A-Level Psychology (AQA 7182)

Course Overview 课程介绍

AQA A-Level 心理学，线性结构，社会、记忆、临床与生物心理学并重，含三组选修。

A-Level Psychology (AQA 7182) is a linear qualification covering social influence, memory, attachment, psychopathology, approaches, biopsychology and research methods, plus issues and debates and three optional topics, examined by three terminal papers at the end of two years. The course combines scientific methodology with theories of behaviour and mental processes. It is a popular subject for psychology, neuroscience, criminology, sociology, education, nursing and business applicants.

Key Facts 基本信息

Exam Board (考试局)	Assessment and Qualifications Alliance (AQA) · Oxford International AQA
Specification Code	AQA 7182 · OxfordAQA 9685
Structure	Linear structure, terminal exams at end of 2 years
Grading (评分)	A* - E (A* only for full A-Level)
Exam Papers	Paper 1 + Paper 2 + Paper 3 (3 written papers, equally weighted)
Practical Endorsement	Not applicable (research methods assessed within written papers)

AS / Year 1 Syllabus AS 阶段章节

AS1. Social influence

Conformity (Asch, types and explanations), obedience (Milgram, agentic state, legitimacy of authority), resistance to social influence, minority influence, social change
AS2. Memory

Multi-store model (Atkinson-Shiffrin), working memory model (Baddeley), types of long-term memory, eyewitness testimony, cognitive interview, misleading information
AS3. Attachment

Caregiver-infant interactions, Schaffer's stages, animal studies (Lorenz, Harlow), Bowlby's monotropic theory and internal working model, Ainsworth's Strange Situation, maternal deprivation, Romanian orphan studies, influence of early attachment on later relationships
AS4. Psychopathology

Phobias (behavioural explanation and treatment), depression (cognitive explanation and CBT), OCD (biological explanation and drug treatment), deviation from ideal mental health, statistical infrequency, failure to function adequately
AS5. Approaches in psychology

Origins of psychology, behaviourist (Pavlov, Skinner), social learning theory (Bandura), cognitive approach, biological approach, humanistic psychology, comparison of approaches
AS6. Biopsychology

Nervous system (CNS, PNS, ANS, endocrine), fight or flight response, neurons and synaptic transmission, brain localisation, ways of studying the brain, plasticity and functional recovery
AS7. Research methods

Experimental and non-experimental methods, sampling, ethics, hypothesis testing, types of data, descriptive statistics, inferential statistics, features of science, reporting psychological investigations

A2 / Year 2 Syllabus A2 阶段章节

A28. Research methods (advanced) and inferential statistics

Extended research methods, statistical testing (sign test, Spearman's rho, Pearson's r, Wilcoxon, Mann-Whitney, related and unrelated t-test, Chi-squared), probability and significance, Type I and Type II errors
A29. Issues and debates in psychology

Gender bias, culture bias, free will vs determinism, nature-nurture, holism vs reductionism, idiographic vs nomothetic approaches, ethical implications of research
A210. Option 1 (one of)

Relationships (evolutionary explanations, sexual selection, self-disclosure, virtual relationships) · Gender (biosocial, psychodynamic, cognitive, gender dysphoria) · Cognition and development (Piaget, Vygotsky, theory of mind, Baillargeon)
A211. Option 2 (one of)

Schizophrenia (classification, biological and psychological explanations, drug and psychological therapies, interactionist approach) · Eating behaviour (evolutionary, neural and cognitive, eating disorders) · Stress (Selye's GAS, immune system, life changes, workplace, personality, drug and psychological therapies)
A212. Option 3 (one of)

Aggression (neural and hormonal, ethological, evolutionary, social psychological, media, institutional) · Forensic psychology (offender profiling, biological and psychological explanations of crime, custody, behaviour modification, anger management) · Addiction (biological, cognitive and behavioural, risk factors, treatment including CBT and drug therapy)

Exam Structure (AQA 7182) 考试结构

Paper 1	Introductory topics in psychology (Social influence, Memory, Attachment, Psychopathology) · 2h · 96 marks · 33.3% of A-Level
Paper 2	Psychology in context (Approaches, Biopsychology, Research methods) · 2h · 96 marks · 33.3% of A-Level
Paper 3	Issues and options in psychology (Issues and debates + one option from each of three option groups) · 2h · 96 marks · 33.3% of A-Level
Notes	Linear structure, terminal exams at end of 2 years; multiple choice, short answer and extended writing in each paper

Suitable Majors & Pathway 适用专业与衔接

心理学、神经科学、犯罪学、教育、护理、商科等方向的常见前置科目。

A-Level Psychology (AQA) is a popular subject for psychology, neuroscience, criminology, sociology, education, nursing, occupational therapy, sports science, marketing and human resource management applicants. The linear terminal exams reward scientific evaluation of theories, methodology and statistical reasoning, providing a strong foundation for university cognitive psychology, biological psychology, social psychology, research methods and abnormal psychology modules. Many UK universities regard Psychology as a science subject for BSc Psychology entry.