AQA A-Level Psychology | Paper 1 | 2026 Predicted Paper
Updated: Aug 31
This paper has been rewritten to match the updated AQA 7182 Specification, so that it is useful for all students.
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Paper 1: Introductory Topics in Psychology
Time allowed: 2 hours
Section A - Social influence
Answer all questions in this section.
Question 01
A small group of students is trying to persuade the rest of their year group to support a change to the school uniform policy.
Explain why consistency might make the minority more influential.
[2 marks]
Question 02
Explain legitimacy of authority as an explanation for obedience.
[3 marks]
Question 03
Explain one limitation of legitimacy of authority as an explanation for obedience.
[3 marks]
Question 04
Aisha and Ben work part-time in a large shop.
At the end of a busy shift, their supervisor tells all the employees that they must stay for an extra hour without pay.
Aisha refuses. She says:
"Whether I stay or not is my decision. I don't do something just because somebody expects me to."
Ben initially starts putting his belongings back in his locker so that he can stay. When he hears Aisha refuse, he changes his mind and tells the supervisor that he is leaving too.
Discuss two explanations of resistance to social influence. Refer to Aisha and Ben in your answer.
[16 marks]
Section B - Memory
Answer all questions in this section.
Question 05
Psychologists have investigated the effects of misleading information on eyewitness testimony.
Outline:
one way in which a leading question might affect eyewitness testimony
one way in which post-event discussion might affect eyewitness testimony.
[2 marks]
Question 06
Callum has recently changed the password for his college computer account. When he tries to log in, he repeatedly types his old password instead of the new one.
Priya revised for a test each evening in a silent room at the local library. During the test, which takes place in a noisy classroom, she struggles to remember some of the material. Later, when she returns to the library, some of the information seems easier to remember.
Using a different explanation for forgetting for each person, explain Callum's and Priya's experiences.
[6 marks]
Question 07
Emre has just started a new job.
On his first morning, a colleague tells him a six-digit code for a secure door. Emre repeats the code quietly to himself until he reaches the door and enters it.
Later that day, another colleague asks Emre the name of his first primary school teacher. Although Emre has not thought about the teacher for many years, he remembers the name immediately.
Discuss the multi-store model of memory. Refer to Emre's experiences in your answer.
[16 marks]
Section C - Attachment
Answer all questions in this section.
Question 08
During the Strange Situation, a child becomes extremely distressed when their caregiver leaves the room.
When the caregiver returns, the child approaches them but then pushes them away and is difficult to comfort.
Identify the child's attachment type and give one feature of the child's behaviour that supports your answer.
[2 marks]
A psychologist develops a questionnaire to investigate young adults' attitudes towards close relationships.
The questionnaire contains 20 statements. Participants indicate how strongly they agree with each statement.
The psychologist wants to establish whether the questionnaire is a reliable and valid measure.
Question 09.1
Explain how the psychologist could use test-retest reliability to assess the reliability of the questionnaire.
[3 marks]
Question 09.2
Explain how the psychologist could use concurrent validity to assess the validity of the questionnaire.
[3 marks]
Question 10
Sofia and Marcus are discussing attachment after the birth of their first child.
Sofia says:
"I think the first attachment a baby forms is especially important, and that there is an early period when forming an attachment really matters. I also think those early experiences could affect what the child expects from relationships later."
Marcus replies:
"I don't see why one attachment should be more important than all the others, and I am not convinced that early attachments have such a strong effect on later relationships."
Discuss Bowlby's monotropic theory of attachment. Refer to Sofia's and Marcus's comments in your answer.
[16 marks]
Section D - Clinical Psychology and Mental Health
Answer all questions in this section.
Question 11
Which one of the following is a cognitive characteristic of depression?
Shade one box only.
A Reduced activity
B Poor concentration
C Disturbed sleep
D Low mood
[1 mark]
A psychologist investigates whether cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) improves everyday functioning in people experiencing depression.
Thirty people take part. For each participant, the psychologist compares their attendance at college during the month before CBT with their attendance during the month after CBT.
Each participant is placed into one of three categories:
attendance improved
attendance deteriorated
no change in attendance.
Question 12
Identify the most appropriate inferential statistical test for analysing these data.
Explain three reasons for your choice of test. Refer to the investigation in your answer.
[7 marks]
Mina has a severe phobia of dogs. She avoids parks and will cross the road whenever she sees a dog. She has agreed to receive systematic desensitisation.
Question 13
Explain how systematic desensitisation could be used to treat Mina's phobia.
Refer to Mina in your answer.
[6 marks]
Question 14
Explain one limitation of systematic desensitisation as a treatment for phobias.
[2 marks]
Question 15
A college student, Rafi, has recently moved to a new area.
Some people at his college describe aspects of his behaviour as unusual because he avoids direct eye contact with older adults and behaves very differently with family members than he does with friends.
Rafi explains that behaviour considered polite or appropriate in his family is not always the same as behaviour expected by other people at college.
Discuss deviation from social/cultural norms as a definition in the field of mental health. Refer to Rafi in your answer.
[8 marks]
End of Questions
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