam skills they have learnt throughout the year to an engaging set of theories.  

Research Methods

Research Methods are taught throughout the year. Relevant research methods are taught within the context of relevant topics to aid understanding and allow effective application of material to exam questions. 

Half Term 1 - Psychological Problems: depression

What is depression and why might someone develop it?

How can we support someone with depression?

How can we treat depression?

Students use their understanding of genetics, brain areas and nurture from year 10 to explore explanations and treatments for depression.

Half Term 2 - Psychological Problems: addiction

What is addiction and why might someone develop this problem?

How can we support someone with addiction?

How can we treat addiction?

Students use their understanding of genetics, brain areas and nurture from Year 10 to explore explanations and treatments for addiction

Half Term 3 - Sleep and Dreaming

Why do we feel sleepy in the evening?

What happens to our brain while we are asleep and why is it important, we sleep at least 8 hours a night?

Students develop an understanding of Freud’s ‘dream work’ theory and discuss whether or not dreams have meaning. Could dream analysis be used as therapy or is this not scientific enough to be valid?

Students use their knowledge 

Half Term 4 - Research Methods 

Students explore different ways of handling data. They also prepare for the 12 mark research methods exam question using the knowledge they have gained from the previous topics. 

Half Term 5 - Revision and exam preparation

2 papers completed at the end of Year 11. 

Paper 1: 98 marks in 1 hour 45 minutes worth 55% 

(Topics: Developmental Psychology, Memory, Psychological Problems, Neuropsychology, Social Psychology and 2 x 9 mark essays on issues and debates and synoptic skills)

Paper 2: 79 marks in 1 hour 20 minutes worth 45%

(Topics: Research Methods, Criminal Psychology and Sleeping and Dreaming)

Half Term 1 - Approaches, Social Psychology and Research Methods

Why we sequence the scheme of work this way

Students are introduced to the main perspectives in A level Psychology. This allows students to begin to see the diversity of explanations behind each human behaviour. These approaches underpin all further content so provide an excellent foundation for understanding and evaluating future topics.

Social Influence is taught in parallel as it is a relatable topic for students and allows them to underpin subject content with their own real world experiences. This starts to build their confidence on the course.

Research method topics such as the experimental method, reliability, validity and ethics. These topics are introduced alongside relevant examples within the content of approaches and social influence. For example students analyse the ethical implications of research on conformity and obedience.

Half Term 2 - Approaches, Social Psychology and Research Methods

Why we sequence the scheme of work this way

Students are introduced to the main perspectives in A level Psychology. This allows students to begin to see the diversity of explanations behind each human behaviour. These approaches underpin all further content so provide an excellent foundation for understanding and evaluating future topics.

Social Influence is taught in parallel as it is a relatable topic for students and allows them to underpin subject content with their own real world experiences. This starts to build their confidence on the course.

Research method topics such as the experimental method, reliability, validity and ethics. These topics are introduced alongside relevant examples within the content of approaches and social influence. For example students analyse the ethical implications of research on conformity and obedience.

Half Term 3 - Attachment, Memory and Research Methods

Why we sequence the scheme of work this way

Attachment is taught after approaches as it is an excellent topic for applying different approaches previously covered. For example biological vs learning theories of attachment.

Memory is then covered as it is a helpful topic to assist students with their own progress with note taking, independent work and revision.
 
Research methods topics are tied into helpful examples for students. For example observations are taught when a key observation is covered, for example, the Ainsworth strange situation.

Half Term 4 - Attachment, Memory

Why we sequence the scheme of work this way

Attachment is taught after approaches as it is an excellent topic for applying different approaches previously covered. For example biological vs learning theories of attachment.

Memory is then covered as it is a helpful topic to assist students with their own progress with note taking, independent work and revision.

Half Term 5 - Biopsychology and Psychopathology

Why we sequence the scheme of work this way

Biopsychology is taught at this part of the year as it builds on some of the biological elements covered in previous topics such as Approaches, Memory and Attachment.

Psychopathology is covered at this point of Year 12 as it is a fun and straightforward topic which can be covered at a faster pace if needed. This topic is also an excellent topic for applying the cognitive, behavioural and biological approaches covered at the start of the course in Approaches. The biological explanation of OCD works well with the parallel teaching of synaptic transmission in Biopsychology. 

Half Term 6 - Revision

Why we sequence the scheme of work this way

Revision of key topics covered in Year 12 areas for consolidation. Students are encouraged to integrate their knowledge of the approaches and research methods throughout. Exam technique is emphasised.  

Half term 1 - Relationships and Schizophrenia

Why we Sequence it this way

Year 13 begins with relationships as this is an accessible topic which allows application to real life. Students are able to make synoptic links with research methods and the biological approach.

Schizophrenia is taught parallel and allows students to apply Year 1 topics such as social learning theory, the biological approach and the psychodynamic approach to schizophrenia. This reinforces the importance of reviewing Year 1 material whilst assisting with the understanding and analysis of the schizophrenia behaviour topics. Schizophrenia also allows a good introduction to the issues and debates such as nature vs nurture that will be explored in more detail in half term 3.

Half term 2 - Research Methods, Revision and PPE’s

Why we Sequence it this way

A core part of the course, research methods is explored in more depth. Students begin to look at inferential statistics, a topic which builds on knowledge covered in Year 1 research methods. Students also explore the research process in general from the scientific method to reporting to publishing research. Confidence built from Year 1 and a wider understanding of studies in Psychology make this content more accessible. 
 

Half term 3 - Aggression and Issues and Debates

Why we Sequence it this way

Aggression is then introduced which is an excellent topic to use for examples of Issues and Debates. For example, is aggression due to nature or nurture? Is the genetic explanation of aggression reductionist? Aggression also allows for links with the Year 1 topics and Eating Behaviour through the use of social learning theory as an explanation for behaviour. 

Half term 4 - Aggression and Issues and Debates

Why we Sequence it this way

The issues and debates topic allows students to look at all of the topics they have covered and make synoptic links and comparisons. Exploration of the core issues and debates in Psychology encourages thorough revision of the topics covered on Paper 1,2 and 3. 

The Issues and Debates topic is then linked to the first topic covered in Year 12, approaches. Issues and debates allow for similarities and comparisons to be explored for each of the approaches. 

Half term 5 - Revision

Why we Sequence it this way

This half term is focused on revision of key topics and exam technique from Year 1 and 2 of the course. 

Half term 6 - Exams

3 Papers at the end of Year 13

Paper 1: 96 marks in 2 hours

Topics: Social, Memory, Attachment and Psychopathology

Paper 2: 96 marks in 2 hours

Topics: Research Methods (double weighted), Approaches and Biopsychology

Paper 3: 96 marks in 2 hours

Topics: Issues and Debates, Relationships, Aggression and Eating Behaviour