PSYCHOLOGY
A Level

Psychology is the scientific study of the mind and behaviour. If you've always wondered about how the mind works and why people behave in the way that they do then Psychology could be for you.

During this A level you will study the following core areas: Social Psychology, Cognitive Psychology, Developmental Psychology, Psychopathology and Biological Psychology.

Studying Psychology at A level can give you the foundations of knowledge needed to study it further at university and is a good course to show off your skills and combine with an array of different subjects.

Follow the links below to find out more about Psychology before you start your course:

SciShow Psych YouTube channel, loads of videos on here that are relevant to the spec, particularly the videos covering memory
British Psychological Society research digest (there is also an app for this), looks at contemporary research
Clinical Psychology blog

More about the course

What will I study

Psychology combines scientific methods to study human behaviour and thinking. Combining research, literacy, statistical analysis and critical evaluation skills, it can lead to a whole range of related science degrees, including forensics, criminology, clinical psychology and occupational therapy. Psychology allows you to gain insights about peoples’ motivations, perceptions and behaviour. This gives you a different perspective on why people react in the ways they do and can help you to further understand people.

You will study topics such as memory and consider if juries are reliable, you will look at psychopathology including the causes and treatments for mental health disorders. You will also look at children’s attachment to their caregivers and the impacts which this can have if this does not occur. You will gain insight into research methods used by psychologists, including the use of experiments, observations and questionnaires to gain insight to human behaviour.

There are three main topics that you will study during the course and a number of subtopics:

An Introduction to Psychology
Psychology in Context and Issues
Options in Psychology
Sub topics will also include study into social influence, memory, attachment, psychopathology, approaches in Psychology, biopsychology, research methods, issues and debates in Psychology, relationships, forensic psychology and Schizophrenia.

You will explore a range of different questions relating to the sub topics which slot into the wider cultural context.

Why choose Psychology at KGV

Psychology is a topic that is often new to students in college, as it is not widely offered at school. If you enjoy finding out about why people behave the way they do then this subject is for you. Psychology also combines scientific methods to study human behaviour and thinking. This includes looking at research, statistical analysis and critical evaluation skills. We have two Psychology classrooms and access to an array of psychology books in the library. We also offer a range of exciting trips and guest speakers to enhance the course and additional support sessions to expand your knowledge and exam technique.

Many of our students have been inspired by the forensic and mental health aspects of the course and have gone on to study degrees in Psychology and Criminology at universities such as Liverpool, Manchester and Leeds.