STYLE OF ASSESSMENT:
Students will be assessed at the end of Year 11 in two written exams, each making up 50% of the GCSE. Questions will range from multiple-choice, short answers to longer extended questions. The topics which will be covered throughout the course are as follows:
Paper 1 – cognition and development
- Memory
- Perception
- Development
- Research methods
Paper 2 – social context and behaviour
- Social influence
- Language, thought and communication
- Brain and neuropsychology
- Psychological problems
OVERVIEW OF COURSE:
GCSE psychology gives learners an opportunity to discover more about the human mind and behaviour. The course also provides them with knowledge they can apply elsewhere which will be beneficial in their future. For example, learning about how our memory works can give them practical techniques for revision. Additionally, the communication topic can help teach students the best techniques for successful job interviews. It will also give learners a better insight and awareness of things like peer pressure and psychological conditions such as depression.
LEARNER REQUIREMENTS:
A successful psychology student will have a keen interest in human behaviour and the working mind. They will be able to discuss their thoughts in pairs and small groups as they challenge their own thinking as well as that of their peers. Psychology is a science so students should also have an interest in human biology and how it can affect behaviour, as well as the scientific process in terms of creating hypotheses and conducting experiments. Students will also need to analyse data so a good grasp of mathematics will be useful.
FURTHER STUDY AND CAREER CONNECTIONS:
Students who study GCSE psychology will often go on to study it at A-level and then at university. Being the study of the human mind and behaviour, psychology is hugely useful for a wide range of careers, for example:
- Counsellor
- Family support worker
- Forensic psychologists
- Teacher
- Social/Youth worker
- Market researcher
- Sport and exercise psychologists
