How is OCR Component 3 Applied psychology structured?

Component 3 has one compulsory section, issues in mental health, plus two options chosen from child psychology, criminal psychology, environmental psychology, and sport and exercise psychology. Each option is studied as background, key research and application to novel situations. It is assessed by a 2-hour, 105-mark paper worth 35 per cent.

What is in the compulsory issues in mental health section?

Issues in mental health covers the historical context of mental health, defining and diagnosing abnormality (using the DSM and ICD), and the characteristics, incidence, explanations and treatment of one specific disorder, commonly schizophrenia. It also requires the medical model and its alternatives (behavioural, cognitive, psychodynamic, humanistic) and their evaluation.

Which two options should I choose for Component 3?

You choose two of the four applied options: child psychology, criminal psychology, environmental psychology, and sport and exercise psychology. The choice is usually made by your school, and you must learn both well enough to describe key research and apply it to novel scenarios in the exam.

How do the Component 3 options apply Component 2 core studies?

The options build on the core studies. Criminal psychology uses Loftus and Palmer on leading questions and eyewitness testimony; child psychology uses Bandura on social learning and Baron-Cohen on theory of mind in autism; and sport psychology uses social learning and arousal theory. Bringing core-study knowledge into applied answers strengthens them.

How is the Applied psychology paper assessed?

Component 3 is a 2-hour, 105-mark written paper worth 35 per cent. It mixes description, application and extended-evaluation questions, including questions that ask you to apply your knowledge to a novel scenario (for example, improving a nursery, eyewitness interview or athlete's performance) with justification.

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OCR A-Level Psychology: Component 3 Applied psychology overview

A complete OCR A-Level Psychology guide to Component 3 applied psychology: the compulsory issues in mental health, the medical model and alternatives, and the optional applications (child, criminal, environmental, sport and exercise psychology), with key research, application, and how the paper is examined.

Generated by Claude Opus 4.814 min readH567Updated 2026-06-02

Reviewed by: AI editorial process; not yet individually human-reviewed

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What Component 3 demands
Issues in mental health (compulsory)
The options (choose two)
Check your knowledge

What Component 3 demands

Applied psychology takes the methods and findings of the course and applies them to real-world contexts. OCR examines it on Component 3 and rewards precise knowledge of the compulsory mental health topic, the chosen options, and above all the ability to apply research to novel scenarios with justification.

This guide covers the compulsory section and the options in order, then the exam patterns, with matching dot-point pages for practice.

Issues in mental health (compulsory)

Issues in mental health covers the historical context (from supernatural to moral to medical and psychological models), defining and diagnosing abnormality (DSM and ICD), and the characteristics, incidence, explanations and treatment of one disorder such as schizophrenia. The medical model and alternatives compares the biological model and drug treatment with behavioural, cognitive, psychodynamic and humanistic approaches, integrated through the diathesis-stress model.

The options (choose two)

Child psychology covers attachment and deprivation, development and intelligence, autism, and external influences such as advertising and day care. Criminal psychology covers explanations of offending, eyewitness testimony and the cognitive interview, the courtroom, crime prevention and imprisonment. Sport and exercise psychology covers arousal and anxiety, motivation, personality, audience effects and exercise and mental health. Environmental psychology (the fourth option) covers stressors, biological rhythms, conservation behaviour and personal space.

Check your knowledge

Name the two diagnostic systems used in mental health. (2 marks)
Explain the diathesis-stress model. (3 marks)
Name the four techniques of the cognitive interview. (4 marks)
State the inverted-U hypothesis. (2 marks)

Sources & how we know this

OCR Level 3 Advanced GCE in Psychology (H567) specification — OCR (2015)