Psychology at NGHS allows students to engage in the science of mental life and its scope includes a wide variety of issues. It addresses such questions as: why do we conform? What causes criminal behaviour? What predisposes two people to get on with each other and fall in love? What causes schizophrenia? Why do people kill?

Psychology is a scientific discipline, involving the rigorous formulation and testing of hypotheses, and the evaluation and analysis of revolutionary theories, complex explanations and inconceivable experiments. Students will spend two years delving into some of the most ground-breaking research of its time. An example of this includes a somewhat unethical experiment designed by a teacher who placed his students in a mock prison, giving them the roles of prisoners and guards to see what extent they would conform to these roles. Designed to last 2 weeks, this study had to be stopped after 6 days as half of the students turned into abusive and brutal guards, causing the half given the role of student prisoners to have serious psychotic breakdowns. This is just one of the fascinating examinations of human behaviour that A level psychology students will examine, leading them to question their own humanity and how they would behave in similar situations. The study of psychology at A level no only gives students the opportunity to gain knowledge of profound and ground-breaking research, but also to design their own psychological studies and investigations.

Students who study A level psychology often go on to study the subject at degree level before often specialising in various fields of psychology within politics, law, sports science, animal behaviour, medicine and education. This understanding of human behaviour that the study of psychology not only provides students with an invaluable academic advantage, but also an advantage in life, with students learning how to influence others whilst avoiding being influenced themselves, understanding how to ensure the most success in romantic relationships and friendships, and most importantly how to ensure the best chance of robust and positive mental health, and the steps required to improve this throughout their life.

Overall, A level psychology is a journey into the depths of what it is to be human and the benefits of studying the subject are far reaching and hugely beneficial to all.