AQA A-Level Psychology (7182): complete guide to the eight topics and the exams
A complete guide to AQA A-Level Psychology (specification 7182). Covers the eight compulsory topics (social influence, memory, attachment, psychopathology, approaches in psychology, biopsychology, research methods and issues and debates), how the three written papers are structured and marked, the maths demand, and how to study each topic for top grades.
AQA A-Level Psychology (specification 7182) is a two-year linear course assessed by three written papers at the end of Year 13. This page is the index: below is a map of the eight compulsory topics, the optional topics, the exam structure, and how to study each one.
The eight compulsory AQA Psychology topics
The specification has eight compulsory topics that every student studies.
- 4.1 Social influence
- Conformity (types, explanations and Asch's variables), conformity to social roles (Zimbardo), obedience (Milgram and its explanations), resistance to social influence, minority influence and social change.
- 4.2 Memory
- The multi-store model, the working memory model, types of long-term memory, explanations for forgetting, eyewitness testimony and the cognitive interview.
- 4.3 Attachment
- Caregiver-infant interactions, animal studies, explanations of attachment, the Strange Situation, cultural variations, maternal deprivation and the influence of early attachment.
- 4.4 Psychopathology
- Definitions of abnormality, the characteristics of phobias, depression and OCD, and the behavioural, cognitive and biological approaches to explaining and treating them.
- 4.5 Approaches in Psychology
- The origins of psychology and the behaviourist, social learning, cognitive, biological, psychodynamic and humanistic approaches, with a comparison.
- 4.6 Biopsychology
- The nervous and endocrine systems, neurons and synaptic transmission, localisation and lateralisation, plasticity and functional recovery, ways of studying the brain and biological rhythms.
- 4.7 Research methods
- Experimental methods and design, observations, self-report, correlations, sampling, descriptive statistics and inferential testing.
- 4.8 Issues and debates
- Gender and culture bias, free will and determinism, nature-nurture, holism and reductionism, idiographic and nomothetic approaches and ethical implications.
The optional topics
On Paper 3, every student also studies three optional topics, one from each of three option blocks: relationships, gender or cognition and development; schizophrenia, eating behaviour or stress; and aggression, forensic psychology or addiction.
Exam structure
AQA A-Level Psychology is assessed by three written papers, all sat at the end of the course.
- Paper 1 Introductory topics in Psychology - social influence, memory, attachment and psychopathology. 2 hours, 96 marks, 33.3%.
- Paper 2 Psychology in context - approaches in psychology, biopsychology and research methods. 2 hours, 96 marks, 33.3%.
- Paper 3 Issues and options in Psychology - issues and debates plus three optional topics. 2 hours, 96 marks, 33.3%.
At least 10% of marks assess maths skills, mostly within research methods, and a calculator is allowed.
How to study AQA Psychology
Psychology rewards precise knowledge of studies and theories, the ability to apply and evaluate them, and confident research-methods maths.
- Work from the specification points. Each numbered point is a checklist; questions are written from them.
- Learn studies in full. Know each study's procedure, findings and evaluation so you can describe, apply and evaluate.
- Master the three assessment objectives. Description (AO1), application (AO2) and evaluation (AO3) all carry marks; extended essays need all three.
- Drill the maths. Descriptive statistics, significance and inferential tests recur across all three papers.
- Practise extended essays. Rehearse 16-mark answers under timed conditions, planning balanced evaluation.
The eight topics, dot point by dot point
Each topic has specification-point-level answer pages with practice questions and cross-links, plus an overview guide and quiz.
For the official specification
AQA publishes the full specification (7182), past papers and mark schemes at aqa.org.uk. Always revise from the current specification and AQA's own past papers, because question style and the optional-topic format are board-specific.
Psychology guides
In-depth written guides with paired practice quizzes.
- AQA A-Level Psychology 4.1 Social influence: conformity, obedience and social change
A complete AQA A-Level Psychology guide to module 4.1 Social influence. Covers types and explanations of conformity, Asch and Zimbardo, Milgram's obedience research and its explanations, resistance to social influence, minority influence and social change.
18 min readRead → - AQA A-Level Psychology 4.2 Memory: models, forgetting and eyewitness testimony
A complete AQA A-Level Psychology guide to module 4.2 Memory. Covers the multi-store model, the working memory model, types of long-term memory, explanations for forgetting, factors affecting eyewitness testimony and the cognitive interview.
17 min readRead → - AQA A-Level Psychology 4.3 Attachment: caregiver interactions, types and deprivation
A complete AQA A-Level Psychology guide to module 4.3 Attachment. Covers caregiver-infant interactions, animal studies, learning theory and Bowlby's monotropic theory, the Strange Situation, cultural variations, maternal deprivation and the influence of early attachment.
18 min readRead → - AQA A-Level Psychology 4.4 Psychopathology: abnormality, phobias, depression and OCD
A complete AQA A-Level Psychology guide to module 4.4 Psychopathology. Covers definitions of abnormality, the characteristics of phobias, depression and OCD, and the behavioural, cognitive and biological approaches to explaining and treating them.
17 min readRead → - AQA A-Level Psychology 4.5 Approaches: behaviourist, cognitive, biological and more
A complete AQA A-Level Psychology guide to module 4.5 Approaches in Psychology. Covers the origins of psychology, the behaviourist, social learning, cognitive, biological, psychodynamic and humanistic approaches, and how they compare on key debates.
18 min readRead → - AQA A-Level Psychology 4.6 Biopsychology: the nervous system, the brain and rhythms
A complete AQA A-Level Psychology guide to module 4.6 Biopsychology. Covers the nervous and endocrine systems, neurons and synaptic transmission, localisation and lateralisation, plasticity and functional recovery, ways of studying the brain and biological rhythms.
18 min readRead → - AQA A-Level Psychology 4.7 Research methods: experiments, sampling and statistics
A complete AQA A-Level Psychology guide to module 4.7 Research methods. Covers experimental methods and design, observations, self-report, correlations, sampling, data handling and descriptive statistics, and inferential testing.
18 min readRead → - AQA A-Level Psychology 4.8 Issues and debates: bias, determinism and reductionism
A complete AQA A-Level Psychology guide to module 4.8 Issues and debates. Covers gender and culture bias, free will and determinism, the nature-nurture debate, holism and reductionism, idiographic and nomothetic approaches, and ethical implications.
17 min readRead →
Psychology practice quizzes
Multiple-choice drills with worked answer explanations. Your scores stay on this device.
- AQA A-Level Psychology 4.5 Approaches in Psychology overview quiz10 questionsStart →
- AQA A-Level Psychology 4.3 Attachment overview quiz10 questionsStart →
- AQA A-Level Psychology 4.6 Biopsychology overview quiz10 questionsStart →
- AQA A-Level Psychology 4.8 Issues and debates in Psychology overview quiz10 questionsStart →
- AQA A-Level Psychology 4.2 Memory overview quiz10 questionsStart →
- AQA A-Level Psychology 4.4 Psychopathology overview quiz10 questionsStart →
- AQA A-Level Psychology 4.7 Research methods overview quiz10 questionsStart →
- AQA A-Level Psychology 4.1 Social influence overview quiz10 questionsStart →
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