For those who believe Psychology is a "soft subject"

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You can define "academic people" differently. For instance I can do further maths without much of a struggle and completely fail essay based exam. Whereas my friend just flourishes in the Literature,Psychology etc.. but fails at basic algebra manipulation. It all depends on the individual. However I must agree, general public treats science/maths as being more academic.

By academic, I mean get good grades - whatever that might be.

But people who achieved Bs/Cs/Ds at GCSE are more likely to study Psychology, as opposed to Further Maths, right?

Reply 81

im so academic

Original post by Noodlzzz

Not being necessary for Oxford doesn't mean anything. Philosophy is one of the most academic subjects (Trinity college list also) and no prior knowledge is needed at either Ox or Cam.

Of course not, but Philosophy is still regarded highly by those two universities.

Reply 82

mehhh.....hi.

I've found A level psychology to be pretty easy. As long as you know your content you can get an A. But then again I think it is just down to the person I suppose.Though I don't think its a 'soft' subject at all.
And to people saying its just memorising you are wrong. Well, no your are right in terms of AS I suppose. However at A2 you literally could not just sit and memorise everything, it would take too long, you have to actually understand it as you have to be able to select what is relevant to get the marks in the exam, as you really are pushed for time, in PSYA3 anyway.

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 83

TheFlyingDutchman

Original post by Nymthae

I never said they had a problem with it :confused:

I tried Physics and it's just not my cup of tea, I don't understand it and i'm fine in saying that. I probably don't have the interest really for it. OP said there was a lot of memorisation and last time I checked you never had to understand something to reel it off again. If what (s)he is saying is wrong then forgive me.

To get the marks for analysis and evaluation I'm pretty sure you've got to understand something.

Just because to you psychology is easier to comprehend and apply than physics doesn't make it softer. There are some people that will be absolutely baffled by psychology but could go through physics equations in seconds.

The point was in your first post you said that you never quite understood physics and given this thread is about psychology it's safe to say you "get" psychology.

Either:

a) You're wrong because psychology and physics are both never likely to be fully understood by anyone for the foreseeable future. Even the A-level topics for psychology are never fully understood. We learn the basic concepts but we don't go further.

b) You're wrong because thinking that because you understand psychology more makes it the softer subject is just redundant in too many ways to explain.

Reply 84

chinaberry

Yes, it's a memory test, exactly. I don't think it requires a great deal of independent thought, which is the thing usually valued in the more stringent A levels. I could be wrong, but then I doubt everyone would be so bothered about it. I don't think it's that soft myself- I've seen my friend's textbook, and she knew it back to front and got a B (which I realise does maybe show that it's not just a memory test afterall), but I wouldn't take it myself unless I was absolutely fascinated by the subject...it'll wouldn't do me many favours!

Reply 85

vedderfan94

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.

And you think humans know everything about Physics? Even Einstein didn't understand relativity.

Reply 86

im so academic

Original post by justiceisjust

Ridiculous statement. Maybe take your head out of your arse for a minute and observe the real world.
Many people who taken Psychology in my sixth form scored A's and A* on their GCSE's. Nobody was allowed to take it if you had not acheived at least a B in Maths, English and Science so your statement of people who are less academic take it is *******s.

The reason why many people are taking Psychology is evident in the fact it is rarely offered as a GCSE so it is a new, exciting subject that many people have not studied before, where as Maths or Further Maths is not.

Yes, I acknowledge that those who achieve A*s and As also do Psychology, but let's be honest over the country, there WILL be a higher proportion of less academic people who choose Psychology, as opposed to something like Further Maths.

You can't base your opinion on your own sixth form as chances are it is a good school if many people who attend there have A*s and As.

Reply 87

kaosu_souzousha

Original post by im so academic

By academic, I mean get good grades - whatever that might be.

But people who achieved Bs/Cs/Ds at GCSE are more likely to study Psychology, as opposed to Further Maths, right?

I suppose you can say that. I am surprised Computing is treated only as an addition (4th A level) in Cambridge. Quite a complex subject to study with a lot of abstract concepts.

Reply 88

TheFlyingDutchman

Original post by im so academic

Further maths has one of the highest %'s of A*'s actually because only people that are good at it do it.

I wouldn't be surprised if psychology had a pretty low one because of all the bimbos that do it because it "sounds cool like".

Reply 89

justiceisjust

Original post by im so academic

Yes, I acknowledge that those who achieve A*s and As also do Psychology, but let's be honest over the country, there WILL be a higher proportion of less academic people who choose Psychology, as opposed to something like Further Maths.
You can't base your opinion on your own sixth form as chances are it is a good school if many people who attend there have A*s and As.

Do you have a source for this? Or is your arrogance dictating your answer?

Reply 90

J_90

Original post by kaosu_souzousha

Quite a complex subject to study with a lot of abstract concepts.

Indeed!

Reply 91

DoubleO

This thread is ridiculous, of course psychology is a science, when you do it a lower levels you just deal with the objective reality part of the theory, it gets harder the higher the level (just like maths does). I doubt anybody who is actually really intelligent and a genius at maths would have the need to put down another scientific discipline to make themselves feel more superior, just a theory i have... I just wish i studied a 'proper' science at university, then maybe i could test this theory.

Reply 92

im so academic

Original post by kaosu_souzousha

I suppose you can say that. I am surprised Computing is treated only as an addition (4th A level) in Cambridge. Quite a complex subject to study with a lot of abstract concepts.

Not surprising. Mathematical ability is where it is at.

Reply 93

BradfordCityJoss

Original post by Noodlzzz

Nothing of that is to do with psychology. Go read about what it actually is before you criticise it.

In fact, go read about the origins of consciousness in the cerebral cortex where it's possibly derived from modalities within the visual and olfactory system and the binding of information through neural oscillations of synaptic threshold in action potential localising within the cerebral cortex. Then tell me if a) you even understand and b) psychology is not a science.

You mad brah? It's interesting sure, but science is based on observation and experimentation. The thing about Psychology is that the brain is almost impossible to observe and experimentation on the human complex is always going to be fraught with bias. You will never get the same type of results as say; dropping a ball and measuring the time it takes to drop, and concluding the acceleration due to gravity. This is why it is seen as a soft science.

Original post by Noodlzzz

where it's possibly derived from modalities...

That's conjecture right there, eventually when you poke at something in the dark you will hit it.

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 94

im so academic

Original post by TheFlyingDutchman

Exactly! That's what I meant!

Reply 95

username533239

Original post by lozzyhickers

But the thing is, Psychology itself isn't old, it's the A-level which is new

Yeah and they don't like it

Reply 96

im so academic

Original post by justiceisjust

Do you have a source for this? Or is your arrogance dictating your answer?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/hi/education/10/exam_results/a_levels/html/psychology.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/hi/education/10/exam_results/a_levels/html/mathematics_further.stm

The modal results for Further Maths are A*/A. The modal results for Psychology are B/C/(D).

So generally speaking those who do Psychology have less academic aptitude than those who do Further Maths.

Reply 97

lozzyhickers

Original post by im so academic

By academic, I mean get good grades - whatever that might be.

But people who achieved Bs/Cs/Ds at GCSE are more likely to study Psychology, as opposed to Further Maths, right?

It depends on the college, but in ours we had to achieve a minimum of 5 A*-C grades, and a minimum of B in English, Additional Science and Maths.

Reply 98

lozzyhickers

Original post by im so academic

Is it possible this is something to do with the fact that we are taught Maths all the way through our education, whereas Psychology is rarely taught as GCSE, so it's a matter of practice?