Psychology

Applications Open: 27/11/25

Applications Close: 31/01/26

Entry Requirements: 4 GCSE passes at grade 6 or above including grade 5s in Maths and either English Literature or Language.

How to Apply: Online application using Applicca - https://rochestergrammarschool.applicaa.com/applicaa.com/Year12

Paper 1: Introductory Topics in Psychology

• Social Influence – topics including conformity, obedience, resisting the influence of others, the process of social change

• Memory – models of memory including the multi-store model and working memory model, explanations for forgetting and accuracy of eyewitness testimony

• Attachment – stages of attachment, animal studies of attachment, Bowlby’s monotropic theory of attachment, types of attachment, and influence of childhood attachments on relationships

• Psychopathology – definitions of abnormality, the characteristics of phobias, depression and OCD, behavioural, cognitive and biological approaches to these disorders

Paper 2: Psychology in Context

• Approaches in Psychology – Description, evaluation and comparison of the learning, cognitive, biological, psychodynamic and humanistic approaches to psychology

• Biopsychology – divisions of the nervous system, functions of the endocrine system, localisation of functions in the brain, ways of studying the brain, factors affecting the sleep/wake cycle

• Research methods - understanding and evaluation of experimental methods, observational techniques, self-report techniques, correlations, Content Analysis and Case Studies

Paper 3: Issues and Options in Psychology

• Issues and debates in psychology – Gender and Culture in Psychology, Free will and determinism, nature-nurture debate, holism vs reductionism, ethical implications of research studies

• Relationships – the evolution of partner preference, factors of attraction, theories of romantic relationships, including the breakdown of relationships, virtual and parasocial relationships

• Schizophrenia – classification and symptoms of schizophrenia, biological, psychological and cognitive explanations of and treatments for Schizophrenia

• Forensic Psychology – Offender profiling, biological and psychological explanations for offending behaviour and dealing with offending behaviour.

Examination only

Paper 1: 2 hr written examination worth 33.33% of the A-Level

Paper 2: 2 hr written examination worth 33.33% of the A-Level

Paper 3: 2 hr written examination worth 33.33% of the A-Level

GCSE Grade 6 in Psychology if studied, if not studied GCSE grade 6 in Biology or Combined Science.