PSYCHOLOGY

Psychology is the study of the mind and seeks to understand how people think and behave. Our behaviours, emotions, and thought process are looked at from a scientific lens which can lead to work in therapeutic setting as well as in areas of marketing and human resources. BE CAREFUL - a lot of psychology degrees will have an element of maths/statistics so make sure you look at each individual university course to see what you are letting yourself in for!

SOME INFORMATION:

Books

The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat
Phantoms in the Brain
Madness Explained
Consciousness Explained
Nature via Nurture
The Private Life of the Brain
A Beautiful Mind
Back After the Break
An Angel At My Table
Defying the Verdict: My Bipolar Life
The Psychopath Test
Everything Here Is Beautiful
Free Will
Imagine Me Gone
Opening Skinner’s Box
The Autistic Brain
The Skeleton Cupboard
Social Psychology: A Very Short Introduction

Lectures and talks

Yale University – Lecture series on Introduction to Psychology

Cardiff Univeristy – Taster Lecture: Decision Making

Steven Pinker Lecture – The Better Angels of our Nature: A History of Violence and Humanity

Changing Minds and Mental Development – Gresham College Lecture

Psychosis: Making and Inhabiting a Different Reality – Gresham College Lecture

UCLA – Series of Social Psychology Lectures

University of Cambridge Taster Lecture – Psychology of Education

Mad, Bad, or Sad? The Psychology of Personality Disorders – Gresham College Lecture

Genuis or Madness? The Psychology of Creativity – Gresham College Lecture

Modern Concepts of ADHD – Gresham College Lecture

The Criminal Mind: The Relationships between Criminology and Psychology

Changes in the Concept of Autism – Gresham College Lecture

Podcasts

The Panpsycast Philosophy PodcastPodcast · Jack Symes, Olly Marley, Andrew Horton and Rose de Castellane · An ‘informal and informative’ philosophy podcast inspiring and supporting students, teachers, academics and free-thinkers worldwide. All episodes are available at www.thepanpsycast.com.

Philosophy BitesPhilosophy Podcast · Updated Monthly · David Edmonds (Uehiro Centre, Oxford University) and Nigel Warburton (freelance philosopher/writer) interview top philosophers on a wide range of topics. Two books based on the series have been publis…

BBC Radio 4 – In Our Time, Philosophy – DownloadsPodcast downloads for Philosophy

Websites

Philosophy World DemocracyIt will not be a world democracy, since it must be the people themselves who create themselves and arrange themselves. Rather, we affirm a democratic essence of the world: peopled by all the living and by all the conversing, wholly configured by their existence and by their words.

Competitions

Psychology Essay Competition — Minds UndergroundThe Minds Underground™ Psychology Essay Competition is open to students in Year 12. The competition provides students with an opportunity to engage in university-level research, hone their writing & argumentative skills and prepare for university interviews. Entrants must choose 1 question to an

2025 Questions

To what extent do social media platforms shape human behaviour?

Hint: Discuss psychological theories of social influence, identity formation, and the impact on mental health.

Psychology Challenge: Design a research study.

Can psychology fully explain consciousness?

Hint: Debate the strengths and limitations of psychological, neurological, and philosophical approaches to understanding consciousness.

The British Psychology Olympiad — Minds UndergroundJoin the British Psychology Olympiad (BPO), a global psychology competition for Year 9-12 students. Engage in high-level discussions, develop research skills, and showcase your critical thinking abilities. Perfect for aspiring psychologists looking to apply knowledge in real-world scenarios.

Every year, we invite students across the UK to tackle one of our academics’ ‘big’ questions. These are designed to challenge you beyond the school curriculum and get you thinking ‘big’ about your subject and what it might be like to study it at university. Simply record a video of 5 minutes or less presenting your arguments, research, evidence and opinions.

To enter you must: live in the UK, attend a state school, be in Year 11, 12, or 13. Winners will be invited to visit Oxford where they will have the opportunity to discuss their entries with subject tutors, take a tour of the college, and enjoy lunch in the dining hall.

First Prize: £100 – Second Prize: £50 – Subject Awards: £35

How to enter:

Send us a video of no more than 5 minutes in length.
There’s no need for any fancy equipment, you can film on your phone if you like – we will be judging entries based on your engagement with the question.
Your video doesn’t have to include your face – feel free to get creative! You could narrate a PowerPoint, record yourself drawing or even apply your TikTok-making skills…
Submit your video as an unlisted YouTube video or via WeTransfer.

This was the question for 2025 – entries are now closed but visit the website to get updates for the next competition!

National psychology competitionFind out more about a National psychology competition you can enter.

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