AQA A-Level Psychology Paper 1 - A* Example Essays

AQA Psychology A-level: Attachment, Memory, Psychopathology and Social Influence
From specification 7181, 7182 - Introductory topics in Psychology (I achieved an A* in Psychology A-level in 2018, across all three papers. I prioritised revision on evaluation, necessary for accessing higher grade!)

-> These are FULL 16 mark example essays I created for revision, which helped me get my A*!

Attachment:
Discuss research into early infant-caregiver interaction (16 marks)
Outline and evaluate research by Schaffer and Emerson into attachment (16 marks)
Outline and evaluate research into the stages of attachment (16 marks)
Outline and evaluate research the role of the father (16 marks)
Outline and evaluate animal studies into attachment (16 marks)
Outline and evaluate learning theory as an explanation for attachment (16 marks)
Outline and evaluate Bowlby’s monotropic theory as an explanation for attachment (16 marks)
Outline and evaluate Ainsworth’s ‘Strange Situation’ research (16 marks)
Outline and evaluate cultural variations of attachment (16 marks)
Outline and evaluate Bowlby’s theory of maternal deprivation (16 marks)
Discuss research into the effects of institutionalization (16 marks) / Outline and evaluate Rutter’s study of Romanian orphans (16 marks)
Discuss research into the influence of early attachment (16 marks)

Memory:
Outline and evaluate the multi-store model of memory (16 marks)
Outline and evaluate the working memory model (16 marks)
Outline and evaluate the types of long-term memory (16 marks)
Outline and evaluate interference theory as an explanation for forgetting (16 marks)
Outline and evaluate retrieval failure as an explanation for forgetting (16 marks)
Outline and evaluate the effect of misleading information on eye witness testimony (16 marks)
Outline and evaluate the effect of anxiety on eye witness testimony (16 marks)
Outline and evaluate the use of the cognitive interview in improving the accuracy of eye witness testimony (16 marks)

Psychopathology:
Outline and evaluate two ways of defining abnormality (16 marks) x2
Outline the characteristics of phobias (6 marks)
Outline the characteristics of OCD (6 marks)
Outline the characteristics of depression (6 marks)
Discuss behavioural explanations for phobias (16 marks)
Outline and evaluate the behavioural approach to treating phobias (16 marks)
Outline and evaluate one or more biological explanation for obsessive-compulsive disorder (16 marks) x2
Discuss the biological approach for treating OCD (16 marks)
Outline and evaluate one or more cognitive explanations for depression (16 marks) x2
Discuss the cognitive approach to treating depression (16 marks)

Social Influence:
Outline and evaluate explanations for conformity (16 marks)
Discuss research by Asch into conformity (16 marks)
Discuss research by Zimbardo into conformity (16 marks)
Discuss research by Milgram into obedience (16 marks)
Outline and evaluate the situational factors affecting obedience (16 marks)
Outline and evaluate legitimacy of authority and the agentic state (16 marks)
Outline and evaluate Adorno’s authoritarian personality (16 marks)
Discuss social support as an explanation for the resistance to social influence (8 marks)
Outline and evaluate Rotter’s LOC as an explanation for resistance to social influence (16 marks)
Discuss research into minority influence and its implications on resistance of social influence (16 marks)
Outline and evaluate social change and its implications on resistance to social influence (16 marks)