Psychology
Psychology is the science of behaviour and mind, embracing all aspects of conscious and unconscious experience as well as thought. It is an academic discipline and a social science, which seeks to understand individuals and groups by establishing general principles and researching specific cases.
Psychologists use human behaviour as a clue to the workings of the mind. Although we cannot observe the mind directly, everything we do, think, feel and say is determined by the functioning of the mind. So psychologists take human behaviour as the raw data for testing their theories about how the mind works.
Since the German psychologist Wilhelm Wundt (1832-1920) opened the first experimental psychology lab in Leipzig in 1879, we have learned an enormous amount about the relationship between brain, mind and behaviour.
A LEVEL
Students studying the subject at A Level follow the AQA specification. During the course the following topics are covered.
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Year 12 |
Year 13 |
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Social Influence Memory Attachment Psychopathology Approaches: Origins of Psychology, Biological approach, Learning approaches, Cognitive approach Biopsychology: Divisions of the nervous system, Structure and Function of Neurones, Endocrine system, Fight-ir-Flight response Research Methods |
Biopsychology: Functions of the Brain, Studying the Brain, and Biological Rhythms Approaches: Humanism and Psychodynamic Perspective Issues and debates in Psychology Gender Schizophrenia Forensic Psychology Research Methods |
For more detailed information about the course content and assessment requirements, please refer to the examination board website: http://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/psychology/as-and-a-level/psychology-7181-7182