The Study of Behaviour and Experience
New specification from September 2015.
Summer 2016 - AS examinations (2)
Summer 2017 – A Level examinations (3)
All A Level classes have five hours of classwork and five hours of homework per week.

Component 1 introduces the world of psychological research methods. Students are required to conduct their own practical work.
This component provides students with the opportunity to understand what’s involved in a range of different research methods and techniques, and it creates awareness of associated strengths and weaknesses.
Students are encouraged to reflect on their research journeys as they develop vital investigative skills and develop an appreciation of the principles of empirical scientific enquiry.

Research methods and techniques
Planning and conducting research
Data recording, analysis and presentation
Report writing
Practical activities
How science works

Component 2 introduces key themes and core studies in psychology. The selection of classic and contemporary studies enables students to appreciate how psychological knowledge and understanding develop over time.
The new specification has 20 studies to be covered over the two-year course. Each pair is located within a key theme to provide a strong foundation to the subject. The inclusion of both classic and contemporary studies enables students to place research in its historical context.
By the end of the component, students have built up a varied knowledge of exemplar studies, a sound understanding of key themes, and strong critical evaluation skills.

Social
Cognitive
Developmental
Biological
Individual Differences
E.g. Freud (1909) Little Hans and Baron-Cohen et al. (1997) Autism in adults

Component 3 introduces a new and engaging compulsory section on issues in mental health and an exciting range of options as students discover how psychology is used in applied areas:
• Child psychology
• Criminal psychology
• Environmental psychology
• Sport and exercise psychology.
Through this component, students explore applications of psychology and gain an insight into how theory can be applied to real-world situations. The assessment provides the opportunity for students to demonstrate their learning through extended writing.

Issues in mental health
E.g. The historical context of mental health
Child psychology
E.g. Development of attachment The development of attachment in babies and the impact of failure to develop attachments. Ainsworth and Bell
(1970) - One-year-olds in a Strange Situation. At least one strategy to develop an attachment friendly environment.

Criminal psychology
E.g. What makes a criminal? Physiological and non-physiological explanations of criminal behaviour. Raine et al. (1997) Brain abnormalities in murderers indicated by PET scans. At least one biological strategy for preventing criminal behaviour.
Environmental psychology
Sport and exercise psychology

Within A Level in Psychology, 10% of the marks available within written examinations will be for assessment of mathematics (in the context of psychology) at a GCSE standard, or higher.