YSGOL GYFUN CWM RHYMNI

PSYCHOLOGY AS/A2
Psychology is an exciting and fascinating field of
study which attempts to discover how the human
mind works. It is a young science which is rapidly
growing in popularity, as it is used to explain
people's behaviour and to treat a wide variety of
phobias and anxieties. Psychology pushes us towards
a greater self-knowledge by making us more aware
of our own actions and how we relate to others.
Psychology examines a broad range of real-life issues such as stress, health, social
interaction and the environment to name a few. Some of the questions discussed during
the course are:
• Can social pressure make people act 'out of character'?
• Are behavioural differences between men and women learnt or inborn?
• How can memory be improved?
• Why do we dream?
• What can we learn about people from studying the behaviour of animals?
Examinations
AS- PY1 and PY2
PY1: 1 hour 15 minutes- Approaches in Psychology
> Candidates will be assessed on their knowledge and understanding of the 4 main
approaches in Psychology; Biological, Psychodynamic, Cognitive and Behavioural.
(This exam will be sat in January)
PY2: 1 hour 45 minutes- Core Studies and Research Methods
> Candidates will be assessed on their understanding and evaluation of 10 core studies
(10 psychological experiments).
(This exam will be sat in the summer)
A2- PY3 and PY4
PY3: 1 hour 30 minutes- Research Methods and Issues in Research
> Candidates will be assessed on their knowledge, application and evaluation of research
methods. They will discuss ethical and moral issues arising from psychological
experiments and discuss how best to address these problems.
(This exam will be sat in the summer)
PY4: 2 hours 30 minutes- Controversies. Topics and Applications
> Candidates will study a variety of applications ranging from experiments on the
memory, psychology in relationships, sport psychology and forensic psychology.
(This exam will be sat in the summer)
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