3 minute read
Psychology
Getting To Know... Miss Prendergast, Head of Psychology
1. Which of your jobs (besides teaching, of course) has been your favourite, and why?
I loved working in the psychological field and seeing Psychology in action! I have had the pleasure of working with young offenders, victims of domestic violence at a women’s shelter and in a Category A prison to reduce reoffending rates. It is really tricky to pick which one is my favourite - I loved them all! Working with people to help make their lives better has got to be one of the best feelings in the world!
2. Which three people would you want to be stuck in a lift with?
Sigmund Freud - to ask him the rationale behind some of his theories and whether he thinks they could explain current day society’s behaviour. An MI5 agent - to find out the secrets of the intelligence network and have a go using some of the James Bond-esque technology! Someone from the Psychological Behavioural Insights Team - to find out about some of the clever ‘nudge’ techniques they plan to use to change society’s habits and behaviour.
3. What is your favourite thing about NHEHS?
I absolutely love the supportive atmosphere - it really is an amazing attribute of the school and I feel very privileged to be part of it.
4. What would students be surprised to find out about you?
As a child I won the gameshow ‘Stars in Your Eyes!’ singing the Atomic Kitten’s song “You Can Make Me Whole Again”. I also won the Harvard Book Prize for excellence in Psychology and was invited to apply.
Psychology Lecture
During Science Week, we had the pleasure of a lecture from Dr Karen McNeill, an occupational psychologist. She is part of the YSC consulting firm and works with the top FTSE 100 companies to provide consultancy from a psychology point of view. Her talk was based around talent recruitment and made us ask ourselves what potential is and how can we tell if we have it? This was a really interesting lecture and we were so lucky to have such a wellrespected psychologist tell us all about her work.
Francesca Wilson, Year 12
Psychology Trip
In March, Year 12 Psychology students embarked on a school trip to the Royal Courts of Justice and the Old Bailey, as well as attending a hypnosis workshop. Firstly, we were toured around The Royal Courts of Justice which gave us an insight into the British Justice System and the architecture of the building.
After this, we watched a court case in the Old Bailey. Being able to witness a real life trial was absolutely fascinating, and enabled us to further understand concepts such as jury decision making. After lunch, we attended a hypnosis workshop. The man running the session first explained to us what hypnosis is and how it works, and then hypnotised us to eliminate any fear of spiders. Overall, the day was extremely interesting and gave us an insight into hypnosis and courtroom psychology.
Lily Saddler, Year 12
5 Reasons to Study Psychology
1. Your everyday life
You will find yourself watching your friends, or even just random people in public and knowing exactly why they are doing certain behaviours and what effect that behaviour has on others.
2. You will be a mind reader…kind of
Psychology makes you think about people’s minds and the reasons why they do things. Even though you might not quite be up to Psychic Sally standards, you can get pretty close!
3. You don’t have to be a psychologist
Psychology is a very diverse subject leading into many careers. Natalie Portman, Mark Zuckerberg and even Lil Wayne studied it at university! So, if you think Psychology might not fit your dreams of becoming a famous rapper, think again.
4. Psychology isn’t just books
A personal favourite for me is the documentaries and films about Psychology. Some great ones are American Psycho, Girl Interrupted and The Woman with Seven Personalities (check the age rating before watching). The best part about this is that you can count lying in bed watching Netflix documentaries as wider reading!
5. It is a mixture of everything
Psychology uses maths, science, essay writing AND critical thinking skills. Therefore, you can never get bored studying Psychology - you are always doing something different.
For those of you not in the Sixth Form, I’m afraid you can’t study Psychology just yet. However, you can still watch documentaries and come to Exploring Psychology Club!
