Backwell School Sixth Form Course Guide

Psychology (A Level, AQA) Psychology is the study of the mind and behaviour. It asks why people feel, think and act the way they do. Studying Psychology will help you develop a number of skills, including how to: • view the world from different perspectives • develop critical reasoning skills • put across your point of view fluently • plan and conduct scientific investigations • analyse and interpret data This means that Psychology students are not just knowledgeable of psychological subject matter, but are well equipped for all sorts of study or employment opportunities. A level Psychology involves essay writing, class discussion, reading and research. Entry Requirements: GCSE grade 5 in Mathematics and a grade 5 in English. Course content

Units

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Content

Paper 1 33.3 % May/June of Year 13

Two-hour exam. Multiple choice, short answer questions and extended writing. • Social Influence • Memory • Attachments • Psychopathology Two-hour exam. Multiple choice, short answer questions and extended writing. • Biopsychology • Approaches in Psychology • Research Methods Two-hour exam. Multiple choice, short answer questions and extended writing. • Issues and Debates in Psychology • Gender • Addiction • Schizophrenia

Paper 2 33.3 % May/June of Year 13

Paper 3 33.3 % May/June of Year 13

Costs associated with this course One textbook each year costing approximately £25 each. Career Links

Psychology can help your career directly, such as becoming a psychologist (of which there are many different types), therapist or mental health worker. Psychology can also have indirect links to other careers, such as Law, HR, Advertising, Marketing, PR, Teaching and so on. For more information please contact Ms Leighton

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