PSYCHOLOGY AS and A2

The word “Psychology” derives from the ancient Greek “psyche” meaning soul. Psychology involves the scientific study of behaviour, mind and thought.

Psychology today is the study of the most fascinating and complex object our universe has revealed --- you .

THE ‘AS’ COURSE

This course covers six main approaches in Psychology.

UNIT 1

The Cognitive Approach:

The cognitive approach includes the study of:

theories related to memory and forgetting

eyewitness testimonies and how to improve them.

The Social Approach

The social approach includes topics such as:

the influence of individuals on each other

the theory of obedience

explanations of prejudice, social identity and stereotyping

a contemporary issue, such as hypnosis.

The Cognitive-Developmental Approach The cognitive-developmental approach includes the study of: the development of cognitive abilities over time the work of Jean Piaget, including the development of children’s reasoning the approach is explored in terms of child-centred learning and the    application of developmental stages to real life settings

UNIT 2

The Learning Approach

The learning approach includes topics such as:

classical and operant conditioning in humans, phobias, behavioural therapies    and behaviour modification

the work of Pavlov and related studies

contemporary issues such as the relationship between violence in the media    and aggressive behaviour in children.

The Psychodynamic Approach

The psychodynamic approach includes the study of:

the importance of the unconscious mind and motivation

the importance of early experience

the work of Freud

the link between psychodynamic concepts and mental health.

The Physiological Approach

The physiological approach includes topics such as:

the influence of genetics and the nervous system on behaviour

genetic influences on individual differences

body rhythms and the effects on shift-work and jet lag

the physiological theory of sleep and dreaming

the 24-hour society.

Each of the units is examined by means of a 1hr 30min written paper.

One of the units can be taken in January. The remaining module and the Coursework module are examined in May

Unit 3 Coursework You carry out an investigation of between 1500 and 2000 words in a relevant field of psychology. This is marked by the examining board.