Ms E Bridgman BA Hons Head of Department
Dr E Minelli PhD

Our Aims

The Psychology Department aims to:

• stimulate an interest and enthusiasm in the understanding of mind and behaviour
• encourage an interest in and appreciation of psychology through an exploration of the ways in which psychological research and discussion are conducted
• develop psychological skills as well as the learning of psychological knowledge
• ensure that students consider spiritual, moral, ethical, social and cultural issues within the psychological knowledge available to them
• encourage students to be aware of the wide diversity of human behaviour and of the need for tolerance and sensitivity in dealing with others
• encourage students to work to their potential
• encourage enquiry, debate and application of knowledge

Resources

• The department is well equipped in terms of books and videos.
• Y12: Oliver, Karon (2004) Psychology and Everyday Life
• Y13: Crime option:
• Brewer Psychology and Crime
• Dwyer Angles on Criminal Psychology
• Harrower Psychology in Practice: Crime
• Putwain Psychology and Crime Routledge Modular Psychology Series.
• Health option:
• Banyard Psychology in Practice Health
• Harari and Legge Psychology and Health

Post 16

In Year 12 five areas are covered:

• Research Methods – a general overview of how to research in psychology
• Social Psychology
• Developmental Psychology
• Cognitive Psychology
• Physical Psychology
• Individual Differences

We look at 3 ‘core’ studies in each area to illustrate the questions and issues relevant to the area.  Typical questions would be:

• How do people behave when they see someone break down on a tube?
• Do people behave discriminatorily to someone they don’t perceive as belonging to their group?
• Is it better for children who have been placed in an institution to be adopted or returned to their original family?
• In what way do autistic children think differently from non-autistic children?
• How do we develop language and are we the only species to do so?
• What can we do to remember things better (useful for A-level revision!)
• Is there something different going on in the chemistry of murderers’ brains?
• What happens during the different stages of sleep?
• How easy is it to diagnose someone as ‘abnormal’?
• What happens when there are three or more ‘people’ inhabiting the same body?

In Year 13 we cover 2 topic areas within the Applied Psychology paper:

• Crime Psychology
• Health Psychology

The second module continues the practical research strand.

For detailed exam board information click here: www.ocr.org.uk