Intent

The Psychology curriculum aims to help students become confident learners. The main goals are to:

• Empower students with subject-specific and transferable skills for academic and social success.
• Foster curiosity about self and relationships with others through the study of psychological concepts.
• Encourage an appreciation for human development, knowledge, and empathy.
• Develop critical thinking and scientific research skills through the analysis and evaluation of psychological studies.
• Promote emotional well-being and effective communication skills, preparing students for success beyond the classroom.

Implementation

The curriculum is taught in a variety of ways:

• The curriculum focuses on helping students acquire knowledge, apply it to real-life situations, and evaluate psychological theories using evidence.
• A variety of activities are used to suit different learning styles and help students connect theoretical knowledge with practical examples.
• Regular quizzes and spaced learning techniques support memory retention and ensure students can recall and apply previous lessons.
• Teachers provide constructive feedback to guide students, with time in lessons for them to reflect on and act upon this feedback.
• Independent learning tasks are set weekly to help students reinforce and apply what they’ve learned.
  All lesson materials are available on Google Classroom, providing students with easy access to revision resources for exams.
• Feedback aligns with key GCSE assessment objectives to support students’ progress and development throughout the course.
• Vocabulary development is a key focus, with glossaries and tools like dictionaries helping students improve comprehension and communication.
• Teachers model the use of academic language and create opportunities for students to develop their speaking and debating skills.
• Technology, such as Chromebooks, is used in lessons to access resources, conduct research, and support independent learning outside of the classroom.

Impact

The impact of this curriculum aims to ensure that:

• Students develop a deep and interconnected understanding of psychological concepts and theories.
• They are well-prepared for future education and career opportunities in fields such as healthcare, education, and social sciences.
• Students become confident, critical thinkers, able to analyse and evaluate psychological research and real-world issues.
• They develop a positive attitude towards psychology, reducing any misconceptions or anxieties about the subject.
• They can make connections between psychological theories and real-life situations, improving their understanding of human behaviour.
• Students gain valuable knowledge about human development, mental health, and social influences, which they can apply to everyday life and future studies.

You will:

• Build a strong understanding of key psychological concepts, theories, and research methods.
• Learn to apply psychological knowledge to real-life situations and problems.
• Develop critical thinking skills, including the ability to analyse and evaluate studies and arguments.
• Improve their ability to understand, interpret, and communicate psychological information in different ways, such as in written essays and discussions.

For GCSE Psychology, students will need access to equipment, textbooks, and Chromebooks to access resources on Google Classroom. Independent learning tasks are set every two weeks on Satchel One to support their studies and reinforce key concepts.

At ALNS, we ensure that students not only grasp the fundamental concepts of Psychology but also develop a genuine interest and curiosity in the subject, fostering a desire to continue learning and exploring psychological topics throughout their lives.

Topic 1: Development – How did you develop?

• Brain Development: Learn about the early stages of brain development, including key brain areas such as the forebrain, midbrain, hindbrain, cerebellum, and medulla.
• Cognitive Development: Explore Piaget’s theory of cognitive development, including the four stages: sensorimotor, pre-operational, concrete operational, and formal operational.
• Mindset Theories: Understand Carol Dweck’s mindset theory and Daniel Willingham’s learning theory, focusing on the importance of effort, practice, and cognitive development strategies.
• Studies: Review Piaget’s Three Mountains Task and Gunderson’s research on parent praise, and their implications for development and learning.
• Moral Development: Study the stages of moral development and understand how cognitive development impacts moral reasoning.

Topic 2: Memory – How does your memory work?

• Memory Processes: Learn about the structure of memory, including the processes of encoding, storage, and retrieval.
• Memory Models: Study the Multi-Store Model and Bartlett’s Theory of Reconstructive Memory.
• Amnesia: Understand the differences between retrograde and anterograde amnesia and their symptoms.
• Memory Studies: Investigate research like Bartlett’s War of the Ghosts and Peterson & Peterson’s study on short-term memory.
• Debates in Memory: Examine the reductionism and holism debate in psychology and how memory theories contribute to this discussion.

Topic 3: Psychological Problems – How would psychological problems affect you?

• Mental Health Problems: Learn about depression and addiction, including symptoms, causes (e.g., genetic, cognitive, and learning theories), and treatments such as CBT and medication.
• Studies: Explore studies like Caspi’s research on depression and Young’s research on internet addiction.
• Nature vs. Nurture: Understand the nature vs. nurture debate as it relates to psychological problems.
  

Topic 4: The Brain and Neuropsychology – How does your brain affect you?

• Brain Structure and Function: Study the different parts of the brain, including the frontal, occipital, parietal, and temporal lobes, and understand the concept of lateralisation of function between the brain’s hemispheres.
• Neurons and Synapses: Learn about the role of neurotransmitters, synaptic functioning, and the central nervous system.
• Neurological Damage: Understand how damage to the brain can affect cognition and behaviour, such as visual agnosia and prosopagnosia.
• Studies: Examine Damasio’s study on Phineas Gage and Sperry’s research on brain lateralisation.
  

Topic 5: Social Influence – How do others affect you?

• Social Influence: Study key concepts such as obedience, conformity, deindividuation, and the bystander effect, and the factors that affect these behaviours.
• Group Behaviour: Learn about the psychology of crowds and how collective behaviour can be pro-social or anti-social.
• Studies: Review famous studies, including Piliavin’s Good Samaritanism and Zimbardo’s Stanford Prison Experiment.
• Social and Cultural Issues: Discuss how social and cultural factors impact behaviour and psychology.

Topic 6: Criminal Psychology – Why do people become criminals?

• Criminal Behaviour Theories: Learn about the role of operant conditioning and social learning theory in explaining criminal behaviour, as well as biological explanations like Eysenck’s personality theory.
• Punishment and Recidivism: Study the effects of different types of punishment (e.g., prison, community sentencing) on recidivism.
• Rehabilitation: Explore treatments for reducing criminal behaviour, such as token economy programs and anger management.
• Studies: Investigate studies like Bandura’s Transmission of Aggression and Charlton’s study on children’s behaviour in response to television violence.

Topic 7: Sleep and Dreaming – Why do you need to sleep and dream?

• Sleep Stages and Cycles: Learn about the stages of sleep, including REM, and understand the biological rhythms that regulate sleep.
• Sleep Disorders: Understand sleep disorders like insomnia and narcolepsy, including their symptoms and causes.
• Dream Theories: Study Freudian theory on dreams and Activation-Synthesis Theory.
• Studies: Examine Freud’s Little Hans study and Siffre’s cave experiment on sleep cycles.
  

Topic 8: Research Methods – How do you carry out psychological research?

• Designing Research: Learn how to identify variables, write hypotheses, and understand different types of research methods, including experimental designs and sampling techniques.
• Reliability and Validity: Understand the importance of ensuring research is reliable and valid.
• Ethical Issues: Study ethical considerations in psychology, such as informed consent, confidentiality, and the right to withdraw.

Paper 1
Duration: 1 hour and 45 minutes
Weighting: 55% of the qualification
Total Marks: 98

Content Overview:
Topic 1: Development – How did you develop?
Topic 2: Memory – How does your memory work?
Topic 3: Psychological problems – How would psychological problems affect you?
Topic 4: The brain and neuropsychology – How does your brain affect you?
Topic 5: Social influence – How do others affect you?

Assessment Overview:
The paper consists of six sections:

Sections 1-5: Focus on the five core topics (Development, Memory, Psychological Problems, Brain & Neuropsychology, Social Influence), with a mix of multiple-choice, short-open, and open-response questions.

Section 6: Contains two extended open-response questions, focusing on debates within psychology and the interrelationships between core topics.

Paper 2
Duration: 1 hour and 20 minutes
Weighting: 45% of the qualification
Total Marks: 79

Content Overview:
Topic 6: Criminal Psychology – Why do people become criminals?
Topic 7: Sleep and Dreaming – Why do you need to sleep and dream?
Topic 8: Research Methods

Assessment Overview:

Section A: Focuses on Research Methods (Topic 11), with questions including calculations, multiple-choice, short-open, and open-response questions, plus one extended open-response question. Content may also draw from Topics 1-5 from Paper 1.

Sections B-F: Each covers one of the optional topics (6-10). Each section includes multiple-choice, short-open, and open-response questions, plus one extended open-response question.

Additional Information:
Calculators may be used in Paper 2.