AQA A-Level Psychology Final Exam Revision Guide
| Practice QUESTIONs, Verified Answers & Examiner
2026/2027
QUESTION 1
In Asch's classic research into conformity, which of the following
changes to experimental conditions was found to decrease levels of
conformity?
• A. Increasing the group size of the majority to 15 confederates.
• B. Introducing a dissenting confederate who gave the correct
answer.
• C. Making the correct answer significantly more ambiguous.
• D. Removing anonymity so that participants had to declare their
answers out loud.
Correct Answer: B. Introducing a dissenting confederate who gave the
correct answer.
Detailed Rationale: Asch found that the presence of a dissenting peer
broke the unanimity of the majority, causing conformity rates to drop
significantly (from 32% down to 5.5%) because it fractured the group's
united front.
QUESTION 2
According to Baddeley and Hitch's Working Memory Model, which
component is responsible for temporarily storing and integrating
,information from the phonological loop and visuo-spatial sketchpad
with long-term memory?
• A. The phonological store
• B. The central executive
• C. The episodic buffer
• D. The visuo-spatial cache
Correct Answer: C. The episodic buffer
Detailed Rationale: Added later by Baddeley in 2000, the episodic
buffer acts as a general storage facility that integrates information from
the slave systems and long-term memory to create a coherent episodic
representation.
QUESTION 3
Which behavioural category is typically observed during the Strange
Situation in infants classified as insecure-avoidant (Type A)?
• A. High stranger anxiety and extreme distress upon separation,
followed by seeking and resisting contact upon reunion.
• B. Willingness to explore, low stranger anxiety, and little to no
distress or avoidance when the caregiver leaves and returns.
• C. Extreme clinginess, failure to explore the room, and frantic
crying throughout the procedure.
• D. Disorganized, contradictory behaviours such as freezing or
approaching the caregiver with head averted.
Correct Answer: B. Willingness to explore, low stranger anxiety, and
little to no distress or avoidance when the caregiver leaves and returns.
,Detailed Rationale: Insecure-avoidant infants (Type A) show
independent exploration, do not seek proximity from the caregiver, and
exhibit little emotional response when the caregiver leaves or returns.
QUESTION 4
Which of the following best describes the statistical infrequency
definition of abnormality?
• A. Behaviour that violates unwritten social rules and expectations
within a specific culture.
• B. A failure to cope with day-to-day living and carry out standard
daily activities.
• C. Behaviour that is rare or occurs significantly less frequently than
in the general population.
• D. An inability to achieve self-actualization and personal
psychological growth.
Correct Answer: C. Behaviour that is rare or occurs significantly less
frequently than in the general population.
Detailed Rationale: Statistical infrequency defines abnormality as any
characteristic or behaviour that falls outside the normal distribution
curve (typically beyond 2 standard deviations from the mean).
QUESTION 5
Damage to Broca's area in the frontal lobe of the brain is most
commonly associated with which of the following conditions?
• A. Receptive aphasia, where language comprehension is severely
impaired.
, • B. Expressive aphasia, characterized by slow, laboured speech
lacking grammatical structure.
• C. Visual agnosia, where the patient cannot recognize familiar
faces or objects.
• D. Prosopagnosia, the inability to process emotional facial
expressions.
Correct Answer: B. Expressive aphasia, characterized by slow, laboured
speech lacking grammatical structure.
Detailed Rationale: Broca's area is localized in the left frontal lobe and
is responsible for speech production. Damage leads to expressive
aphasia, where speech is non-fluent and difficult.
QUESTION 6
What is a key methodological advantage of conducting a laboratory
experiment compared to a natural experiment?
• A. High ecological validity due to testing participants in their
natural everyday environments.
• B. Complete elimination of all potential demand characteristics
and investigator effects.
• C. High internal validity achieved through strict control over
extraneous variables and manipulation of the independent
variable.
• D. Freedom from ethical restrictions regarding informed consent
and deception.
| Practice QUESTIONs, Verified Answers & Examiner
2026/2027
QUESTION 1
In Asch's classic research into conformity, which of the following
changes to experimental conditions was found to decrease levels of
conformity?
• A. Increasing the group size of the majority to 15 confederates.
• B. Introducing a dissenting confederate who gave the correct
answer.
• C. Making the correct answer significantly more ambiguous.
• D. Removing anonymity so that participants had to declare their
answers out loud.
Correct Answer: B. Introducing a dissenting confederate who gave the
correct answer.
Detailed Rationale: Asch found that the presence of a dissenting peer
broke the unanimity of the majority, causing conformity rates to drop
significantly (from 32% down to 5.5%) because it fractured the group's
united front.
QUESTION 2
According to Baddeley and Hitch's Working Memory Model, which
component is responsible for temporarily storing and integrating
,information from the phonological loop and visuo-spatial sketchpad
with long-term memory?
• A. The phonological store
• B. The central executive
• C. The episodic buffer
• D. The visuo-spatial cache
Correct Answer: C. The episodic buffer
Detailed Rationale: Added later by Baddeley in 2000, the episodic
buffer acts as a general storage facility that integrates information from
the slave systems and long-term memory to create a coherent episodic
representation.
QUESTION 3
Which behavioural category is typically observed during the Strange
Situation in infants classified as insecure-avoidant (Type A)?
• A. High stranger anxiety and extreme distress upon separation,
followed by seeking and resisting contact upon reunion.
• B. Willingness to explore, low stranger anxiety, and little to no
distress or avoidance when the caregiver leaves and returns.
• C. Extreme clinginess, failure to explore the room, and frantic
crying throughout the procedure.
• D. Disorganized, contradictory behaviours such as freezing or
approaching the caregiver with head averted.
Correct Answer: B. Willingness to explore, low stranger anxiety, and
little to no distress or avoidance when the caregiver leaves and returns.
,Detailed Rationale: Insecure-avoidant infants (Type A) show
independent exploration, do not seek proximity from the caregiver, and
exhibit little emotional response when the caregiver leaves or returns.
QUESTION 4
Which of the following best describes the statistical infrequency
definition of abnormality?
• A. Behaviour that violates unwritten social rules and expectations
within a specific culture.
• B. A failure to cope with day-to-day living and carry out standard
daily activities.
• C. Behaviour that is rare or occurs significantly less frequently than
in the general population.
• D. An inability to achieve self-actualization and personal
psychological growth.
Correct Answer: C. Behaviour that is rare or occurs significantly less
frequently than in the general population.
Detailed Rationale: Statistical infrequency defines abnormality as any
characteristic or behaviour that falls outside the normal distribution
curve (typically beyond 2 standard deviations from the mean).
QUESTION 5
Damage to Broca's area in the frontal lobe of the brain is most
commonly associated with which of the following conditions?
• A. Receptive aphasia, where language comprehension is severely
impaired.
, • B. Expressive aphasia, characterized by slow, laboured speech
lacking grammatical structure.
• C. Visual agnosia, where the patient cannot recognize familiar
faces or objects.
• D. Prosopagnosia, the inability to process emotional facial
expressions.
Correct Answer: B. Expressive aphasia, characterized by slow, laboured
speech lacking grammatical structure.
Detailed Rationale: Broca's area is localized in the left frontal lobe and
is responsible for speech production. Damage leads to expressive
aphasia, where speech is non-fluent and difficult.
QUESTION 6
What is a key methodological advantage of conducting a laboratory
experiment compared to a natural experiment?
• A. High ecological validity due to testing participants in their
natural everyday environments.
• B. Complete elimination of all potential demand characteristics
and investigator effects.
• C. High internal validity achieved through strict control over
extraneous variables and manipulation of the independent
variable.
• D. Freedom from ethical restrictions regarding informed consent
and deception.
