A-Level Psychology Course

Discover the convenience of Open Learning College’s Distance Learning A-Level Courses, designed to accommodate students worldwide with the flexibility to study from the comfort of home. These comprehensive two-year programs provide access to extensive online course materials and personalised tutor guidance through a virtual learning platform. Upon completion of examinations, students receive certificates endorsed by reputable Awarding Bodies such as Edexcel, AQA, or OCR.

Whether you’re a newcomer to academia or seeking to enhance your qualifications for university admission, our adaptable A-Level courses are tailored to suit your individual needs. Study at your own pace, on your own schedule, and from any location that suits you.

Our comprehensive two-year A-Level Courses cover both the AS and A2 components, requiring students to sit exams as private candidates at approved examination centres. Successful completion of all required exams within a single assessment period ensures eligibility for the full A-Level qualification.

The full A level course in Psychology offers an enriching and comprehensive exploration of the fascinating field of human behaviour and mental processes. As a final qualification, the A level in Psychology serves as a culmination of students’ studies in the subject, providing them with a thorough understanding of key theories, concepts, and research methodologies. With its emphasis on empirical evidence and critical analysis, the course equips students with the analytical skills and theoretical insights necessary to explore the complexities of human psychology with depth and rigour.

One of the distinguishing features of the A-Level Psychology course is its alignment with the AQA 2015 Psychology specification, ensuring that students cover the essential topics and themes outlined by the examination board. The course materials are meticulously crafted to follow the specification closely, offering comprehensive standalone content that encompasses a wide range of psychological theories, approaches, and research findings. Moreover, students have the flexibility to supplement their studies with supporting textbooks that provide alternative perspectives and additional resources. By engaging with a diverse array of academic sources, students gain a holistic understanding of the discipline, enabling them to critically evaluate competing theories and perspectives within psychology.

Furthermore, the A-Level Psychology course encourages students to develop essential skills in critical thinking, research methodology, and analytical reasoning. Through hands-on activities, experiments, and practical investigations, students gain practical experience in designing, conducting, and evaluating psychological research, fostering a deeper appreciation for the scientific method and its application in psychology. Additionally, students are encouraged to engage in independent study and research, allowing them to explore topics of personal interest and develop their own hypotheses and research questions. By actively participating in the research process, students cultivate valuable skills in data analysis, interpretation, and presentation, enhancing their ability to conduct rigorous and meaningful research in psychology.

In addition to its academic rigour, the A-Level Psychology course offers practical relevance and real-world applicability, preparing students for further study and employment in a variety of fields. Whether aspiring to pursue careers in psychology, counselling, education, or healthcare, or seeking to apply psychological principles in fields such as marketing, human resources, or social work, students emerge from the course equipped with the knowledge, skills, and understanding needed to succeed in their chosen path. Moreover, the interdisciplinary nature of psychology enables students to develop a broad skill set that is transferable to diverse academic and professional contexts, making the A-Level Psychology qualification a valuable asset for future academic and career pursuits.

A Level

Hard copy certificate - Included

Course Key Topics

the A-Level Psychology course is divided into 10 modules.

Module 1: Social influence (compulsory content)
Types of conformity: internalisation, identification and compliance.
Explanations for conformity: informational social influence and normative social influence, and variables affecting conformity including group size, unanimity and task difficulty as investigated by Asch. Conformity to social roles as investigated by Zimbardo.

Module 2: Memory (compulsory content)
The multi-store model of memory: sensory register, short-term memory and long-term memory.
Features of each store: coding, capacity and duration.

Module 3: Attachment (compulsory content)
Caregiver-infant interactions in humans: reciprocity and interactional synchrony.
Stages of attachment identified by Schaffer. Multiple attachments and the role of the father.
Animal studies of attachment: Lorenz and Harlow.
Explanations of attachment: learning theory and Bowlby’s monotropic theory. The concepts of a critical period and an internal working model.

Module 4: Approaches in psychology and biopsychology (compulsory content)
Learning approaches: the behaviourist approach, including classical conditioning and Pavlov’s research, operant conditioning, types of reinforcement and Skinner’s research; social learning theory including imitation, identification, modelling, vicarious reinforcement, the role of meditational processes and Bandura’s research.
The cognitive approach: the study of internal mental processes, the role of schema, the use of theoretical and computer models to explain and make inferences about mental processes. The emergence of cognitive neuroscience.

Module 5: Psychopathology (compulsory content)
Definitions of abnormality, including deviation from social norms, failure to function adequately, statistical infrequency and deviation from ideal mental health.
The behavioural, emotional and cognitive characteristics of phobias, depression and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).
The behavioural approach to explaining and treating phobias: the two-process model, including classical and operant conditioning; systematic desensitisation, including relaxation and use of hierarchy; flooding.
The cognitive approach to explaining and treating depression: Beck’s negative triad and Ellis’s ABC model; cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT), including challenging irrational thoughts.
The biological approach to explaining and treating OCD: genetic and neural explanations; drug therapy.

Module 6: Research methods (compulsory content)
Experimental method. Types of experiment, laboratory and field experiments; natural and quasi experiments.
Observational techniques. Types of observation: naturalistic and controlled observation; covert and overt observation; participant and non-participant observation.
Self-report techniques. Questionnaires; interviews, structured and unstructured.
Correlations. Analysis of the relationship between co-variables. The difference between correlations and experiments.
Aims: stating aims, the difference between aims and hypotheses.
Hypotheses: directional and non-directional.
Sampling: the difference between population and sample; sampling techniques including: random, systematic, stratified, opportunity and volunteer; implications of sampling techniques, including bias and generalisation.
Pilot studies and the aims of piloting.
Experimental designs: repeated measures, independent groups, matched pairs. Observational design: behavioural categories; event sampling; time sampling.
Questionnaire construction, including use of open and closed questions; design of interviews.
Variables: manipulation and control of variables, including independent, dependent, extraneous, confounding; operationalisation of variables.
Control: random allocation and counterbalancing, randomisation and standardisation.
Demand characteristics and investigator effects.
Ethics, including the role of the British Psychological Society’s code of ethics; ethical issues in the design and conduct of psychological studies; dealing with ethical issues in research.
The role of peer review in the scientific process.
The implications of psychological research for the economy.
Reliability across all methods of investigation. Ways of assessing reliability: test-retest and inter observer;
improving reliability.
Types of validity across all methods of investigation: face validity, concurrent validity, ecological validity and temporal validity. Assessment of validity. Improving validity.
Features of science: objectivity and the empirical method; replicability and falsifiability; theory construction and hypothesis testing; paradigms and paradigm shifts.
Reporting psychological investigations. Sections of a scientific report: abstract, introduction, method, results, discussion and referencing.
Quantitative and qualitative data; the distinction between qualitative and quantitative data collection techniques.
Primary and secondary data, including meta-analysis.
Descriptive statistics: measures of central tendency – mean, median, mode; calculation of mean, median and mode; measures of dispersion; range and standard deviation; calculation of range; calculation of percentages; positive, negative and zero correlations.
Presentation and display of quantitative data: graphs, tables, scattergrams, bar charts.
Distributions: normal and skewed distributions; characteristics of normal and skewed distributions.
Introduction to statistical testing; the sign test.

End of unit TMA.

Module 7: Issues and debates in psychology (compulsory content)
Gender and culture in psychology – universality and bias. Gender bias including androcentrism and alpha and beta bias; cultural bias, including ethnocentrism and cultural relativism.

Module 8: Cognition and development (Option 1)
Piaget’s theory of cognitive development: schemas, assimilation, accommodation, equilibration, stages of intellectual development. Characteristics of these stages, including object permanence, conservation, egocentrism and class inclusion.

Module 9: Stress (Option 2)
The physiology of stress, including general adaptation syndrome, the hypothalamic pituitary-adrenal system, the sympathomedullary pathway and the role of cortisol.

Module 10: Forensic psychology (Option 3)
Problems in defining crime. Ways of measuring crime, including official statistics, victim surveys and offender surveys.
Offender profiling: the top-down approach, including organised and disorganised types of offender; the bottom-up approach, including investigative Psychology; geographical profiling.
Biological explanations of offending behaviour: an historical approach (atavistic form); genetics and neural explanations.

What Will You Learn?

• In-depth understanding of A-Level Psychology, covering advanced concepts and theories.
• Development of critical thinking and analytical skills through complex problem-solving.
• Preparation for higher education or entry into the workforce with specialised knowledge.
• Acquisition of practical skills and competencies relevant to chosen career paths or academic pursuits.

Target Audience

• High school students aiming to pursue further education at universities or colleges.
• Individuals seeking to fulfill academic requirements for specific career paths or professions.
• Mature students looking to enhance their qualifications for career advancement or personal development.
• Students interested in acquiring specialised knowledge and skills in particular subjects or disciplines.

• The good news is that no prior learning knowledge or experience is essential to take this course. This course is openly available to anyone wishing to learn more about A-Level Psychology and would like to take part in a highly rewarding distance learning study course.
• We believe that everyone should have the opportunity to expand their knowledge and study further, so we try to keep our entry requirements to a minimum.
• You have the freedom to start the course at any time and continue your studies at your own pace for a period of up to 12 months from initial registration with full tutor support.