Syllabus

This course is 100% Exam based, no coursework involved. Please check out Edexcel's specification for more detailed information. 
Two papers:
Paper 1 - 1hr 15mins, multiple choice and short answers. 40% of final grade 
* Topic A: How do we see our world?  Optical illusions, art, perception
* Topic B: Is dreaming meaningful? 
Paper 2 - 1 hr 45mins - some longer answers eg up to a page of A4. 60% of final grade
* Topic C: Do TV and video games affect young people's behaviour?
* Topic D: Why do we have phobias? Treatment options.
* Topic E: Are criminals born or made?
Topic A - How do we see our world?
 This unit focuses on perception (which means seeing and understanding) and how we see the things the way they are. This unit explains how we see distance or 'depth' and what goes wrong when we are fooled by optical illusions. You will learn about the structure of the eye, depth cues, Gregory's theory, Gestalt's theory, and different types of illusions to name a few. 
Topic B - Is dreaming meaningful?
Psychologists have investigated dreaming for a long time. There seems to be many reasons as to why we dream. In this topic you will learn Freud's theory and Hobson & McCarley's theory of dreaming. You will learn different explanations for dreaming and compare/contrast them. 
Topic C - Do TV and video games affect young people's behaviour?
 In this unit you will learn what may cause aggression. You will investigate whether hormones of the brain are responsible for aggression and how we might learn aggression from the TV and video games we watch. These are the biological and social theories to aggression. You will investigate this question by looking at how psychologists use content analysis, ethical problems with measuring aggression and case studies/research relating to aggression. 
Topic D - Why do we have phobias?
 In this unit you will investigate why we have phobias, and what the nature-nurture debate is about. You will learn explore whether phobias are controlled by our biology or our environment. You will look at different types of experiments and ways to evaluate them, ethical and practical issues with animal research, and different ways psychologists collect data. You will also learn about how phobias are treated and the job of a clinical psychologist. 
Topic E - Are criminals born or made?
 You will investigate key studies in this topic to examine whether criminals are born or made. The role of genetics, self-fulfilling prophecy, and how jury decision making is affected by attractiveness. This links to the nature-nurture debate. You will also learn about the case of John Duffy, offender profiling, and the job of a forensic psychologist.
For more information please go to the Edexcel Psychology website and take a look at the specification. This is where you can also find past papers, which you must do to get good marks.