Psychology Applied

BTEC Extended Certificate

Psychology is a fascinating area of study. It will help you understand human behaviour and mental processes and allow you to better understand how we think act and feel. Why do we form the attachments that we do? Should we trust our own memories of events? Who has the power to influence others and are we able to resist them? Are mental illnesses the result of our biology or do we learn them from our environment? Psychology has influenced all areas of human thought over the past 150 years and is an ever-expanding field that gives you the opportunity to make sense of the world around you and to view the behaviours of others in a whole new light!

Three compulsory units:

Psychological approaches and applications. Explore four key approaches in psychology: social, cognitive, learning and biological. Apply these approaches to issues relevant to contemporary society.
Conducting psychological research. Develop knowledge, understanding and skills in the scientific process and in psychological research methodology through your own psychological research project.
Health psychology. Understand the link between stress and psychological attitude/behaviours and health and illness.

One of the following options:

Criminal and forensic psychology. Explore psychological approaches to criminal behaviour and learn how offender profiles are created using different techniques.
Promoting children’s psychological development. Understand how early experiences in childhood can influence and account for individual differences in aspects of a child’s development.
Introduction to psychopathology. Understand the types and characteristics of mental disorders and approaches to treatment, and the role of professionals in supporting and promoting mental health.
Applied sport psychology. Learn key psychological principles relating to motivation, self-confidence, arousal and anxiety, and to understand how these theories can be applied.

Curriculum

As a student of BTEC Applied Psychology, you will demonstrate psychological knowledge, and be able to recall key assumptions, concepts and research. You will plan research to investigate psychological questions and carry out a pilot study to explore current issues in psychology, reviewing implications of research into psychological inquiry. You will demonstrate knowledge and understanding of psychological approaches, theories and studies used to explain health-related behaviour and behavioural change. You will understand different psychological approaches to explaining criminal behaviour. You will investigate punishment strategies and behaviour modification of criminal behaviour. You will also apply different methods to create an offender profile.

Progression

BSc Psychology, BSc Criminology, BSc Forensics, LLB Law, BSc Sociology

Careers

Police officer, Forensic analyst, Psychologist, Lawyer, Counsellor, Teacher, Sports coach.

Entry Requirements:

Students must achieve five GCSEs at Grade 5 or equivalent including Grade 5 in English Language, Grade 4 in Maths and Grade 4 in Science.

Assessment

The Exam Board is Pearson.
50% internally controlled assessment, 50% external examinations, two assessed internally and two externally.

Opportunities for work related activities:

Visits to academic conferences, such as Bristol University Neuroscience Conference.