Psychology degree personal statement example (1a) Birmingham offer

Why do you want to study this course or subject?

Unusually, my interest in psychology stemmed from studying history; after researching the horrifying events of the My Lai massacre, I began to question just how and why seemingly ordinary American citizens could commit such disturbing atrocities. My growing interest in the transformation of human behaviour subsequently drove me to study psychology A Level, in which I have particularly enjoyed studying areas of social and cognitive psychology. By continuing my studies of psychology at university, I will be able to continue researching my current interests but also widen my breadth of knowledge and skills in new areas.

The topic of social psychology during my A Level course intrigued me greatly, specifically how situational forces create evil behaviour. I decided to read Zimbardo’s The Lucifer Effect, investigating the causes of the infamous Abu Ghraib prison abuse. Rather than explaining behaviour dispositionally, key situational forces in the prison environment were identified as facilitating the abuses, a crucial contributor being the dehumanisation of prisoners. Senior officers referred to detainees as ‘dogs’, thus encouraging inhumane actions against those perceived to be inhuman. Furthermore, I was surprised to learn that those guilty of abusing prisoners carried no pathologies into the prison and performed impressively when psychologically assessed, thus emphasising the overwhelming strength of situational power over human nature.

How have your qualifications and studies helped you to prepare for this course or subject?

Studying English literature and history has taught me to evaluate environments through varying cultural and historical lenses. After learning literary theories such as New Historicism, judging works whilst considering the context in which they were produced, I have applied these to my learning of issues and debates in psychology, specifically to discussions surrounding the cultural bias of studies in social psychology. During a class debate, I critiqued Asch’s research on conformity, arguing that the findings of such research are weakened due to the limited sample of white, American participants. However, I explored this further by also considering the historical context underpinning the study, suggesting that high rates of conformity were potentially influenced by attitudes of McCarthyism in American society.

What else have you done to prepare outside of education, and why are these experiences useful?

Recently, I completed four weeks of work experience at a high school, working with neurodivergent children and mentoring a sixth former in psychology. I found this experience engaging, as I was able to apply my learnt knowledge of cognitive development from my A Level course to offer differing levels of support and guidance to students, specifically instructional scaffolding tailored to individuals. I later researched further into neurodivergent representation in psychological research, listening to the BPS Psych Crunch Podcast. It was fascinating to discover how psychologists are working towards improving input of lived experience from autistic people into research; Emma Palmer-Cooper for instance conducted patient involvement activities in order to avoid misinterpretation of questions relating to experience of psychosis, thus ensuing higher quality research.

Music is one of my great passions, which led me to head the Performing Arts Committee in sixth form; I independently planned two showcase events, in which I also performed in the school band playing the guitar. Holding a position of leadership was beneficial as it allowed me to express my interests, whilst tackling educational responsibilities such as attending meetings and prefecting. Balancing these commitments whilst studying four A Levels proved to be a challenge, however it taught me the importance of managing heavy workloads and prioritising deadlines. I believe that I am prepared to pursue the study of psychology at university, as it will deepen my knowledge of the subject to a greater, sophisticated degree and enhance my current academic skillset.

Universities applied to:

• The University of Birmingham

Grades achieved:

• History (A*)
• English Literature (A)
• Psychology (A)
• Music (Dist. *)

How personal statements have changed?

The current personal statement format, with three 'scaffolding' questions, was introduced by Ucas in September 2025. This personal statement was submitted before then, using the old essay-style format. It has been carefully edited into the three-question format, with all of the original wording kept.

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