Psychology
BackPsychology enables students to gain knowledge of human behaviour, how behaviour can be studied through a variety of approaches and the research methods that need to be considered. Students should be critical of studies in terms of issues and new developments and use further research to support their understanding. Throughout the course a level of empathy towards people is deepened through gaining an understanding of how previous experiences can affect the mental health and behaviours displayed by oneself and others.
Transition Summer Project:
Please bring this work to your first lesson with Ms Hayre in September.
Curriculum Overview
Vision: The Psychology department focus on students gaining knowledge of how human behaviour can be studied through a variety of approaches and research methods Students should be critical of studies in terms of issues and new developments and use further research to support their understanding. Throughout the course a level of empathy towards people is deepened in particular through gaining an understanding of how previous experiences can affect the mental health and behaviours displayed by oneself and others.
In order to be successful Psychology students need to:
- Learn key terminology by producing and constantly referring to glossaries
- Develop essay writing skills which include knowledge and evaluation points from research
- Apply knowledge to real life theories, models, situations and scenarios
- Appreciate how research methods are applied to study human behaviour
| Year 12 | Term 1 | Term 2 | Term 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Key Topic | Approaches | Memory | Biopsychology/psychopathology |
| Knowledge Taught |
Students are introduced to Psychology and learn about the history and development of studying human behaviour. Origins of psychology: Wundt and emergence of psychology as a science. Learning approaches: classical and operant conditioning and social learning theory. Including Pavlov's research. The cognitive approach: role of schema and the use of theoretical and computer models to explain and make inferences about mental processes. Emergence of cognitive neuroscience. The biological approach: influence of genes and neurochemistry on behaviour. Genetic basis of behaviour and evolution |
The multi-store model of memory. Types of long term memory The working memory model Explanations of forgetting Factors affecting the accuracy of eyewitness testimony |
Students will be building on their application and evaluation skills. Previous knowledge of approaches will be revisited in this section in particular behavioural, cognitive and biological approaches. Knowledge of psychopathy including phobias, depression and OCD are learnt in this section. An awareness of mental illnesses enables psychology students to develop understanding and empathy towards others suffering Bio Psychology covers key knowledge of CNS including synaptic transmission and action potential. This is then applied to situations that require the fight or flight reaction alongside the role of the endocrine system. Research methods are revisited in particular application to evaluating research methods and ethical issues |
|
A basic understanding of genetics. Some understanding of what psychologists study from the bridging lessons |
Building on previous knowledge the emphasis on experimental method to support memory models enables retrieval practice.
Revision skills already developed Retrieval practice An understanding of the basics of the cognitive approach Some knowledge of what is meant by reductionism. |
Some knowledge of synaptic transmission. A basic understanding of the flight or fight response A basic understanding of how hormones are involved in communication Structure of CNS and a neurone Some knoweldge of the different types of mental illnesses Application skills Evaluation skills |
|
| New Skills: |
Skills required for writing Psychology essays are first introduced and revisited throughout the course. Being able to evaluate approaches using synoptic terminology such as reductionist or culture bias |
Essay writing and evaluation skills are taught and assessed. Being able to evaluate a theory based on the quality of the evidence |
Being able to interpret concordance rates in twin studies |
| Links to the School Curriculum: |
History - Time lines and appreciation of historical developments PE - SLT Media - SLT |
English - Essay writing
All subjects - revision skills |
Sociology Science - CNS, Neurones, endocrine system, fight or flight, action potential |
| Enrichment Activities: | Creating a poster timeline of the history of psychology |
Using knowledge of memory to devise own revision techniques Watching a trial where an eyewitness gives evidence |
Create a summary chapter of a topic for a revision booklet for the class |
| Web Links: | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-SBTRLoPuo | brainfacts.org |
| Year 12 | Term 1 | Term 2 | Term 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Key Topic | Research Methods | Attachment | Social Influence/issues and debates |
| Knowledge Taught |
Students are introduced to the importance of the scientific method in Psychology by introducing the features of a science. Research methods: experimental methods, observational techniques, self-report techniques, correlations, content analysis and case studies. The scientific process: aims and hypotheses, sampling, designs (observational and experimental), variables, Ethical issues Descriptive stats: central tendency and distribution of data Presentation of data e.g. graphs, tables Analysis and interpretation of correlation Ways of assessing and improving reliability across all methods of investigation |
Psychology students gain knowledge on the affects of early childhood experiences and how they can affect relationships into adulthood. Cultural differences and an appreciation of bias when carrying out research and inferring results are considered. Animal studies are first introduced in this section and students learn key studies and evaluations Application to research and scenarios develops AO2 and AO3 skills Be able to discuss the implications for the economy of the role of the father Assess the socially sensitive nature of Bowlby's theory |
Psychology students begin to question the role others have on the behaviour of people including conformity and obedience. Types of conformity and explanations for conformity. Also look variables affecting conformity as investigated by Asch. Conformity to social roles as investigated by Zimbardo Explanations for obedience: as investigated by Milgram and others Explanations for resistance to social influence Minority influence The role of social influence processes in social change They look at the issues and debates that underpin psychological research and theory and ways to try and resolve these issues. |
|
Experimental Method Aim /Hypotheses Variables Experiments Correlation Central tendency (averages) Representing data Note taking skills |
An understanding of classical and operant conditioning Review what case studies and controlled observations are Analysing data |
Ethical issues in psychology The issues surrounding the use of lab experiments Issues of cross cultural research Be able to discuss the implications of research for real life scenarios |
|
| New Skills: |
Designing studies and collating data Interpretation of standard deviation Applying knowledge to stem questions Science - Scientific method of experiments Maths - Representing and analysing data although be aware of the different terminology Sociology - Carrying out research. Ethical issues Maths - Critical value to support an hypothesis |
Understanding of what socially sensitive means and being able to apply it to findings to then discuss implications |
Being able to draw on different areas of psychology to discuss issues and debates |
| Links to the School Curriculum: |
Science - Scientific method of experiments Maths - Representing and analysing data although be aware of the different terminology Sociology - Carrying out research. Ethical issues Maths - Critical value to support an hypothesis |
Child development Health and Social care |
History - Obedience to authority Sociology History |
| Enrichment Activities: |
Conducting own study and analysing and interpreting their findings |
They do presentations based on an aspect of the topic to summarise the topic and aid revision |
This will lead to a summer project based around a specific issue. Students also do presentations on examples of social change |
| Web Links: | https://www.bps.org.uk/ | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xo1ztjxFP2c | Big Idea: should we worry about sentient AI |
| Year 13 | Term 1 | Term 2 | Term 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Key Topic | Research Methods | Schizophrenia | Revision |
| Knowledge Taught |
Research methods are revisited and focus on the procedures and ethical issues New knowledge of research methods covers statistical testing and peer review.
|
Students assess the implications of wrongly classifying people with mental illness as a way to understand use of the DSM and ICD Classification of schizophrenia Reliability and validity in diagnosis and classification Biological explanations for schizophrenia Psychological explanations for schizophrenia Drug therapynCBT and family therapy Token economies as used in the management of schizophrenia The importance of the interactionist approach in explaining and treating schizophrenia. The diathesis stress model |
|
|
Experimental Method Aim /Hypotheses Variables Experiments Design Sampling Ethical issues Self-report Observations Correlation Central tendency and normal distribution Representing data Note taking skills |
They should now be able to apply the nature/ nurture debate in an attempt to evaluate the usefulness of genetic explanations. They will use case studies to assess how good each theory is at being able to explain someone's symptoms of schizophrenia. Essays will include discussions of any relevant issues and debates to enable more thorough evaluation |
||
| New Skills: |
Applying statistical tests to data sets and justifying choices made. Be able to discuss significance levels of data using critical value tables |
Be able to combine different approaches to discuss the interactionist approach |
|
| Links to the School Curriculum: |
Science Maths |
Science: understanding twin studies Sociology: crime and deviance |
|
| Enrichment Activities: | Analysing data collected from summer projects |
literature review of the way media portrays people with schizophrenia |
|
| Web Links: | https://www.bps.org.uk/ | Documentary on schizophrenia symptoms | Study guides for psychology students |
| Year 13 | Term 1 | Term 2 | Term 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Key Topic | Approaches | Aggression | Revision |
| Knowledge Taught |
The psychodynamic approach and the Humanistic approach A comparison of the approaches
|
Students apply their knowledge of the nervous and endocrine systems to explain aggression levels in individuals. Neural and hormonal mechanisms in aggression The ethological explanation of aggression Social psychological explanations of human aggression Institutional aggression Media influences on aggression including the role of computer games The role of desensitisation, disinhibition and cognitive priming |
|
| Previous Knowledge Required: |
Understanding of main approaches from Y12: learning biological and cognitive approaches Knowledge of the issues and debates to enable thorough evaluation |
Students revisit the social learning theory and apply it to the development of aggression They apply their knowledge of social theories of aggression to explain cross cultural variations in aggression levels They will be able to discuss the gender bias in research in aggression as well as the socially sensitive nature of some of the findings |
|
| New Skills: |
Being able to draw comparisons over the different approaches |
|
|
| Links to the School Curriculum: |
|
Science: role of neurons and hormones; evolution Sociology: crime and deviance Media: influence of media on aggression levels |
|
| Enrichment Activities: |
Visit to Freud museum for seminar on the scientific credibility of Freud. Poster to compare the different approaches |
They will be conduct a content analysis of a variety of films and/or TV shows to assess levels of aggression in the media
|
|
| Web Links: | How to do a Q-Sort | https://theecologist.org/2018/sep/21/evolution-human-aggression-curtis-abraham-interviews-richard-wrangham | Study guides for psychology students |
| Year 13 | Term 1 | Term 2 | Term 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Key Topic | Biopsychology | Cognition and Development | Revision |
| Knowledge Taught |
Localisation of brain function Hemispheric lateralisation and split brain research Plasticity and functional recovery after trauma Ways of studying the brain Biological rhythms The effects of endogenous and exogeous zeitgebers on the sleep wake cycle.
|
Piaget's theory of cognitive development Vygotsky's theory of cognitive development Baillargeon's explanation of early infant abilities including knowledge of the physical ; violation of expectation research The development of social cognition including perspective taking Theory of mind and the Sally-Anne study The role of mirror neurons in social cognition |
|
| Previous Knowledge Required: |
An understanding of the nervous system Idea of reductionism vs holism when discussing localisation Ethics of brain scanning techniques Development of essay writing skills Statistical analysis of data Issues around animal studies. |
This is an application of the cognitive approach Culture bias issues around animal studies |
|
| New Skills: | Analysis of split brain research data and what is has shown about lateralisation. |
Be able to discuss the implication of the research for neurodiversity individuals |
|
| Links to the School Curriculum: |
Science: understanding of nervous system and brain. |
Health and social care: Piaget Sociology: Piaget's theory as applied to stages of schooling |
|
| Enrichment Activities: |
The develop an understanding of how brain activitiy is measured by doing a poster and writing an essay. Collect data on exercise and sleep and analyse this. |
Possibility of conducting conservation tasks with Primary age children
|
|
| Web Links: | https://www.brainfacts.org/ | Study guides for psychology students |