OCR AS Level (H167) and A Level (H567)

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Our online resources will support the course content for both AS level and A level following the OCR specification. 

At AS level students sit two exams both worth 50% of the grade (75 marks each); Research Methods and Psychological Themes Through Core Studies. At A Level students sit three exams Research Methods (30% of the grade - 90 marks), Psychological Themes Through Core Studies (35% of the grade - 105 marks) and Applied Psychology (35% of the grade - 105 marks).

Research Methods and Techniques, Planning and Conducting Research, Data Recording, Analysis and Presentation, Report Writing, Practical Activities and How Science Works. 

There are five main areas;

Social, Cognitive, Developmental, Biological and Individual Differences.

Within each area, the students are required to examine four core studies. These core studies are paired together around key themes. For each key theme students need to examine both a classic and contemporary study. 

They also have to explore the individual studies in terms of background, methods, results and conclusions.

In addition, they will investigate the cores studies in their pairs looking for similarities, differences and key themes, as well as how the study changes our understanding of individual, social and cultural diversity. 

Moreover students must evaluate the Methodological Issues in terms of strengths and weaknesses, ethics, validity, reliability, sampling bias and ethnocentrism.

For each area students must outline the defining principles with research and application to support.

For the two main perspectives; Behaviourist and Psychodynamic, they must do the same.

For each of the key debates, students must outline the defining principles and concepts with research and application, but also give the different positions within each debate. 

•   Nature/ Nurture

•   Free Will/ Determinism

•   Reductionism/ Holism

•   Individual/ Situational Explanations

•   Usefulness of Research

•   Ethical Considerations

•   Conducting Socially Sensitive Research

•   Psychology as a Science

For the Practical Applications of Psychology students must be able to recognise the psychological content in a source, make evidence-based suggestions in relation to the source, and evaluate the strengths and weaknesses. 

This component consists of one compulsory section;

•    Issues in Mental Health. 

Students will also choose to study two out of the following Applied Psychology options;

•    Child Psychology 

•    Criminal Psychology 

•    Environmental Psychology 

•    Sports and exercise Psychology

For each topic students will learn the 'Background with reference to Psychology' (for which they should be able to explain and exemplify the background and consider relevant issues and debates in relation to the topic area), 'Key Research' (also be able to describe the key research and appreciate how it relates to the topic area) and 'Application' (be able to relate the application to a novel situation).