Psychology
Psychology is the study of people and their behaviour. Throughout the course, emphasis is placed on understanding how research by psychologists furthers our knowledge of what affects our behaviour and how it can be changed. Students also get the opportunity to conduct their own research as part of the course.
Psychology A-level Edexcel
Year 12
Topic 1
Social Psychology
- Prejudice and discrimination
- Obedience
- Use of surveys
- Ethical issues in research
Topic 2
Cognitive Psychology
- Memory and forgetting
- Eyewitness testimony
- Alzheimer’s
- Use of experiments
- Analysis of quantitative data
- Statistical testing
Topic 3
Biological Psychology
- Central nervous system
- The role of genes, evolution and hormones in development
- The role of the brain
- Aggression
- Freud’s psychodynamic theories
- Use of twin and adoption studies
- Use of PET, CAT and fMRI scans
Topic 4
The Learning Theories
- Classical conditioning, operant conditioning and social learning theory
- Media violence
- Causes and treatments of phobias
- Anorexia
- Use of observations
- Use of animal experiments
- Animal ethics
- Analysis of qualitative data
Year 13
Clinical Psychology
- Definitions of abnormality
- Diagnosis of mental illness
- Causes and treatments of schizophrenia
- Causes and treatments of depression
- How attitudes to mental health have changed in the media
- Use of case studies and interviews
- Primary and secondary data
Either Criminal Psychology
- Causes of crime
- Treating offenders
- Eyewitness testimony
- Interviewing techniques
- Factors affecting jury decision making
- Use of laboratory and field experiments
Or Child Psychology
- Attachment
- Deprivation and privation
- Autism
- Daycare
- Use of observations and questionnaires/interviews
- Cross cultural studies
Issues and debates
- Ethics
- Issues related to socially sensitive research
- Research methods
- Contributions of Psychology to society
- Is Psychology a science?
- Comparisons of ways of explaining behaviour
- Cultural and gender issues in psychological research
- Nature nurture debate
- Social control
- How psychological understanding has developed over time