Paper 2 Guidance (AQA A Level Psychology) : Revision Note

What is examined in AQA A Level Psychology Paper 2?

• This paper focuses on psychology in context, which includes:

  • approaches in psychology

  • biopsychology

  • research methods

• The paper's duration is 2 hours

• Paper 2 is worth a total of 96 marks

• Paper 2 represents 33.3% of the A Level

• Paper 2 is made up of three sections

Section A: Approaches in Psychology

• Section A consists of the following types of questions:

  • multiple-choice questions

  • short answer questions

  • extended writing questions

• As well as the approaches, this section may include questions on research methods, practical research skills, and/or mathematical skills

• This section requires students to draw together their skills, knowledge and understanding from across the full course of study

• You must answer all questions in this section

• Section A is worth 24 marks in total

Key studies

• Ensure that you know all of the research studies relevant to specific approaches listed below that are named in the specification:

  • Wundt's (1875) scientific study of experimental psychology

  • Pavlov's (1897) study of classical conditioning

  • Skinner's (1953) study of operant conditioning

  • Bandura's (1961) research investigating social learning theory

Key concepts and theories

• You will also need to know the following concepts and theories relevant to specific approaches that are named in the specification:

  • The emergence of psychology as a science

  • The behaviourist approach: classical and operant conditioning

  • Social learning theory

  • The cognitive approach

  • The biological approach

  • The psychodynamic approach

  • The humanistic approach

  • Comparison of approaches

Section B: Biopsychology

• Section B consists of the following types of questions:

  • multiple-choice questions

  • short answer questions

  • extended writing questions

• As well as biopsychology, this section may include questions on research methods, practical research skills, and/or mathematical skills

• This section requires students to draw together their skills, knowledge and understanding from across the full course of study

• You must answer all questions in this section

• Section B is worth 24 marks in total

Key concepts and theories

• Ensure that you know all of the biopsychology concepts and theories listed below that are named in the specification:

  • The divisions of the nervous system

  • The structure and function of neurons, and synaptic transmission

  • The function of the endocrine system

  • The fight or flight response

  • Localisation of function in the brain and hemispheric lateralisation

  • Plasticity and functional recovery of the brain

  • Ways of studying the brain

  • Biological rhythms

Section C: Research Methods

• Section C consists of the following types of questions:

  • multiple-choice questions

  • short answer questions

  • extended writing questions

• This section will include questions on research methods, practical research skills and mathematical skills

• This section requires students to draw together their skills, knowledge and understanding from across the full course of study

• You must answer all questions in this section

• Section C is worth 48 marks in total so you should spend half of your time on this section of the paper

Key concepts and skills

• Ensure that you know all of the research methods concepts and skills listed below that are named in the specification:

  • Aims, hypotheses and variables

  • Research issues, controls and pilot studies

  • Types of experiment and experimental design

  • Sampling techniques

  • Ethical issues

  • Peer review

  • Implications of psychological research for the economy

  • Observational techniques and design

  • Self-report techniques: questionnaires and interviews

  • Correlations and meta-analysis

  • Content analysis

  • Case studies

  • Reliability and validity

  • Features of science

  • Reporting psychological investigations

  • Data handling:

    • descriptive statistics and mathematical skills

    • types, interpretation and display of data

    • inferential statistics