AQA A Level Psychology
Exam Questions

Types of Conformity, Explanations for Conformity, Asch & Variables Affecting Conformity, Conformity to Social Roles: Zimbardo

Explanations for Obedience, Milgram's Obedience Study, Milgram's Situational Variables Affecting Obedience, Dispositional Explanation for Obedience: Authoritarian Personality

Social Support & Locus of Control

Minority Influence, Role of Social Influence Processes in Social Change

Multi-store Model of Memory (MSM), Types of Long-term Memory

Working Memory Model (WMM)

Proactive & Retroactive Interference, Retrieval Failure due to Absence of Cues

Factors Affecting the Accuracy of Eyewitness Testimony: Misleading Information, Factors Affecting the Accuracy of Eyewitness Testimony: Anxiety, Improving the Accuracy of Eyewitness Testimony: Cognitive Interview

Caregiver-infant Interactions in Humans

Stages of Attachment Identified by Schaffer, Multiple Attachments & Role of the Father

Animal Studies in Attachment: Lorenz & Harlow

Learning Theory of Attachment, Bowlby’s Monotropic Theory

Ainsworth’s ‘Strange Situation’ & Types of Attachment, Cultural Variations in Attachment: Van Ijzendoorn

Bowlby's Theory of Maternal Deprivation, Romanian Orphan Studies: Effects of Institutionalisation

Influence of Early Attachment on Childhood & Adulthood Relationships

Deviation from Social Norms, Failure to Function Adequately, Deviation from Ideal Mental Health, Statistical Infrequency

Characteristics of Phobias, Behavioural Approach to Explaining Phobias: Two-process Model, Behavioural Approach to Treating Phobias: Systematic Desensitisation, Behavioural Approach to Treating Phobias: Flooding

Characteristics of Depression, Cognitive Approach to Explaining Depression: Beck's Negative Triad, Cognitive Approach to Explaining Depression: Ellis' ABC Model, Cognitive Approach to Treating Depression

Characteristics of OCD, Biological Approach to Explaining OCD, Biological Approach to Treating OCD

Wundt & the Emergence of Psychology as a Science

Classical Conditioning & Pavlov's Research, Operant Conditioning & Skinner's Research

Assumptions & Key Concepts of SLT, Bandura's Research

Assumptions & Theoretical Models, Schemas & Cognitive Neuroscience

Assumptions & the Influence of Genes, Biological Structures, Neurochemistry & Evolution

The Role of the Unconscious & Structure of Personality, Defence Mechanisms & Psychosexual Stages

Free Will, Self-actualisation & Maslow's Hierarchy, Congruence, Conditions of Worth & Counselling Psychology

Comparison of Approaches

The Divisions of the Nervous System, The Function of the Endocrine System, The Fight or Flight Response

The Structure & Function of Neurons, The Process of Synaptic Transmission

Localisation of Function in the Brain, Hemispheric Lateralisation

Plasticity & Functional Recovery of the Brain After Trauma, Ways of Studying the Brain

Circadian, Infradian & Ultradian Rhythms, The Effect of Endogenous Pacemakers & Exogenous Zeitgebers

Aims & Hypotheses, Manipulation and Control of Variables

Research Issues & Controls, Pilot Studies & the Aims of Piloting

Types of Experiment, Experimental Design

Sampling Techniques

Ethical Issues & Ways of Dealing with Them

The Role of Peer Review in the Scientific Process, Implications of Psychological Research & the Economy

Types of Observation, Observational Design

Self-report: Questionnaires, Self-report: Interviews

Correlations, Meta-analysis

Content Analysis, Case Studies

Reliability, Validity

Measures of Central Tendency, Measures of Dispersion, Mathematical Content

Types of Data, Presentation & Display of Quantitative Data, Distributions

Statistical Testing, The Sign Test, Factors Affecting the Choice of Statistical Test

Features of Science, Reporting Psychological Investigations: Sections of a Scientific Report

Gender Bias, Culture Bias

Free Will & Determinism

Nature & Nurture: The Relative Importance of Heredity & Environment

Holism & Reductionism

Idiographic & Nomothetic Approaches

Ethical Implications of Research

Sexual Selection

Self-disclosure, Physical Attractiveness, Filter Theory

Social Exchange Theory, Equity theory of Relationships, Rusbult's Investment Model, Duck's Phase Model of Relationship Breakdown

Explaining Virtual Relationships

Explaining Parasocial Relationships

Differences between Sex & Gender, Androgyny

The Role of Chromosomes & Hormones, Atypical Sex Chromosome Patterns

Kohlberg's Theory of Gender Development, Gender Schema Theory, The Psychodynamic Explanation of Gender Development, Social Learning Theory of Gender Development, The Influence of Culture & Media on Gender Development

Gender Identity Disorder

Piaget's Theory, Piaget's Stages of Intellectual Development

Vygotsky's Theory

Baillargeon's Theory

Selman's Theory, Theory of Mind, Mirror Neurons

Positive & Negative Symptoms: Diagnosis & Classification of Schizophrenia, Issues in the Diagnosis & Classification of Schizophrenia

Biological: The Genetic Basis of Schizophrenia, Biological: Neural Correlates of Schizophrenia, Psychological: Family Dysfunction Theories of Schizophrenia, Psychological: Cognitive Explanation of Schizophrenia

Drug Therapy for Schizophrenia, Psychological Therapies: CBT & Family Therapy, Token Economies for Schizophrenia

The Diathesis-Stress Model of Schizophrenia, Treatment According to the Interactionist Model

The Physiological Response to Stress, The Role of Stress in Illness

Life Changes, Workplace Stress

How is Stress Measured?

Personality Types

Drug Therapy, Non-drug Therapies, Gender Differences in Coping with Stress, The Role of Social Support in Coping with Stress

Neural & Hormonal Mechanisms in Aggression, Genetic Factors in Aggression

The Ethological Explanation of Aggression, Evolutionary Explanations of Human Aggression

The Frustration-Aggression Hypothesis, Social Learning Theory of Aggression, De-Individuation & Aggression

Dispositional & Situational Explanations of Aggression in Prisons

The Effects of Computer Games on Aggression, Desensitisation, Disinhibition & Cognitive Priming in Aggression

The Top-Down Approach to Offender Profiling, The Bottom-Up Approach to Offender Profiling

Atavistic Form, Genetic & Neural Explanations of Offending Behaviour

Eysenck's Theory of Criminal Personality, Kohlberg's Theory, Cognitive distortions, Differential Association Theory, Psychodynamic Explanations

Custodial Sentencing, Behaviour Modification in Custody, Anger Management, Restorative Justice