Members of Department:
Mr S. Westcott

Psychology is the scientific study of the mind and human behaviour. It is a multidimensional subject which includes many sub-fields of study such as human development, health, clinical, social behaviour and cognitive processes. Psychologists observe and conduct experiments to find out more about the way people act and interact. They try to understand what motivates, challenges or changes us and use this understanding to help us tackle personal and social problems.

Psychology is a relatively new addition to the curriculum at Our Lady s and offers students the opportunity to study a fascinating subject that challenges them across a range of skills.

Key Stage 5 (GCE)

Psychology is currently offered as an A level subject only and whilst students are not expected to have any prior knowledge of psychology, competence in English, Mathematics and Biology is required.

Psychology is offered on the WJEC board which offers students the opportunity to sit AS examinations after one year which contribute towards either a standalone AS level qualification or part of a full two year A level qualification.

Course content:

In your first year of AS you will study:

AS Unit 1: Psychology: Past to Present
Written examination: 1 hour 30 minutes - 20% of A Level qualification (50% of AS qualification)

The purpose of this unit is to give a solid grounding in some of the basic core elements of psychology.

Approaches in psychology: you will learn about five psychological approaches:

• biological,
• psychodynamic,
• behaviourist,
• cognitive
• positive.

Each approach explains human behaviour in a slightly different way.

AS Unit 2: Psychology: Using Psychological Concepts
Written examination: 1 hour 30 minutes - 20% of A Level qualification (50% of AS qualification)

Section A - Contemporary debate
The explorations of five contemporary debates provide an opportunity for Independent research into areas that psychology has influenced

Section B - Principles of research and application of research methods
The focus for this section is that of psychological research, from the initial planning stages through to the final stage of analysis and evaluation.

In the second year of A2 you ll deepen your understanding of psychology by looking at a range of interesting human behaviours. You will study three of the following six behaviours:

Addictive behaviours

Autistic spectrum behaviours

Bullying behaviours

Criminal behaviours

Schizophrenia

Stress

Practical research

As part of the A2 course you will review your knowledge of research methods and you will get the opportunity to undertake two of your own research projects. These can be undertaken as a class, in groups, in pairs or individually.

A2 Unit 3: Psychology: Implications in the Real World: Written examination: 2h30m - 40% of A Level

A2 Unit 4: Psychology: Applied Research Methods: Written examination: 1h30m - 20% of A Level

Extra-Curricular opportunities
It is important to understand how this subject is applied in the real world and the psychology department aims to give students the opportunity to go on relevant visits and undertake extracurricular activities.

In 2017, AS Psychology students attended a very interesting set of lectures at Queen's University as part of the British Psychological Society's psychology week. The girls learned about the psychology of laughter, terrorism, sport and selfies and also picked up some valuable tips on how to boost the power and potential of their brains.