Psychology

The Programme:

Psychology is the scientific study of the mind and behaviour.

There are six main topic areas that psychologists are concerned with:-

Individual Differences are those aspects of each of us that distinguish us from others, such as personality, intelligence and mental health.

Social psychologists focus on the idea that people are essentially social and that this therefore influences much of a person’s behaviour. They are interested in topics such as relationships, helping behaviour and obedience.

Developmental psychologists are mainly interested in the way in which children develop and progress through adolescence.

Cognitive psychologists are interested in the way that we process information, for example how our memories and thoughts influence our behaviour and how we read.

Physiological psychologists are interested in the way in which the body functions and how these physiological processes can be linked to psychological experience and behaviour. Emotion and stress are examples of the kinds of topics studied.

Comparative psychologists study animal behaviour, both as a subject that is interesting and in its own right. This is because understanding other animals may help to establish general principles that also apply to humans.

Requirements:
Students should have five passes grades A – C and should be prepared to complete at least two to three hours homework each week. Students should have a confident grasp of statistics and scientific methodologies.

This subject requires you to be highly organised and eager to read and précis notes

Next Steps:
Psychology is the second most popular subject at A-level and at university. Many psychology graduates work in areas where a degree is required but the subject of the degree is not important. Alternatively they may follow a career in psychology by becoming an educational psychologist, a clinical psychologist, forensic psychologist, occupational psychologists, sports psychologist or teaching psychology in universities, schools or colleges of further education.

Student Comment:
‘At first this subject was unlike any other subject I had taken before and I was nervous about whether I would enjoy it. After a few weeks I began to see why psychology is such a popular subject. I really liked the unit that dealt with stress.’