5/7/25, 10:49 PM AQA A LEVEL PSYCHOLOGY PAPER 3 EXAM GUIDE/COMPREHENSIVE STUDY GUIDE/ACUAL EXAM QUESTIONS WITH EX…
AQA A LEVEL PSYCHOLOGY PAPER 3 EXAM
GUIDE/COMPREHENSIVE STUDY GUIDE/ACUAL
EXAM QUESTIONS WITH EXPERT WRITTEN
ANSWERS/NEWEST UPDATE(SELECTED PAPER 3
TOPICS ADVANCED INFO - ISSUES AND
DEBATES, RELATIONSHIPS, SCHIZOPHRENIA,
RELATIONSHIPS !!!!!)
Implies that free will isn't
possible as our behaviour is
Define hard determinism. always caused by
internal/external events beyond
our control.
All events have causes but
behaviour can also be
Define soft determinism.
determined by conscious
choices in absence of coercion.
Belief that behaviour is caused
Define psychic by unconscious conflicts that we
determinism. cannot control.
… 1/57
,5/7/25, 10:49 PM AQA A LEVEL PSYCHOLOGY PAPER 3 EXAM GUIDE/COMPREHENSIVE STUDY GUIDE/ACUAL EXAM QUESTIONS WITH EX…
The notion that humans can make choices and are not
determined by biological or external forces.
a belief in free will does not deny that there ay be
what is free will?
biological and environmental forces that exert some
behaviour, but nevertheless implies that we are able
to reject these forces if we wish because we are in
control of our thoughts/ behaviour
People with internal LOC =
more mentally healthy. 2000
Roberts et al study
demonstrated that teenagers
who strongly believe in fatalism
strengths for free will are at significantly greater risk of
developing depression. This
suggests that, even if we don't
have free will, the fact that we
think that we do may positively
impact our behaviour.
One limitation of free will is that brain scan evidence
does not support it but does support determinism.
Benjamin Libet et al. (1983) instructed participants to
choose a random moment to flick their wrist while he
measured activity in their brain ('readiness potential').
Participants had to say when they felt the conscious
will to move. Libet found that the unconscious brain
Limitations of free will: RE activity leading up to the conscious decision to move
came around half a second before the participant
consciously felt they had decided to move.
This may be interpreted as meaning that even our
most basic experiences of free will are actually
determined by our brain before we are aware of them
(a thought that could keep you awake at night if you
dwell on it!).
… 2/57
,5/7/25, 10:49 PM AQA A LEVEL PSYCHOLOGY PAPER 3 EXAM GUIDE/COMPREHENSIVE STUDY GUIDE/ACUAL EXAM QUESTIONS WITH EX…
However, Libet's findings showing that the brain
is involved in decision-making is not surprising and is,
in fact, just as we would expect. Just because the
action comes before the conscious awareness of the
decision to act, doesn't mean that there was no
Counterpoint: Free Will vs
decision to act - just that the decision to act took time
Determinism
to reach consciousness. Our conscious awareness of
the decision is simply a 'read-out' of our unconscious
decision-making.
This suggests this evidence is not appropriate as a
challenge to free will.
Emphasis on causal
Define scientific explanations. Every behaviour
determinism. must have a cause. For example
in a Lab experiment
One limitation of determinism (and strength of free
will) is the position of the egal system on
responsibility.
The hard determinist stance is that individual choice is
not the cause of Dehaviour. This is not consistent with
limitation of determinism: the way in which our legal system Operates. In a court
The Law of law, offenders are held responsible for their
actions. ndeed, the main principle of our legal system
is that a defendant exercised heir free will in
committing the crime.
This suggests that, in the real world, determinist
arguments do not work.
… 3/57
, 5/7/25, 10:49 PM AQA A LEVEL PSYCHOLOGY PAPER 3 EXAM GUIDE/COMPREHENSIVE STUDY GUIDE/ACUAL EXAM QUESTIONS WITH EX…
Science is determinist because it
seeks to find cause-and-effect
relationships, i.e. to demonstrate
that X causes Y. For example, in
Loftus and Palmer's study of
eyewitness testimony they
sought to demonstrate that a
change in the IV would lead to a
change in what people
Explain why science is
remembered. If the verb was
determinist. Refer to the
'hit' instead of 'contacted' (two
features of science in your
levels of the IV) participants
answer. (8 marks)
were 'caused' to estimate a
higher speed that the car was
travelling. By demonstrating
such causal relationships we can
predict events in the world and
devise strategies to deal with
any problems (e.g. avoid leading
questions because they bias
what people remember).
… 4/57
AQA A LEVEL PSYCHOLOGY PAPER 3 EXAM
GUIDE/COMPREHENSIVE STUDY GUIDE/ACUAL
EXAM QUESTIONS WITH EXPERT WRITTEN
ANSWERS/NEWEST UPDATE(SELECTED PAPER 3
TOPICS ADVANCED INFO - ISSUES AND
DEBATES, RELATIONSHIPS, SCHIZOPHRENIA,
RELATIONSHIPS !!!!!)
Implies that free will isn't
possible as our behaviour is
Define hard determinism. always caused by
internal/external events beyond
our control.
All events have causes but
behaviour can also be
Define soft determinism.
determined by conscious
choices in absence of coercion.
Belief that behaviour is caused
Define psychic by unconscious conflicts that we
determinism. cannot control.
… 1/57
,5/7/25, 10:49 PM AQA A LEVEL PSYCHOLOGY PAPER 3 EXAM GUIDE/COMPREHENSIVE STUDY GUIDE/ACUAL EXAM QUESTIONS WITH EX…
The notion that humans can make choices and are not
determined by biological or external forces.
a belief in free will does not deny that there ay be
what is free will?
biological and environmental forces that exert some
behaviour, but nevertheless implies that we are able
to reject these forces if we wish because we are in
control of our thoughts/ behaviour
People with internal LOC =
more mentally healthy. 2000
Roberts et al study
demonstrated that teenagers
who strongly believe in fatalism
strengths for free will are at significantly greater risk of
developing depression. This
suggests that, even if we don't
have free will, the fact that we
think that we do may positively
impact our behaviour.
One limitation of free will is that brain scan evidence
does not support it but does support determinism.
Benjamin Libet et al. (1983) instructed participants to
choose a random moment to flick their wrist while he
measured activity in their brain ('readiness potential').
Participants had to say when they felt the conscious
will to move. Libet found that the unconscious brain
Limitations of free will: RE activity leading up to the conscious decision to move
came around half a second before the participant
consciously felt they had decided to move.
This may be interpreted as meaning that even our
most basic experiences of free will are actually
determined by our brain before we are aware of them
(a thought that could keep you awake at night if you
dwell on it!).
… 2/57
,5/7/25, 10:49 PM AQA A LEVEL PSYCHOLOGY PAPER 3 EXAM GUIDE/COMPREHENSIVE STUDY GUIDE/ACUAL EXAM QUESTIONS WITH EX…
However, Libet's findings showing that the brain
is involved in decision-making is not surprising and is,
in fact, just as we would expect. Just because the
action comes before the conscious awareness of the
decision to act, doesn't mean that there was no
Counterpoint: Free Will vs
decision to act - just that the decision to act took time
Determinism
to reach consciousness. Our conscious awareness of
the decision is simply a 'read-out' of our unconscious
decision-making.
This suggests this evidence is not appropriate as a
challenge to free will.
Emphasis on causal
Define scientific explanations. Every behaviour
determinism. must have a cause. For example
in a Lab experiment
One limitation of determinism (and strength of free
will) is the position of the egal system on
responsibility.
The hard determinist stance is that individual choice is
not the cause of Dehaviour. This is not consistent with
limitation of determinism: the way in which our legal system Operates. In a court
The Law of law, offenders are held responsible for their
actions. ndeed, the main principle of our legal system
is that a defendant exercised heir free will in
committing the crime.
This suggests that, in the real world, determinist
arguments do not work.
… 3/57
, 5/7/25, 10:49 PM AQA A LEVEL PSYCHOLOGY PAPER 3 EXAM GUIDE/COMPREHENSIVE STUDY GUIDE/ACUAL EXAM QUESTIONS WITH EX…
Science is determinist because it
seeks to find cause-and-effect
relationships, i.e. to demonstrate
that X causes Y. For example, in
Loftus and Palmer's study of
eyewitness testimony they
sought to demonstrate that a
change in the IV would lead to a
change in what people
Explain why science is
remembered. If the verb was
determinist. Refer to the
'hit' instead of 'contacted' (two
features of science in your
levels of the IV) participants
answer. (8 marks)
were 'caused' to estimate a
higher speed that the car was
travelling. By demonstrating
such causal relationships we can
predict events in the world and
devise strategies to deal with
any problems (e.g. avoid leading
questions because they bias
what people remember).
… 4/57
