PSYCHOLOGY Requirements No prior knowledge of Psychology is required, although a Grade 6 or better in both GCSE Maths and GCSE English is required. Students do not need to have any prior knowledge of Psychology or any specific qualifications. However, a good understanding of the scientific process, a good grasp of descriptive statistics and an ability to write in a non-fictional and informative way are key skills that the course will build upon. Therefore good GCSE grades in Science, Maths and English are required. The course is divided into three components that cover key aspects of psychology research, theory and application. Information from each component is interchangeable and learning from one can be used to support answers in another. All three components are examined at the end of Year 13. An ability to work and research independently and to read around the subject are essential. Students will study a two year course in A Level Psychology from the OCR Board of examinations.
Year 12 – Components 1 and 2 Component 1 – Research Methods 30% During the study for this module students will get the chance to learn about the scientific elements of psychological research, the extensive psychological vocabulary and to experience some of the empirical methods that make it a scientific process through designing and conducting their own psychology studies. Contents includes; n
Populations, samples and sampling techniques;
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Ethical issues, constraints and how to deal with them;
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Types of psychological study – Experiment, Self-Report, Observations and Correlation;
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Validity and reliability of psychological study;
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Data – Descriptive statistics, data graphs and distribution, inferential tests, mathematical skills.
Component 2 – Core studies and Areas, Perspectives and Debates in Psychology 35% In this component students learn 25 key studies that have been conducted in psychology’s short history. They examine and analyse the context for the studies, the methods of conducting them, their validity and reliability and conclusions drawn from them. Areas of psychology studied are; n
Social;
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Biological;
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Cognitive;
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Personal Differences.
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Developmental;
Students will also cover key areas that have been debated in psychology and relate these perspectives to the studies they learn. Areas of debate and perspectives include; n
The behaviourist perspective;
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Free will v determinism;
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The psychodynamic perspective;
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Reductionism v holism;
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Nature v nurture;
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Ethics;
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Individual v situational;
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Conducting socially sensitive research.
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