OCR A-Level Psychology sample questions and answers (H567)
Guide overview All 21 topics Sample questions Papers and weighting Look inside Questions and answers
63 sample questions and answers
Taken from every topic of OCR A-Level Psychology, specification H567. The full guide has 3,537.
Component 01
Research Methods and Techniques
85 questions in the guide, across 7 subtopics. More from this topic
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Laboratory, field and quasi experiments
What is a field experiment?
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An experiment in which the researcher still manipulates the independent variable, but does so in the participants' everyday natural environment. -
Laboratory, field and quasi experiments
Give two examples of a naturally occurring independent variable that would make a study a quasi experiment.
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Age group and whether or not a participant has a particular clinical diagnosis. -
Evaluating experiments: validity, control and realism
One team studies driver behaviour at a real road junction and another in a driving simulator. Which is the field experiment, and why?
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The junction study, because the independent variable is manipulated in the drivers' own everyday environment rather than in a contrived setting.
Component 01
Planning and Conducting Research
124 questions in the guide, across 10 subtopics. More from this topic
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Aims, research questions and hypotheses
What is a one-tailed hypothesis?
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A directional prediction that states which way the difference or relationship is expected to go. -
Target populations, random and opportunity sampling
What is meant by a representative sample?
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One whose characteristics closely mirror those of the target population, so that findings can be generalised back to it. -
Self-selected, snowball and stratified sampling
When is snowball sampling particularly useful?
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When the target population is small, hidden or hard to reach, so that no list of its members exists.
Component 01
Data Recording, Analysis and Presentation
155 questions in the guide, across 15 subtopics. More from this topic
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Raw data tables, standard form and decimal form
Why is a summary table presented separately from the raw data table?
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The raw data table shows every original score, whereas the summary table condenses those scores into descriptive statistics such as the mean and standard deviation. -
Significant figures, estimation and the range
The highest score in a data set is 47 and the lowest is 12. State the range.
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The range is 35. -
Quantitative, qualitative, primary and secondary data
Give one strength of qualitative data.
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It provides depth and detail about meaning and experience that numbers cannot capture.
Component 01
Report Writing and Scientific Communication
49 questions in the guide, across 5 subtopics. More from this topic
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Abstract and introduction of a practical report
Which four things should an abstract summarise?
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The aim, the method, the main results and the conclusion drawn. -
Abstract and introduction of a practical report
Why is the introduction often described as funnel-shaped?
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It starts with broad theory and general research and progressively narrows to the specific aim and hypotheses of this particular study. -
Method and results sections of a practical report
What is listed in the materials or apparatus sub-section?
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Every item used to run the study, such as questionnaires, word lists, stopwatches, standardised instructions and consent forms.
Component 01
Practical Activities and the Nature of Science
72 questions in the guide, across 6 subtopics. More from this topic
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Conducting and analysing self-report, observation, experimental and correlational practicals
What level of data does a tally chart of behavioural categories produce?
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Nominal data, because it is a frequency count of behaviours falling into named categories. -
Conducting and analysing self-report, observation, experimental and correlational practicals
Which form of data display is used to present the outcome of a correlational practical?
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A scatter diagram, with one co-variable on each axis. -
Risk assessment and management in practicals
Give three risks that arise from collecting data in a public place.
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Traffic and other physical hazards at the site, working alone away from supervision, and approaching members of the public who have not agreed to take part.
Component 01
Mathematical Requirements for Research Methods
177 questions in the guide, across 18 subtopics. More from this topic
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Decimal and standard form, percentages and ratios
A results table records a value as 1.25 × 10⁴. State this in decimal form.
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It is 12,500. -
Significant figures and calculating the mean
Give 12,486 to three significant figures.
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It is 1.25 × 10⁴, written in standard form so that exactly three significant figures are shown. -
The range and standard deviation
The five scores 7, 7, 10, 13 and 13 have a mean of 10. Using the version of the formula that divides by n − 1, calculate the standard deviation.
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The squared deviations total 36, so dividing by 4 gives a variance of 9 and a standard deviation of 3.
Component 02
Studying and Evaluating the Core Studies: the Common Framework
104 questions in the guide, across 9 subtopics. More from this topic
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Background, aims, design and sample of a core study
Name the three experimental designs you may need to identify in a core study.
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Repeated measures, independent measures and matched participants. -
Procedure, results and conclusions of a core study
What kinds of information belong in the results section?
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The findings themselves — descriptive statistics such as totals, percentages, means or medians, the outcome of any statistical test, and any qualitative observations, all reported without interpretation. -
Comparing classic and contemporary studies in their pairs
What is meant by a contemporary study in a pair?
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A more up-to-date piece of research that engages with the same issue as the classic study it is paired with, often using modern methods, ethics or a different population.
Component 02
Core Studies: Social Area
182 questions in the guide, across 17 subtopics. More from this topic
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Milgram (1963) obedience: background, sample and apparatus
Why is Milgram's baseline study best described as a controlled observation rather than an experiment?
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There was no independent variable — all forty participants went through exactly the same standardised procedure, and their obedience was simply observed and recorded. -
Milgram (1963) obedience: evaluation and applications
What three ethical problems does Milgram's study raise?
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Participants were deceived about the purpose and the shocks, they could not give fully informed consent, and they were not protected from severe psychological distress. -
Bocchiaro et al. (2012) disobedience and whistle-blowing: procedure, results and conclusions
How was the chance to blow the whistle built into Bocchiaro's procedure?
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On leaving, participants completed a form for the research committee in a second room, which had space for comments and a mailbox in which the form could be posted.
Component 02
Core Studies: Cognitive Area
144 questions in the guide, across 13 subtopics. More from this topic
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Loftus and Palmer (1974) eyewitness testimony: background and the first experiment
Who took part in the first experiment?
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Forty-five students at an American university, who were tested in groups. -
Loftus and Palmer (1974) eyewitness testimony: the second experiment, conclusions and evaluation
Give one strength of the control in this study.
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Every participant saw the same clips and answered the same standardised questionnaire, so the study is easily replicated and cause and effect can be inferred. -
Grant et al. (1998) context-dependent memory: results, conclusions and evaluation
What did Grant et al. conclude?
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Context-dependent memory applies to meaningful academic material, so performance is best when the environment at study matches the environment at test.
Component 02
Core Studies: Developmental Area
146 questions in the guide, across 13 subtopics. More from this topic
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Bandura et al. (1961) transmission of aggression: background, method and sample
State the method and design used by Bandura et al.
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It was a laboratory experiment using an independent measures design in which participants were matched across the conditions. -
Bandura et al. (1961) transmission of aggression: materials and procedure
What toys were available in the test room?
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Aggressive toys including a three-foot Bobo doll, a mallet and peg board, two dart guns and a tetherball with a face painted on it, alongside non-aggressive toys such as a tea set, crayons and paper, dolls, cars and plastic farm animals. -
Chaney et al. (2004) Funhaler study: background, method and procedure
Which principle of learning does the Funhaler rely on?
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Operant conditioning, because the device delivers immediate positive reinforcement for correct use and so makes that behaviour more likely to be repeated.
Component 02
Core Studies: Biological Area
137 questions in the guide, across 13 subtopics. More from this topic
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Sperry (1968) split-brain study: background, apparatus and procedure
How many patients formed the sample?
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Eleven patients who had already undergone hemisphere deconnection surgery. -
Sperry (1968) split-brain study: results, conclusions and evaluation
Evaluate the ecological validity of the tasks.
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Flashing an image for a tenth of a second to one visual field is nothing like ordinary vision, and in everyday life the patients behaved almost normally by moving their eyes and heads. -
Casey et al. (2011) neural correlates of delay of gratification: the go/no-go task and results
What made the hot version of the task hot?
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It used happy and fearful facial expressions, with the happy face acting as a socially rewarding and therefore tempting cue.
Component 02
Core Studies: Individual Differences Area
141 questions in the guide, across 13 subtopics. More from this topic
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Freud (1909) Little Hans: background, method and early history
Which method was used?
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It was a longitudinal case study of a single child, producing mainly qualitative data. -
Freud (1909) Little Hans: the horse phobia and fantasies
Describe the plumber fantasy and its interpretation.
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Hans imagined a plumber giving him a bigger widdler like his father's, which Freud read as identification with his father and the start of a resolution. -
Baron-Cohen et al. (1997) autism in adults: background, method and sample
State the aim of Baron-Cohen et al.'s study.
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To find out whether adults with high-functioning autism or Asperger syndrome are impaired on an advanced adult test of theory of mind, and to check that any deficit is specific to reading mental states.
Component 02
Areas and Perspectives in Psychology
210 questions in the guide, across 21 subtopics. More from this topic
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The social area: defining principles, Milgram and Bocchiaro et al.
Why do social psychologists often choose field settings over laboratories?
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Real social settings preserve the genuine social pressures that an artificial laboratory task would strip away. -
The social area: strengths, weaknesses, applications and comparison
How can Milgram's findings be applied in institutions such as hospitals or the military?
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Staff can be trained to question instructions, given procedures for challenging a senior figure, and reminded that they remain personally responsible for what they do. -
The cognitive area: strengths, weaknesses, applications and comparison
What is machine reductionism, and why is it a weakness of this area?
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It is the habit of describing the mind as though it were a computer, which leaves out the emotion, motivation and social context that also shape thinking.
Component 02
Debates in Psychology
200 questions in the guide, across 19 subtopics. More from this topic
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The nature/nurture debate: concepts, positions and research
What is a diathesis-stress explanation?
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An inherited vulnerability only produces a disorder when it is combined with a triggering environmental stressor. -
The freewill/determinism debate: concepts, positions and research
What is psychic determinism?
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The view that behaviour, and even apparent accidents such as slips of the tongue, are caused by unconscious conflicts formed in childhood. -
The reductionism/holism debate: concepts, positions and research
Explain what is meant by levels of explanation.
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The same behaviour can be described at several levels, from the neurochemical up to the social and cultural, and the lower the level the more reductionist the account.
Component 02
Practical Applications of Psychology
26 questions in the guide, across 2 subtopics. More from this topic
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Recognising psychological content and making evidence-based suggestions
Name the three elements a good evidence-based suggestion should contain.
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A clear statement of what should be done, the psychology it rests on, and an explanation of how it addresses the particular problem described. -
Recognising psychological content and making evidence-based suggestions
A diary entry describes a student who revises with loud music but will be tested in silence. What does memory research suggest?
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Revise in conditions that match the test conditions, because recall is better when the context at learning and the context at retrieval are the same. -
Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of your own suggestions
Why should a suggestion be checked against the culture and age group described in the source?
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Findings from an unrepresentative sample may not transfer, so a suggestion may not suit the people it is aimed at.
Component 03
Issues in Mental Health
189 questions in the guide, across 15 subtopics. More from this topic
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Historical views of mental illness
Why is humoural theory regarded as an ancestor of the modern medical model?
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Because it treated madness as a physical disturbance of the body that could be corrected by physical means, which is the same reasoning the medical model uses today. -
Defining abnormality and categorising mental disorders
Give two benefits of having an agreed classification system.
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It gives clinicians a shared language so that a diagnosis means the same thing to everyone, and it links each category to the treatments and research findings that apply to it. -
Rosenhan (1973) on being sane in insane places: results, conclusions and evaluation
What was the outcome of the follow-up study?
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Of 193 genuine patients, 41 were confidently judged to be pseudopatients by at least one member of staff, even though Rosenhan had sent nobody at all.
Component 03
Child Psychology
301 questions in the guide, across 27 subtopics. More from this topic
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What psychologists mean by intelligence
Distinguish fluid intelligence from crystallised intelligence.
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Fluid intelligence is the ability to reason and solve novel problems without relying on prior knowledge, while crystallised intelligence is the store of knowledge and skills built up through experience and education. -
Van Leeuwen et al. (2008) twin-family study of IQ: results, conclusions and evaluation
What is assortative mating, and what did the study find about it?
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Assortative mating is the tendency to choose a partner who resembles you on a trait; the spouses' intelligence scores were positively correlated, and the pattern was best explained by partners choosing each other on intelligence itself rather than on social background. -
Impact of brain development on risk-taking behaviour
Why does the presence of friends increase the risks an adolescent will take?
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Peers heighten activity in the adolescent reward system, so the immediate social reward of taking the risk outweighs the distant cost, an effect that is much weaker in adults.
Component 03
Criminal Psychology
305 questions in the guide, across 28 subtopics. More from this topic
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Physiological explanations of criminal behaviour
Explain how reduced prefrontal functioning could make violent offending more likely.
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The prefrontal cortex controls planning, impulse control and the regulation of emotion, so when it is underactive anger is more likely to be acted on without thought of consequences. -
Raine et al. (1997) brain abnormalities in murderers: further findings, conclusions and evaluation
Give one methodological weakness of the sample.
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All the offenders had pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity and most had brain injury or a mental disorder, so they cannot be taken as typical of violent offenders in general. -
Hall and Player (2008) emotional context and fingerprint analysis: results, conclusions and evaluation
What proportion of each group said they had been affected by the context?
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About 52% of those in the high emotional context group said they were affected, compared with about 6% in the low emotional context group.
Component 03
Environmental Psychology
312 questions in the guide, across 30 subtopics. More from this topic
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Environmental stressors and the stress response
Which two body systems produce the stress response, and what does each release?
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The sympathomedullary pathway releases adrenaline and noradrenaline from the adrenal medulla, and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis releases cortisol from the adrenal cortex. -
Black and Black (2007) aircraft noise, stress and hypertension: results, conclusions and evaluation
Why is response bias a particular problem in a survey about noise?
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Residents most annoyed by aircraft noise are the most motivated to return the questionnaire, which may exaggerate the apparent link between noise and ill health. -
Czeisler et al. (1982) rotating shift schedules: background, method and sleep findings
What schedule were the rotating workers on before the intervention?
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They changed shift every week and the rotation ran backwards in a phase-advance direction, so each new shift began earlier than the last.
Component 03
Sport and Exercise Psychology
309 questions in the guide, across 26 subtopics. More from this topic
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Arousal, anxiety, drive theory and the inverted-U hypothesis
Distinguish between trait anxiety and state anxiety.
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Trait anxiety is an enduring feature of personality that makes someone interpret many situations as threatening, while state anxiety is the temporary apprehension felt in one particular moment. -
Fazey and Hardy (1988) catastrophe model: predictions, conclusions and evaluation
What does the model predict about intermediate levels of performance under high cognitive anxiety?
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Middling performances become very unlikely, because the performer is pulled onto either the upper or the lower surface rather than settling in between. -
Lewis et al. (2014) dance and mood in Parkinson's disease: background and procedure
Identify the two independent variables in the study.
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The first was the naturally occurring variable of group, that is whether a participant had Parkinson's disease or was a control, and the second was time cycle, either long cycle from week one to week twelve or short cycle from before to after a class.
Component 03
Methodological Issues and Debates Running Through Applied Psychology
169 questions in the guide, across 14 subtopics. More from this topic
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Nature and nurture across applied psychology
Why are twin studies used as evidence in the nature/nurture debate?
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Identical twins share all their genes whereas non-identical twins share about half, so a higher concordance rate in identical pairs suggests a genetic contribution to the behaviour. -
Freewill, determinism, reductionism and holism across applied psychology
What would a biological reductionist account of a mental disorder look like?
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It would explain the disorder purely as an imbalance of neurotransmitters such as dopamine or serotonin, reducing the illness to biochemistry alone. -
Usefulness of research in applied psychology
Why can a tightly controlled laboratory study still be useful even though the setting is artificial?
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The control allows a genuine cause-and-effect relationship to be established, and that reliable relationship can then be built into a real-world intervention and tested there.
OCR A-Level Psychology Active Recall Guide
The other 3,474 questions, with the answers printed after each section.