Psychology is the study of human behaviour and mental processes and is offered to the Sixth Form as an A Level. The course offers a fascinating introduction to aspects of psychological theory, research and current practical applications. It provides an insight in to why we behave the way we do and uncovers fundamental human processes that act upon us on a daily basis. The subject matter is wonderfully diverse and the relevance to the Hamptonians is immediately recognisable.
The A Level Psychology course aims to encourage learners to engage with the world as Psychologists. Pupils will learn about how the mind and behaviour are governed by both intrinsic and extrinsic forces, and how to apply the rules of many psychological approaches to different situations.
It is a science with cutting edge research that has real world applications to issues in everyday life, ranging from things such as artificial intelligence to minority influence. It involves the study of theories, empirical evidence and practical applications which include treatments for Schizophrenia, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Depression. Psychology is a fast-paced and ever-changing subject that promotes a curiosity to explain everyday behaviours and those that are more abnormal. It also gives many different roads into the job market.
Psychology develops academic skills such as researching a wide range of source materials, evaluating an argument with appropriate reference to a broad range of studies and committing ideas and arguments to paper in a relevant and cogent way.
Aims of Psychology Department
- Instil in pupils a long standing fascination for the subject – to truly appreciate the power of the brain and potential to measure behaviour in a scientific way
- Provide a stimulating, rewarding and collaborative classroom experience
- Extend pupils’ interest in the brain and behaviour outside the classroom so they can understand the wider impacts of the theory they learn in the classroom – this is facilitated through lecture trips, brain dissections and external professional speakers
- Develop essential knowledge and understanding of psychological theories, in terms of research, terminology, concepts, studies and methodology and their relationship to social, cultural, scientific and contemporary issues
- Develop critical and evaluative skills in relation to the breadth of theories, empirical studies and methods of research in Psychology
A growing number of our pupils go on to study Psychology at UK universities including Oxbridge. As a degree, and maybe more importantly as training in understanding people, Psychology is highly relevant to any career that puts people at its core, for example, medicine, the therapies, management, human resources, the police, counselling, advertising, teaching and law.
