All about A level Psychology

What's A Level Psychology about?

Psychology is the ‘scientific study of the mind and behaviour’, and the A Level offers an introduction to six ‘core’ areas of the discipline.

Social Psychology focuses on the social interactions people have with each other. We function fully as people in the company of, and with the help of, others.  Amongst other issues, this course explains why we conform and why we are likely to obey authority figures.

Cognitive Psychology looks at how we perceive and interpret the world around us. Cognitive psychologists are interested in ‘thinking’ and are therefore concerned with internal mental processes, and how those processes are involved in the development of behaviours such as perception and intelligence. One of the most important topics is memory.

Developmental Psychology considers how people develop and change from before they are born, throughout their lives. At A Level, the focus is on the development of an infant’s attachment to a primary care giver, and the problems that occur when this does not happen.

Psychologists interested in Psychopathology study the causes of mental disorders, such as OCD, Phobias and Schizophrenia. If we can understand what causes these disorders, then we can hopefully develop ways of treating them, so psychopathologists are also interested in therapies.

Biological Psychology looks at the role of evolutionary forces and genetics in behaviour. It investigates how the nervous system and hormones work, how the brain functions, and how changes in these can affect behaviour.

Finally, in order to find things out Psychologists use a variety of Research Methods and A level Psychology deals with how experiments are designed and analysed.

What sort of work is involved?

A Level Psychology involves studying a wide range of topics, so there is a lot of information to absorb, and importantly, you will need to learn how to apply this knowledge. Because the topics Psychologists study are complex, it is common to find different explanations of psychological phenomena, such as the nature of intelligence. An important skill you will learn is how to evaluate conflicting research theories and the studies that support, or challenge, them. Discussions about research findings will allow you to develop this skill, and engaging in practical psychological research will help you to improve your knowledge of the methods psychologists use.

What background do I need?

You don't need any prior knowledge of Psychology in order to start the A level course, but you do need a solid complement of GCSEs: with mostly C grades at GCSE you may well find Psychology very demanding, especially the Research Methods component of the course. The requirement to write essays, in which you present argument for and against an issue, means that you should also have a good grasp of the English language. As Psychology is a science, a GCSE in Science (especially Biology) would be advisable, and you do need to be comfortable with numbers.

Most important, though, is that you have a genuine curiosity about the way humans think and behave.

An A Level Psychology course complements a range of other A levels, including the sciences (e.g. Biology) and the social sciences (e.g. Sociology). However, top universities like students to take a variety of disciplines at A level, including at least one facilitating subject.

Where can it lead?

A degree in Psychology does not require you to have studied Psychology A Level. However, many courses ask for a science subject, of which Psychology is one. While A Level Psychology is not currently in the Russell Group’s list of facilitating subjects, it will provide you with the skills required of an undergraduate - an inquiring mind and the ability to use scientific research findings to support and challenge various claims about  why people behave the way that they do.

One year course?

Psychology can be studied over the course of a year, but you will find it very demanding, especially given the large body of material you will need to cover. Psychology will make demands on both your writing, and your numeracy skills, and so you will need to be a self-motivated student with good post-GCSE experience.

Assessment

A Level Psychology is a linear subject, assessed at the end of two years of study. The AQA examination board uses three examinations to assess you. Each of these exams comprises a number of short questions, essay questions and scenarios to which you are required to apply your knowledge.

Paper 1: Introductory Topics in Psychology (Social Influence, Memory, Attachment, and Psychopathology).

Paper 2: Psychology in Context (Approaches in Psychology, Research Methods and Biopsychology).

Paper 3: Issues and Options in Psychology (Section A is a compulsory section on Issues and Debates in Psychology. Sections B, C, D each contain questions on an in-depth option topic (for example, on schizophrenia, aggression or  eating behaviour).

This article was written by Clare Compton of Cambridge Centre for Sixth-form Studies