COMPULSORY TASK:

Complete the four compulsory tasks in the Summer Task document below and submit to your teacher during your first Psychology lesson back in September.

You can email c.webb@springwoodhighschool.co.uk for any questions relating to the task or the A-level course.

Psychology Summer Task Sheet Download

 

OPTIONAL EXTENSION:

Write a review of one (or more!) of the books or documentaries/films listed in the additional recommended reading section below. Here is some structure to help your review:

• Why you chose it
• What was your prior knowledge of the topic, if any?
• What was it about?
• Did you enjoy it, why/why not?
• What would you like to find out more about afterwards?
• Any other relevant information

 

ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDED READING:

Books:

• Obedience to Authority – Stanley Milgram
  Foundational reading on obedience and ethics in psychological research.
• The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat – Oliver Sacks
  Fascinating neurological case studies relevant to cognitive psychology.
• Opening Skinner’s Box – Lauren Slater
  Explores 10 famous psychology experiments with context and analysis.
• Thinking, Fast and Slow – Daniel Kahneman
  Insight into cognitive psychology, biases, and decision-making.
• The Psychopath Test – Jon Ronson
  Engaging, accessible book exploring abnormal psychology and mental health.
• Mindwatching: Why We Behave the Way We Do – Hans and Michael Eysenck
  An overview of many psychological concepts from a historical perspective.
• The Lucifer Effect – Philip Zimbardo
  A deep dive into the Stanford Prison Experiment and the psychology of evil.
• "We Need to Talk About Kevin" – Lionel Shriver
  Raises issues related to nature vs nurture, aggression, and parenting.
• Prozac Nation - Elizabeth Wurtzel
  Raises issues surrounding the diagnosis and treatment of disorders such as depression and anxiety.
• Flowers for Algernon – Daniel Keyes
  Explores intelligence and ethics in psychological experimentation.

Documentaries/films:

• Anything by Derren Brown - YouTube/Channel 4 on Demand
• Stacey Dooley: On the Psych Ward - BBC iPlayer 
• The Mind Explained - Netflix
• I Am a Killer - Netflix
• The…. Tapes (Bundy, Dahmer, Gacy etc.) - Netflix
• The Confession Tapes - Netflix 
• Take Your Pills - Netflix
• Stutz - Netflix
• The Social Dilemma - Netflix
• Babies - Netflix

Other:

If you enjoy podcasts, we recommend the following:

• All in the Mind (BBC Sounds) - www.bbc.co.uk/programmes
• Speaking of Psychology (APA) - www.apa.org/news/podcasts/speaking-of-psychology

We would also recommend you subscribe to the American Psychological Association’s newsletter “Six Things Psychologists are Talking About” - www.apa.org/monitor/six-things. You can download the APA monitor app from your app store for digital copies and Psychology on the go!