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Psychology

Mrs Parker - Subject Leader 

Why did I behave in that way? Why am I feeling like this? Why did I respond differently to everyone else

If you are asking these types of questions you are already enquiring about the way your mind and body influences the way you behave. Although psychology is primarily the scientific investigation of the mind, the methods used to investigate it often focus on observations and experiments related to behaviour. This course will guide you through the key assumptions of psychology related to how we experience the world, how our mind develops, as well as how the mind and body work together to influence our wellbeing. In a world where mental health issues in young-people are increasing, having a core understanding on how they develop and how to manage your well-being is fundamental to living a happy and healthy life.

Psychology is a relatively young discipline, for that reason it still uses a range of methods to understand its subject matter. By studying psychology you will not only develop your ability to explain complex phenomena but also your skills in analysing, critiquing and evaluating research. As psychology delves into concepts that ‘walk the line’ of what is science and what is non-scientific, you will develop a detailed understanding in both the historical and contemporary definitions of the scientific method.

For this reason, psychology will compliment skills used within the natural sciences as well as extended writing, critical-thinking and evaluation skills used within geography, history, sociology and law. If you have aspirations to work in education, health-care, or mental health then psychology might be an appropriate option for you.

 

     

Key Stage 4 Overviews & Disciplinary Literacy Framework

Key Stage Overviews 

A-level psychology approaches how mental processes and neurological physiology is linked to behaviour in a more global and holistic way.  As established in the GCSE course, psychology is a relatively young discipline, for that reason it still uses a range of methods to understand its subject matter. A-level psychology will give you the chance to study the different approaches of psychology that have been used in the last 100 years in depth, developing skills in critical analysis when evaluating their effectiveness in understanding the mind, behaviour and their appropriateness to be applied to clinical health care.

A-level psychology develops the idea that psychologists are active researchers who use a range of scientific and non-scientific research methods to enquire about their subject matter. For this reason psychology is an excellent subject choice not only for individual interested in mental health care, neuroscience and sociological explanations, but as a complimentary subject for the natural sciences, social sciences and humanities subjects.

Year 12 Overview
Year 13 Overview 

KS4 & KS5 Psychology Resources

GCSE Psychology Revision: https://learndojo.org/gcse/aqa-psychology/

A-level Psychology Revision: https://learndojo.org/a-level/aqa-psychology/