A Level Psychology Course
Ashbourne’s A level Psychology course is a very popular choice and students continue to achieve excellent results in this subject.
Ashbourne’s A level Psychology course is a very popular choice and students continue to achieve excellent results in this subject.
First of all, it’s important to note that psychology is a science. As with the natural sciences, psychologists employ the use of the scientific method to gather evidence. This is very important as many important findings in psychology are counter-intuitive and defy expectation.
In A level Psychology, you will be analysing what scientific research has uncovered about fascinating questions including:
Why do people unquestioningly obey destructive authority? Would I be likely to do the same in their position?
Can we rely on the testimony of eyewitnesses who recall details of a crime? Is it possible to plant false memories in people’s minds?
How and why do humans form attachments to their infants? What are the long term consequences if this attachment is broken?
What is going on in the brain of a person with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)? Is it better to treat OCD patients with drugs or talking therapies?
There are many different ways to approach these types of questions. For example, if you consider the question ‘what causes depression?’, there are a number of different perspectives we could take. We could consider the genetic makeup of the person and their brain chemistry. Alternatively we could consider the experiences of people with depression and how this has influenced their thought patterns. The A level Psychology course considers a multitude of perspectives and year 12 students are introduced to the six ‘core’ areas of the discipline.
Biological Psychology uses genetic, neural and evolutionary explanations to shine a light on our behaviour. This area of psychology investigates the biological underpinnings of behaviour including brain structure, neurochemistry and genes. Year 13 students delve more deeply into the fascinating complexity of the brain, learning about topics such as neuroplasticity and functional recovery.
Cognitive Psychology focuses on the role of ‘thinking’ and how internal mental processes influence and shape our behaviour. Cognitive psychologists often focus their attention on areas such as perception, attention, intelligence and memory. The AQA specification focuses particularly on the cognitive processes involved in memory formation and – just as interestingly – memory loss!
Social Psychology focuses on how human thinking and behaviour is shaped by our social interactions with others. Year 12 students are introduced to concepts such as conformity and obedience through the findings of some of the most controversial and influential studies in psychology. This classic research includes Zimbardo’s famous Stanford Prison Experiment and Milgram’s ‘shocking’ study investigating the power of destructive obedience.
Developmental Psychology considers how people develop throughout their lifetime. At A Level, the focus is on the development of an infant’s attachment to a primary caregiver, and the problems that occur when this does not happen.
Psychopathology is the study of mental disorders with research in this field aiming to give us an understanding of the underlying causes of these disorders. Alongside this, psychologists also aim to apply this knowledge in order to develop effective treatments. Across the A level course, students will learn about the causes and treatments of a range of mental disorders including depression, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), phobias and schizophrenia.
The Psychology teachers at Ashbourne are always willing to offer support and academic advice outside of lesson time. They were tremendously helpful when it came to my UCAS application and results day as well. Overall, studying at Ashbourne was a positively memorable time in my life and one that definitely helped me get to where I am now! Marita, Psychology, Queen Mary University
A level Psychology students work in small class sizes of less than 10 and so receive high levels of individual attention and support. They also benefit from extensive support outside of the classroom.
Psychology support clinics – the psychology department offers a lunchtime ‘drop in’ support clinic every week in which students can get one-to-one help from the psychology teachers. Due to popular demand, a Research Methods exam practice clinic was also introduced for year 13 students this year.
Psychology mentoring scheme – in the psychology mentoring scheme, year 12 students who require extra help are paired with year 13 psychology students. They meet their mentor on a weekly or fortnightly basis to receive extra support.
Psychology summer revision programme – like most subjects at Ashbourne, we run an Easter revision programme, however we also run a year 12 Summer revision programme for year 12 psychology students transitioning into year 13. This includes a structured timetable of summer work, regular assignments which are marked and receive feedback and individual performance review meetings with one of the psychology teachers in June and August.
Psychology club – the weekly psychology club offers students the opportunity to explore psychology beyond the A level specification. Previous topics that have been discussed include: 19th century neuroscience, Borderline Personality Disorder, the psychology of cults, the evolution of language and the psychology of terrorism.
Lectures, books and documentaries – psychology students at Ashbourne are encouraged to read widely around the subject and are given book recommendations that relate to their specific interests. They also receive regular updates about psychology lectures in London and links to the latest documentaries.
Brain Day – Year 13 psychology students at Ashbourne have the opportunity to take part in Dr Guy Sutton’s ‘Brain Day’. This is a one-day introductory tutorial in Neuroscience and introduces students to the latest groundbreaking research in this exciting field. The students delve into fascinating undergraduate level content such as neurobionics and cerebral organoids as well as discussing questions such as ‘is there a criminal brain?’. The day culminates in a sheep brain dissection in which students can identify the different anatomical structures within the brain.
Lotte is a former student who studied A level Psychology at Ashbourne. She is now studying Psychology at the University of Liverpool after achieving an A in Psychology, A in English Literature and B in Biology. Below she offers her perspective as a former student and advice for students looking to study A level Psychology.
What did you enjoy most about studying A level Psychology at Ashbourne?
“I loved the variety of modules offered in A level Psychology. It felt like we covered such a broad range of interesting topics from attachment, to psychiatric disorders to memory. I also really enjoyed the biological aspects of the course such as learning about disorders of the brain, especially the different aphasias. I think psychology is a great subject for those interested in both humanities and sciences as it offers a combination of both. At Ashbourne I was always offered a great deal of support as well as resources to help prepare for the exam. The small class sizes meant we could thoroughly discuss different studies and theories in order to help us develop strong critical evaluations.”
What skills did you feel that you gained from the subject?
“I learnt how to critically evaluate research in regards to the way it’s conducted and its implications within a society. I believe it taught me to look more critically at the world around me and was applicable to my other A level subjects.”
What advice would you offer to a student interested in taking A level Psychology?
“My advice is to not be afraid of statistics. I think the majority of students (including myself) hear statistics and instantly panic but they are nothing to worry about. You go through all the maths skills you would need for the exam in class. This also applies for Psychology at university, I was really scared of the statistics element but it ended up being my highest graded module!”
A degree in Psychology does not require you to have studied Psychology A Level. However, many courses ask for a science subject, of which Psychology is one. A Level Psychology will provide you with the skills required of an undergraduate – an inquiring mind and the ability to use scientific research findings to support and challenge various claims about why people behave the way that they do.
The A level course demonstrates a broad range of skills from essay writing and critical thinking to data handling and statistics. Achieving an A level in Psychology indicates that you are numerate and literate as well as being able to engage in scientific enquiry.