Psychology

sychology is a very popular A-level course at Bootham and spaces are limited. Our excellent results reflect students’ interest in the subject.

Why study Psychology?

The Psychology Department aims to nurture students’ natural fascination about human behaviour and the mind and to help students develop a disciplined, yet open-minded, approach to their thinking.

Students will find studying Psychology a challenge. The course demands good written expression in evaluation and analysis of various types of evidence. It’s a subject that will stretch any student in their capacity to think analytically and to write coherently. In particular we aim to provide a thought-provoking course.

Psychology provides excellent training for further academic study, as well as for life. Our psychology department aims to offer students opportunities to develop beyond the exam specification we deliver.

What is Psychology?

In Psychology we study questions such as – Why do we behave the way we do? Does perception map closely onto reality? Are memories easily altered? What causes schizophrenia and how can you treat it? Do we have free will or is that just an illusion?

Many students know that they are interested in Psychology but most would like a clearer idea of what the subject really involves. This is a tricky question to answer simply because there are such a wide variety of approaches to study in Psychology (e.g. Cognitive, Neuro, Clinical, Social etc.) and many fields lie within each area (Memory, Personality, Language etc.). Unlike some other sciences Psychology cannot be explained using a single approach, therefore, the A level Psychology course explores a range of fields and perspectives – (see our course outline).

Far from being a pseudo-science, Psychology will deepen your understanding of the scientific method. In your studies you will explore the cutting edge research and experimental work involved in the latest theories. Psychology is a comparatively new Science, and psychologists have to invent clever techniques and experimental methods to probe the complexities of the human mind. It is all very exciting.

The Brain

Educational Extras

Psychology students visit the viewer’s gallery at York Crown Court as part of the Cognitive Psychology Module (Memory - eyewitness testimony) in the first term of the AS course.

Apart from field work and opportunities that change year by year as part of the course, we also encourage students to attend relevant enrichment activities (courses, lectures and events) to extend their interest and stretch themselves. For example café scientifique evenings, Villiers Park courses and the York ISSP (Independent State Schools Partnership) project master classes designed for ‘Able and Interested’ students.

In liaison with The University of York’s Psychology department over the years we have visited the department and also invited
some eminent speakers to Bootham.

Speakers and Links with University of York

Professor Alan Baddeley CBE, FRS. (world famous in the field of human memory research and a celebrity as far as AS Psychology students are concerned) and his counterpart Professor Graham Hitch MA MSc PhD CPsychol. MEMORY
Dr Peter Thompson BSc, PhD (a charismatic speaker with a specialism in visual perception) PERCEPTION
Dr Peter Bailey – PERCEPTION
Dr Tim Andrews- NEURO-IMAGING

We also have a link to Durham University Anthropology Department: Professor Robert Barton, BSc, M.Sc, PhD – speaker on EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGY

Click here to view Harriet Ennis's Powerpoint presentation from the recent Recital Room session on 'Mind Control'

The Psychology Course

The AS course follows the current AQA Specification A (1181 & 2181). It is taught within eight 35-minute periods per week (including double periods) by two teachers.

The AS Level Course
Week 1	Introduction to Psychology and the AS course – both teachers…
Unit 1	Cognitive Psychology - Memory
Week 2/3	The Nature and Structure of Human Memory
Week 4/5	Models of Human Memory
Week 6/7	Memory Strategies
Week 8/9	Research Methods
Week 10-12	In Real Life; Eye-Witness testimony Christmas Exam – Memory, research and stress
Christmas Break
Unit 1	Daily Hassles and Personality
Week 14	The Development of Attachment
Week 15/16	Deprivation and Privation
Week 17	In real life: Day Care
Week 18/19	More Research Methods
Autumn and Spring Terms
Unit 2	Physiological Psychology - Stress
Week 2/3	Biology of the Stress Response
Week 4/5	Life changes; daily hassles & personality
Week 6/7	Workplace Stress
Week 8/9	More Research Methods
Week 10-12	In real life: Stress Management Christmas Exam
Christmas Break
Shared Teaching of the following in TERM 3
Unit 2	Individual Differences - Abnormality
Week 18	Defining Abnormality
Week 19	Models of Abnormality
Week 20	In real life: Therapies
Unit Mock after Easter half term
Unit 2	Social Psychology – SOCIAL INFLUENCE
Week 21	Conformity
Week 22	Minority Influence
Week 23	Obedience and Authority
Week 24	In real life: Implications of Social Influence research
Easter Break
Week 25-28	Unit Mock Exam and Revision.

AS exams at end of May followed by students’ own research projects and A2 work for the remainder of the summer term

http://store.aqa.org.uk/qual/gce/pdf/AQA-2180-W-SP.PDF Link for more detail on the course content

The A2 Course Outline
Unit 4 – PSYA4 Psychopathology, Psychology in Action and Research Methods 25% of the total A Level marks 2 hours
Unit 3 – PSYA3 Topics in Psychology 25% of the total A Level marks
Term 1	Topics in Psychology - Aggression
	Psychopathology – Schizophrenia causes and treatments
Term 2	Psychology in Action: Anomalistic psychology ( parapsychology) - like after-death experiences and extra sensory perception Topics in Psychology - Relationships – including evolutionary psychology
Term 3	Topics in Psychology - Eating Behaviour Research Methods - applied and revisited