Why study psychology?
Psychology is the scientific study of human behaviour and experience. It will give you a better understanding of the way people think and why people behave in certain ways.
The mind is something intangible that exists within our brain but why is it that some people suffer from stress or mental illness? Why are some considered abnormal for deviating from social norms? Why do we forget things or react aggressively? What enables us to develop our gender identity and is nature or nurture more important in determining our personality traits? Psychology looks at questions like these and more. It is a fascinating science with cutting edge research that has real world applications.
Arguably it is difficult to see how any of us can hold down relationships, interact with others, raise children, work with other people at school and beyond without having an understanding of ‘what makes people tick’. An awareness of how our upbringing may shape us may make us more understanding of others’ behaviour and hence more tolerant of their differences.
What our students say
“I love the range of topics covered, from developmental psychology, through social psychology to more scientific topics such as why we sleep.” Roisin
“I like finding out why we do certain things and behave in certain ways.” Katie
“Psychology makes me look at the world differently.” Jess
“Psychology is amazing! Studying it at GSAL has informed my university choice – psychology.” Charlotte
Entry requirements
Grade 5 in maths. Grade 6s in English and science (grade 6 in biology if separate sciences).
Potential courses
Psychology is a great subject to study because it will not only give you a number of transferable skills, for example analytical thinking, planning scientific investigations, analysing and interpreting data and improved communication. It fits in well with just about any other subject.
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Sport and exercise science
- Law
- Linguistics
- Criminology
Potential careers
- Marketing
- Business development
- Human resources
- Forensic psychology
- Sports psychologist
- Nursing
- Teaching
- Occupational therapy
The A-level course
| Exam paper | % of A-level | Topic |
|---|---|---|
| Paper 1: Introductory topics in psychology | 33.3 | This unit provides a broad introduction to the subject and comprises topics such as social influence, memory, attachment and psychopathology (abnormal psychology) |
| Paper 2: Psychology in context | 33.3 | The unit develops the learner as a 'scientist' and includes the five main approaches to psychology which are used to explain all behaviours. Research methods develop the learner's methodological and practical skills in terms of design, data handling and data analysis. |
| Paper 3: Issues and topics in psychology | 33.3 | This unit considers the debates in psychology such as 'nature/nurture' and ethical implications. There will be the opportunity to study in more depth three further areas - typical behaviour (cognition and development); atypical behaviour (schizophrenia) and anti-social behaviour (forensic psychology). |
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