Psychology

Course summary

The course starts by looking at the nature and purpose of memory to provide a foundation for students to consider the scientific approach as this topic is studied through a cognitive approach to human behaviour. The topic of memory also informs students about how best to utilise their own memories in order to maximise their potential throughout their academic studies. The core topic of research methods is introduced early on and this can be applied to all other topics on the course. All the topics are broadly independent of each other however the stronger a student’s understanding of each topic and area the more likely they are to develop a deeper appreciation of the subject and be able to consider issues more widely. Year 12 1. Memory and forgetting 2. Research methods AS 3. Attachment and its development 4. Social influence: obedience, majority and minority influence 5. Psychopathology: depression; OCD amongst others and treatments 6. Biopsychology: the nervous system; sleep and functioning areas of the brain 7. Approaches: biological, behavioural, social learning, cognitive, psycho- dynamic and humanistic approaches