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SQA Higher Psychology: complete guide to the areas of study, the question paper and the assignment

A complete guide to SQA Higher Psychology, an SCQF level 6 qualification. Covers the areas of study (Individual Behaviour, Social Behaviour and Research), how the course assessment splits between the question paper and the assignment, the mandatory and optional topics, and how to study each area for an A.

Browse guides β†’Syllabus dot points (12)

SQA Higher Psychology is a one-year course at SCQF level 6, building on National 5 Psychology and preparing learners for further study in psychology and the social sciences. It is graded A to D from two assessment components: a question paper worth 80 marks and a researched assignment worth 40 marks. This page is the index: below is a map of the three areas of study, the assessment structure, and how to study each one.

The three areas of SQA Higher Psychology

The course specification organises the content into three areas of study. Two areas, Individual and Social Behaviour, each contain a mandatory topic that every candidate must study, plus optional topics chosen by the class. The third area, Research, provides the methods used throughout.

Individual Behaviour
How psychologists explain behaviour at the level of the person. The mandatory topic is sleep, dreams and sleep disorders (the stages of sleep, theories of sleeping and dreaming, and disorders), and the optional topics include memory, stress and depression.
Social Behaviour
How other people and groups influence the individual. The mandatory topic is conformity and obedience (types and explanations of conformity, explanations of obedience, and the classic studies), and the optional topics include aggression, prejudice and social relationships.
Research
The methods and concepts behind the whole course: the research methods and the experiment, sampling, ethics, reliability and validity, and analysing and presenting data, applied in the assignment.

Course assessment

The Higher Psychology award is graded A to D and is made up of two components, both set and marked by the SQA.

  • Question paper - worth 80 marks and sat under exam conditions. Candidates answer one question on the mandatory Individual Behaviour topic, one on the mandatory Social Behaviour topic, and one on an additional optional topic, using description, explanation and, for the largest marks, evaluation.
  • Assignment - a researched report worth 40 marks. A candidate chooses a research question, gathers and analyses information using research methods, presents the findings, and draws an evaluated, justified conclusion under controlled conditions.

The two components combine to give 120 marks for the overall award, with the question paper carrying the larger share.

The research and evaluation skills

Across both components, the SQA tests the ability to use research, not just recall it:

  1. Applying research methods. Knowing the experiment, sampling, ethics, reliability and validity, and using them to judge studies.
  2. Analysing data. Working with qualitative and quantitative data, descriptive statistics and graphs, and drawing justified conclusions.
  3. Evaluating evidence. Weighing the strengths, weaknesses and ethics of studies and reaching a reasoned judgement, which earns the top marks.

How to study SQA Higher Psychology

Higher Psychology rewards accurate knowledge of theories and studies and, above all, the ability to evaluate evidence.

  1. Work from the content list. Each topic in the SQA course specification is a checklist; question-paper items are written from it.
  2. Secure the mandatory topics first. Sleep and dreams, and conformity and obedience, are guaranteed, so learn them thoroughly.
  3. Learn named studies. Higher marks reward specific studies (Asch, Milgram, Bandura, Tajfel and others) and what each shows.
  4. Master the research methods. Variables, sampling, ethics, reliability, validity and data analysis are examined and underpin every evaluation.
  5. Practise evaluation. Turn description into judgement by weighing evidence and ethics, and use SQA past papers and marking instructions to learn the wording markers reward.

The areas, topic by topic

Each area has topic answer pages with worked questions and cross-links, plus an overview guide and quiz. Browse the full set from this hub.

For the official course specification

The SQA publishes the full Higher Psychology course specification, specimen and past papers, and marking instructions at sqa.org.uk. Always revise from the current specification and SQA past papers, because content, question style and terminology are board-specific.

Psychology guides

In-depth written guides with paired practice quizzes.

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Psychology practice quizzes

Multiple-choice drills with worked answer explanations. Your scores stay on this device.

The SQA-HIGHER system, explained

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Common questions about Psychology

How is SQA Higher Psychology structured?
Higher Psychology is an SCQF level 6 course built from three areas of study. Individual Behaviour explains behaviour at the level of the person and has the mandatory topic of sleep, dreams and sleep disorders plus optional topics such as memory, stress and depression. Social Behaviour studies how others influence the individual and has the mandatory topic of conformity and obedience plus optional topics such as aggression, prejudice and social relationships. Research provides the methods, ethics and data skills that underpin both areas and the assignment. The course builds on National 5 Psychology and prepares learners for further study.
How is SQA Higher Psychology assessed?
The course award is graded A to D and has two components, both set and marked by the SQA. The question paper is worth 80 marks and is sat under exam conditions; candidates answer one question on the mandatory Individual Behaviour topic, one on the mandatory Social Behaviour topic, and one on an additional optional topic. The assignment is a researched report worth 40 marks. Together these give 120 marks for the overall course assessment, with the question paper carrying the larger share.
What are the mandatory topics in Higher Psychology?
There are two mandatory topics, one in each behaviour area, and every candidate is examined on them. In Individual Behaviour the mandatory topic is sleep, dreams and sleep disorders, covering the stages of sleep, theories of why we sleep and dream, and sleep disorders. In Social Behaviour the mandatory topic is conformity and obedience, covering why people conform and obey and the classic studies by Asch, Milgram and Zimbardo. The optional topics, chosen by the class, are then examined in the additional-topic section of the paper.
What is the Higher Psychology assignment?
The assignment is an independent researched report worth 40 marks, produced under controlled conditions. A candidate chooses a research question linked to the course, gathers and analyses information using appropriate research methods, presents the findings, and draws a conclusion that is evaluated and justified by the evidence. It assesses the same analytical skills as the question paper, applying research methods, analysing data, and evaluating reliability, validity and ethics, so the research content of the course feeds directly into it.
How should I revise for SQA Higher Psychology?
Work through the areas against the content listed in the SQA course specification, because question-paper items are written from it. Secure the two mandatory topics first, since they are guaranteed, then revise your chosen optional topics the same way: theory plus research plus evaluation. Learn two or three named studies for each topic and what they show, master the research-methods concepts (variables, sampling, ethics, reliability, validity and data analysis), and practise turning description into evaluation, because the largest marks reward analysis and a justified judgement.
How does SQA Higher Psychology differ from A-Level Psychology?
Higher Psychology is a one-year SCQF level 6 Scottish qualification, whereas A-Level Psychology is a two-year qualification used in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Higher is organised into Individual Behaviour, Social Behaviour and Research, uses the SQA course specification and Scottish assessment structure, and is assessed by an 80-mark question paper plus a 40-mark researched assignment. Always revise from the current SQA specification and SQA past papers, because content, question style and terminology are board-specific.