Psychology - A Level

Course summary

In the first year students will cover a range of introductory units which will give them an in-depth understanding of the core disciplines within psychology. Students will start exploring the different schools of thought (approaches) within psychology, as well as the nature of memory and applications of this to eyewitness testimony. Within the attachment topic students will look at psychological reasons for attachment and the consequences if this does not happen. Students will also look into a range of psychopathologies including phobias, depression and OCD. Social psychology will cover topics such as why we obey and conform. In the second year students will develop their knowledge further and consider more applied topics. For example, students will have the opportunity to consider explanations and reasons for aggression and gender identity disorder. Students will also cover the stress topic which looks at what causes stress and how stress can be managed. Throughout the two year course, students will also cover research methods by designing their own research and applying their knowledge of this to the units they are studying. This course is ideally suited to students who are passionate about drama and performance. There is an expectation that students are naturally interested in theatre and performance and will be interested in visiting the theatre and getting involved in productions. This is a demanding course that involves a high degree of group collaboration, analysis of performance and also self-innovation skills. Successful students will often go on to study drama at university or stage school. However, the skills developed over this course are also useful for careers in teaching, marketing, broadcasting and other media related fields.