Psychology

Thank you for choosing to apply for Attleborough Sixth Form - for further information about our courses, please refer to the course guide on our website.

Applications made before 01 January will be considered while blocking subjects for our timetable. If you apply after this date, the blocking for subjects will have already been determined. If the subjects you have chosen do not fit into the blocking, you will be notified as soon as possible, to arrange a conversation with our Sixth Form team in order to discuss alternatives.

If you have an interest in understanding and explaining why we do what we do, then Psychology is the course for you! Following the AQA 7181/7182 specification, you will study a broad curriculum, covering all of the main psychological approaches to explaining behaviour.

In the first year, we will discuss reasons why individuals confirm to social roles and obey authorities, as well as how social change can be created. Our attention then turns to memory, evaluating different memory models and how effective we are as eyewitnesses.

Attachment allows us to next consider the impact of early childhood on development and adult life, before then examining how psychological disorders including depression, OCD, and phobias can be explained and treated. We will investigate the role played by different parts of the brain in creating behavioural patterns, and a range of ways of studying the brain.

The second year allows us to look at schizophrenia in-depth, assessing differing views on what causes the symptoms and the different approaches to treatment. You will get to critique a range of theories that aim to explain how and why relationships form and breakdown, drawing on research studies and evidence.

Finally, we will examine criminal behaviour, exploring methods for offender profiling and explanations of offending behaviour as well as the ways that offending is dealt with, including the use of custodial sentencing and restorative justice programmes.

Research methods span the entire course, allowing you to develop a thorough understanding of scientific processes and data handling techniques. You will learn how psychologists undertake research as well as getting to practise small scale studies yourself.

AS Units

· Paper 1: Introductory Topics in Psychology: Social Influence, Memory and Attachment.

· Paper 2: Psychology in Context: Approaches in Psychology, Psychopathology and Research Methods

A2 Units:

· Paper 1: Introductory Topics in Psychology: Social Influence, Memory, Attachment, and Psychopathology

· Paper 2: Psychology in Context: Approaches in Psychology, Biopsychology, and Research Methods

· Paper 3: Issues and Options in Psychology: Issues and Debates in Psychology, Relationships, Schizophrenia, and Forensic Psychology.

Assessments:

· AS Level Paper 1: 1½ hour written exam – multiple choice, short answer and extended writing

· AS Level Paper 2: 1½ hour written exam – multiple choice, short answer and extended writing

· A Level Paper 1: 2 hour written exam – multiple choice, short answer and extended writin

English Language 5 | Mathematics 5 | Science 5-4 or Biology 5

Progression into the second year of the course is reliant on students achieving a minimum D grade in the End of Year 1 Exam.

Psychology combines well with all subjects, especially English, History, Health and Social Care, Sociology, the Sciences and Mathematics. It provides an excellent background for many degree courses and careers including Social Work, Teaching, Law, Policing, and Youth and Community work. It is also well suited to a wide spectrum of occupations related to health care, including Counselling and Psychiatry.