AQA A Level Psychology Exam Questions By Topic

Types of Conformity, Explanations for Conformity, Asch & Variables Affecting Conformity

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

Multi-store Model of Memory (MSM)

Working Memory Model (WMM)

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

Factors Affecting the Accuracy of Eyewitness Testimony: Leading Questions & Post-event Discussion, Factors Affecting the Accuracy of Eyewitness Testimony: Anxiety, Factors Affecting the Accuracy of Eyewitness Testimony: Cognitive Interview

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, The Effects of Institutionalisation: The English & Romanian Adoptees Project

Early Attachment and Later Relationships

Deviation from Social/Cultural 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, 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

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

Assumptions & Key Concepts of SLT, Bandura's Research

Assumptions & Key Concepts of the Cognitive Approach

The Genetic Basis of Behaviour & Evolution, Biological Structures & Neurochemistry, Cognitive Neuroscience

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

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

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

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

Aims & Hypotheses, Manipulation and Control of Variables

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

Types of Experiment, Experimental Design

Sampling Methods

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

Social Sensitivity in Psychological Research

Self-disclosure, Physical Attractiveness, Filter Theory

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

Explaining Online Relationships

Explaining Parasocial Relationships

The Role of Chromosomes & Hormones, Diversity in Sex Development

Gender Identity: Gender Binary, Gender Identity: Non-binary & Gender Fluidity, Measurement of Gender

Biological Explanations of Gender Development, Cognitive Explanations of Gender Development, Social Learning Theory & Gender Development, The Inflluence of Culture & Media on Gender Development

Explanations for Gender Incongruence

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 of Schizophrenia, Issues in the Diagnosis 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

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

The Evolutionary Explanation, The Role of Learning in Food Preference

Neural & Hormonal Mechanisms

Biological Explanations for Anorexia Nervosa, Psychological Explanations for Anorexia Nervosa: Family Systems Theory, Psychological Explanations for Anorexia Nervosa: Social Learning Theory, Psychological Explanations for Anorexia Nervosa: Cognitive Theory

Biological Explanations for Obesity, Psychological Explanations for Obesity

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

Life Changes & Daily Hassles, 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 on Computer Games on Aggression, Desensitisation, Disinhibition & Cognitive Priming in Aggression

The Typology Approach, The Data-driven Approach

Genetics & Neural Explanations of Offending Behaviour

Eysenck’s Theory of the Criminal Personality, Kohlberg's Theory, Cognitive Distortions, Differential Association Theory

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

What is Addiction?

Biological Risk Factors, Personality & Social Influences

Nicotine Addiction & Brain Neurochemistry, Learning Theory as an Explanation for Nicotine Addiction

Learning Theory as an Explanation for Gambling Addiction, Cognitive Theory

The Use of Drug Therapy for Addiction, Behavioural Interventions for Addiction, Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for Addiction

Prochaska's Model of Behaviour Change