For those who believe Psychology is a "soft subject"

Why do people even say that a subject is "soft"?

Just let people do what they are interested in learning about. Oooh look at me I do maths and physics...

Reply 41

TheFlyingDutchman

7

Original post by Nymthae

I'm assuming because anybody can memorise a bunch of stuff, if they really tried. I doubt i'll ever *quite* understand what goes on in Physics no matter how hard I try :tongue:

I don't think anybody disputes the workload of the subject.

Not everybody is allowed to get A's nationally, it would completely defeat the point.

I'm sorry you'll never understand physics no matter how hard you try but you think you understand all aspects of the psyche ? Please enlighten me because even neurologists don't understand exactly how the mind works. I don't know about physics but I know that we are miles away from being to understand the way the mind works and why people act/behave in certain ways. You could read for the rest of your life and you wouldn't "*quite*" understand it either.

Kudos on the fail though.

Reply 42

lozzyhickers

17

Whether psychology is a soft subject depends on the approach. Social Psych, generally is not very scientific, neither is Psychodynamic. But biological and cognitive however, looking at the biological processes in the brain and illness, how can you deny that as a science?

Theres alot more to the qualification that people think. And you don't realise it until you take it.

Reply 43

Rybee

2

Compared to other A Levels, it's a doss subject.

/End Thread.

Reply 44

justiceisjust

OP

12

Original post by vedderfan94

Because all the people who scraped Cs and Ds at GCSE and who do subjects like Media and Health and Social picked Psychology at my sixth form.

Surely that is a flaw of your sixth form rather than the actual a-level?

Reply 45

Legen...dary!!

Original post by lozzyhickers

Then why do most unis count Psychology as a science subject in entry criteria?

I thought they didn't, but as I said, I'm not taking it so maybe I'm wrong.

Reply 46

dirtyoldriver

10

The reason I like it is because it's all memorising. And the essays aren't exactly awful once you know the mark schemes. It's my easiest A level out of psycho, history and music, and physics last year which I found extremely hard since it required actual understanding. Compared to the real sciences psychology is arguably pretty soft.

The lower grade results is probably because it tends to be taken by less academic students.

Reply 47

georgia246

I personally wouldn't comment on the validity of a subject unless I myself had studied it - because until then; you really know very little about it. Most people like to highlight certain subjects as "soft" because they've read about it in the media and therefore consider it fact. It never fails to amuse me how many people slag off Media Studies when in reality I suspect they know very little about the course content and what it requires a student to do (indeed, a student of that particular subject would be well aware of media bias and not believe it like so many of the people seem to on here).
What is an easy subject for one person might be hard for another; I am fairly able at English, Italian & History, yet have little talent for Maths, Physics or Chemistry. I have friends that are the complete opposite. It's different types of intelligence and one is no more valid than the other. Psychology is a subject that combines essay writing with scientifc knowledge - so is probably one of the most balanced subjects there is.

Reply 48

lozzyhickers

17

Original post by Cermo

Why do people even say that a subject is "soft"?

Just let people do what they are interested in learning about. Oooh look at me I do maths and physics...

Exactly! I hate it when people say Latin is a 'dead' language. If they enjoy it, let them do it! What's wrong with someone enjoying smething geez!

Reply 49

Organ

13

snobbery - geography is really, really easy - but gets none of the stick psych does.

at university level psych is a subject that is highly useful to understanding human behaviour etc

Reply 50

nuodai

17

Original post by Legen...dary!!

Guys honestly I don't care what you think. I'm just saying what I believe and I stand by it.

I'm not worried about you voicing your opinion on the internet, I'm more worried that people so often get misled because people give them false information. Unis don't "not like" Psychology at all; here's one source to demonstrate it. I did four A2s: Maths, Further Maths, French and Psychology; Cambridge chose to specify M+FM+Psych rather than M+FM+French, which you'd expect if Psychology was such a soft subject.

Reply 51

Nymthae

16

Original post by TheFlyingDutchman

I'm sorry you'll never understand physics no matter how hard you try but you think you understand all aspects of the psyche ? Please enlighten me because even neurologists don't understand exactly how the mind works. I don't know about physics but I know that we are miles away from being to understand the way the mind works and why people act/behave in certain ways. You could read for the rest of your life and you wouldn't "*quite*" understand it either.

Kudos on the fail though.

As far as i'm aware, this thread is regarding the A-level. I'm thoroughly confident that degree level and beyond is just as complex, if not more than many other subjects, but i'm not referring to degree level and beyond.

For the record, I don't think it's a terrible subject either.

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 52

Legen...dary!!

Original post by Organ

snobbery - geography is really, really easy - but gets none of the stick psych does.

at university level psych is a subject that is highly useful to understanding human behaviour etc

Actually I've heard a lot of people talk like this for geography too :tongue:

Reply 53

Superstar6318

15

I find psychology at a2 level piss easy, but AS's were a bitch.
And studying it at a2, in my case, beats the like I have for this subject because you shovel textbook memorisation into the exam

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 54

justiceisjust

OP

12

Original post by dirtyoldriver

The reason I like it is because it's all memorising. And the essays aren't exactly awful once you know the mark schemes. It's my easiest A level out of psycho, history and music, and physics last year which I found extremely hard since it required actual understanding. Compared to the real sciences psychology is arguably pretty soft.

The lower grade results is probably because it tends to be taken by less academic students.

but if Psychology is as 'soft' as they say, being 'academic' isn't a requirement.

Reply 55

im so academic

15

Original post by J_90

Anyone see that program on BBC1 the other week? It was about an Oxford professor, she was explaining about Biology and Psychology and how they work together. Very interesting, worth a watch but I can't remember the name of the program :/

People who put down subjects that they don't understand are just ignorant. If you haven't done it, don't belittle it :rolleyes:

Academic disciplines =/= A-level subjects

It's like comparing GCSE RE short course and the subject of Divinity.

Reply 56

TheFlyingDutchman

7

Original post by Nymthae

As far as i'm aware, this thread is regarding the A-level. I'm thoroughly confident that degree level and beyond is just as complex, if not more than many other subjects, but i'm not referring to degree level and beyond.

So you don't understand A-level physics ? Are you even doing it ?

Just like A-level psychology you need to fully understand the A-level physics to get a good grade, I see little to no difference.

I took psychology along with biology, chemistry and economics and Kings and Imperial had no problem with it.

Reply 57

laurencebaker1

I have 3 medicine offers with Psychology at A2 so meeerr

Reply 58

maturestudy

12

Original post by vedderfan94

Well I'd like to see you prove that statement wrong. You clearly don't even understand what Newton conjectured.

The point is he wasn't wrong, or at least was correct to a good approximation on an astronomical scale. You clearly didn't even understand what I wrote :biggrin:

Reply 59

dirtyoldriver

10

Original post by justiceisjust

but if Psychology is as 'soft' as they say, being 'academic' isn't a requirement.

Well as with any A-level you still need to try, I mean there is work involved, it's just (in my experience) memorisation work rather than understanding work. People with a worse work ethic are still liable to miss out on the top grades, but it's less hard to get the top grades if you put the effort in. This is of course just my opinion, but I can't imagine equating psychology with physics or chemistry in the overall difficulty of the subject matter.

For those who believe Psychology is a "soft subject"

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