Welcome to Psychology (Higher)

Why Psychology?

The Higher Psychology course is being offered in a partnership arrangement between the school and Stirling Learning Centre.  Direct teaching will be available for two of the six periods allocated to it.  This will be provided by a member of staff from the Stirling Learning Centre.  The students will use the other four periods to work from a learning package and complete assignments.

The purpose of the course is to examine the psychological approach to understanding human behaviour. For those of you who are new to the subject, including adult returners, the course is designed to stimulate interest and enjoyment in Psychology. If you are progressing from Intermediate 1 or 2, the course will allow you to further your interest in Psychology and to build on your previous knowledge and understanding of the subject.

This is a useful subject for your personal development as well as being relevant to many career paths.

Entry to the course  - 

As the course involves a considerable amount of independent study, all pupils taking Higher Psychology must have achieved Higher English.

Course Outline

The course consists of one compulsory 40 hour unit and two 40 hour optional units, plus 40 hours flexible time.

Compulsory unit

Approaches and Methods in Psychology

This unit examines five of the main theoretical approaches in Psychology and introduces you to contrasting and complementary aspects of these.

·         Biological approach .

This deals with the ways in which our physiology can affect behaviour.

·         Behaviourist approach.

This deals with the stimulus-response in animal learning and conditioning and how it can be used to explain human behaviour.

·         Cognitive approach.

This deals with the internal mental processes such as perception, memory and thinking.

·         Psychoanalytical approach.

This deals with Freud’s model of personality and psychological development.

·         Humanistic approach.

This emphasises the importance of the whole person and stresses an individual’s interpretation of experience.

The main methods of research used in Psychology are also studied in this unit. They are

·         the experimental method

·         the survey method

·         the interview method

·         the observational method

·         the case–study method

·         the correlation method.

Optional Units

Two of the following units should be selected.

Each unit incorporates an investigation which involves

·         descriptive statistics

·         research design

·         research implementation

·         research evaluation

·         report writing.

Cognitive Psychology

This unit focuses on two concepts in cognitive psychology and some major studies associated with these. Concepts studied will be chosen from

·         perception

·         attention

·         thinking

·         memory

·         language.

Social Psychology

This unit focuses on two concepts in social psychology and some major studies associated with these. Concepts studied will be chosen from

·         attitudes

·         social pressure

·         altruism and aggression

·         leadership

·         person/social perception

Developmental Psychology

This unit focuses on two concepts in developmental psychology and some major studies associated with these. Concepts will be chosen from

·         life–span development

·         attachment and separation

·         cognitive and language development

·         social and moral development

·         adolescence and adulthood

·         ageing.

Biological Psychology

This unit focuses on two concepts in biological psychology and some major studies associated with these. Concepts studied will be chosen from

·         physiological basis of behaviour

·         sleep and dream states

·         emotion

·         stress.

The Psychology of Individual Differences

This unit focuses on two concepts in the psychology of individual differences and some major studies associated with these. Concepts studied will be chosen from

·         intelligence

·         personality

·         abnormality.

Core Skills

H Problem Solving (Critical Thinking, Planning and Organising*, Reviewing and Evaluating*)

*contained only in an optional unit.

Assessment

The course is assessed by a combination of internal assessment by your teacher/lecturer and an external examination, set and marked by the SQA.

Progression

Successful completion of this course may lead to:

Advanced Higher in

·         Psychology

A Scottish Group Award at Higher in

·         Arts & Social Science

Education (HNC/HND/Degree); Employment in

·         Arts, Social Sciences & Religion

·         Social, Caring & Advisory Services.

Further advice and information on these options may be available from your subject teacher, guidance teacher/adviser and careers adviser.