Introduction to Healthy Psychology: Modules One to Five

Thinking Ahead Icon.png Introduction to Healthy Psychology: Modules One to Five

Please read this carefully before you begin studying Module One.

The specialist choice options build on the work in the first part of the course (AS) and explore how all five core areas of psychology have been applied in a range of contexts. Over the past few years, a number of areas have developed in psychology that have sought to integrate the knowledge derived from a variety of psychological sources and apply it to specific problems.

The syllabus takes this approach and encourages you to look at how psychological theory has been applied. This involves you in integrating the various areas of the subject and seeing the connections and contrasts between them. You are required to study how psychology is applied in two areas:

  • Health Psychology (covered in Modules One to Five)
  • Clinical Psychology (covered in Modules Six to Ten)

At A Level, the issues and debates that candidates will need to consider in relation to each of the specialist options, as appropriate are listed below – you will have covered these in your AS level modules too.

  • the application of psychology to everyday life
  • individual and situational explanations
  • nature versus nurture
  • the use of children in psychological research
  • cultural differences
  • reductionism versus holism
  • determinism versus free-will
  • idiographic versus nomothetic

Health psychologists look at the factors that influence behaviours in both health and community settings. For this option, you will look at psychological factors that influence health, and will also examine the management and assessment of health-related behaviours linked to stress, pain and non-adherence to medical advice. You will have the opportunity to explore the different issues and debates relevant to the psychological theories and concepts and the research methods used to investigate health-related behaviour.

For all topics and studies, you should be able to:

  • describe, evaluate and compare the psychological theories, research, approaches, explanations and treatments/therapies;
  • describe and evaluate research methods and methodological concepts (for AS and A Level);
  • consider how the topic area relates to psychological issues and debates (for AS and A Level);
  • apply the findings of the study and topic area to the real world.

Please note – key studies are now identified at AL and examiners can ask specific questions relating to these studies.

For each of the key studies, you should show knowledge and understanding of:

  • the context of the study and relationship to other studies;
  • the main theories/explanations included in the study;
  • the aim(s) and hypotheses of the study [if stated];
  • the design of the study, including all methodology as appropriate, such as the research method(s) used, sample size and demographics [if known] and sampling technique [if known], procedure, technique for data collection;
  • the results, findings and conclusions of the study;
  • the main discussion points of the study.

For each key study, you should be able to:

  • describe and evaluate research methods used in and methodological concepts included in the study (for AS and A Level);
  • describe and evaluate the psychological issues and debates (for AS and A Level) included in the study.

At the end of the introduction to each topic you will find a summary of the key content you need to know for the exams, including key studies where relevant, and a list of relevant issues and debates and methodologies. This is taken from the syllabus so you can keep track of the content as you cover it.