Cambridge AssessmentInternational EducationSyllabusCambridge InternationalAS &A LevelPsychology 9990Use this syllabus for exams in 2024,2025 and 2026.Exams are available in the June and November series.Also available for examination in March 2024,2025 and 2026 for India only.Version 1For the purposes of screen readers,any mention in this document of Cambridge IGCSECambridgerefers to Cambridge International General Certification of Secondary Education.PathwayWhy choose Cambridge International?Cambridge Intemational prepares school students for life,helping them develop an informed curiosity and alasting passion for learning.We are part of the University of Cambridge.Our Cambridge Pathway gives students a clear path for educational success from age 5 to 19.Schools canshape the curriculum around how they want students to learn-with a wide range of subjects and flexible waysto offer them.It helps students discover new abilities and a wider world,and gives them the skills they need forlife,so they can achieve at school,university and work.Our programmes and qualifications set the global standard for intemnational education.They are created bysubject experts,rooted in academic rigour and reflect the latest educational research.They provide a strongplatform for students to progress from one stage to the next,and are well supported by teaching and leamningresources.We review all our syllabuses regularly,so they reflect the latest research evidence and professional teachingpractice-and take account of the different national contexts in which they are taught.We consult with teachers to help us design each syllabus around the needs of their learners.Consulting withleading universities has helped us make sure our syllabuses encourage students to master the key concepts inthe subject and develop the skills necessary for success in higher education.Our mission is to provide educational benefit through provision of international programmes and qualificationsfor school education and to be the world leader in this field.Together with schools,we develop Cambridgeleamers who are confident,responsible,reflective,innovative and engaged-equipped for success in theEvery year,nearly a million Cambridge students from 10000 schools in 160 countries prepare for their futurewith the Cambridge Pathway.School feedback:'We think the Cambridge curriculum is superb preparation for university.'Feedback from:Christoph Guttentag.Dean of Undergraduate Admissions,Duke University.USAQuality managementCambridge International is committed to providing exceptional quality.In line with this commitment,ourquality management system for the provision of intemational qualifications and education programmes forstudents aged 5 to 19 is independently certified as meeting the intemationally recognised standard,ISO 9001:2015.Leamn more at www.cambridgeinternational.org/ISO9001Cambridge University Press Assessment September 2021Cambridge Assessment Intemational Education is part of Cambridge University Press Assessment.Cambridge University PressAssessment is a department of the University of Cambridge.Cambridge University Press Assessment retains the copyright on all its publications.Registered centres are pemmitted to copymaterial from this booklet for their own internal use.However,we cannot give pemmission to centres to photocopy any material that isacknowledged to a third party even for internal use within a centre.ContentsWhy choose Cambridge International?.........21 Why choose this syllabus?....................2 Syllabus overview.…AimsContent overview9Assessment overview10Assessment objectives123 Subject content...…143.1 AS Level Content143.1.1 The core studies153.1.2 Research methodology203.2 A Level Content24Specialist Option 1:Clinical Psychology26Specialist Option 2:Consumer Psychology32Specialist Option 3:Health Psychology38Specialist Option 4:Organisational Psychology444 Details of the assessment .........................49Paper 1 -Approaches,Issues and Debates49Paper 2-Research Methods49Paper 3-Specialist Options:Approaches,Issues and Debates51Paper 4-Specialist Options:Application and Research Methods51Command words545 What else you need to know .........55Before you start55Making entries56Accessibility and equality57After the exam58How students,teachers and higher education can use the grades59Grade descriptions59Changes to this syllabus for 2024,2025 and 202660Important:Changes to this syllabusFor information about changes to this syllabus for 2024,2025 and 2026,go to page 60.