AQA A Level Psychology

Topic Checklist
Each topic on your exam can be broken down into smaller parts to make your revision more
manageable, and to help you keep track of where you are up to in your preparation and
confidence. For each topic in the checklist, tick it off as you have revised it. Additionally, you
can indicate your confidence in it, and determine whether you need to return to it, complete
additional exam questions on it, or seek further help with it.

Top tip: use a pencil so you keep track of your confidence progress!

MEMORY
Revised? Not confident enough Generally confident Very confident

Multi-store model
of memory

Features of STM
and LTM

Types of LTM

Working Memory
Model

Interference as a
theory of forgetting

Retrieval failure as
a theory of forgetting

Post-event discussion
affecting EWT

Misleading
information
affecting EWT

Anxiety affecting EWT

Improving EWT
(Cognitive Interview)
AQA A Level Psychology

Topic Checklist
SOCIAL INFLUENCE
Revised? Not confident enough Generally confident Very confident

Types of Conformity

Normative
Social Influence

Informative
Social Influence

Variables affecting
conformity (Asch)

Explaining obedience
(agentic state)

Explaining obedience
(legitimate authority)

Situational variables
and obedience
(Milgram)

Dispositional
explanation of
obedience

Resisting social
influence:
Locus of Control

Resisting social
influence:
Social Support

Minority
Influence

Social influence
in Social Change
AQA A Level Psychology

Topic Checklist
ATTACHMENT
Revised? Not confident enough Generally confident Very confident

Caregiver-infant
interactions:
Reciprocity
Caregiver-infant
interactions:
Interactional
Synchrony
Caregiver-infant
interactions:
The role of the father
The stages
of attachment
Animal studies:
Lorenz
Animal studies:
Harlow
Learning theory
of attachment
Bowlby’s evolutionary
theory of attachment
Ainsworth’s
Strange Situation
Cultural variations
of attachment
Bowbly’s Maternal
Deprivation
Hypothesis
Effects of Institutions
(Romanian
orphanages)
Influence of early
attachment on
childhood
Influence of early
attachment on
adulthood
AQA A Level Psychology

Topic Checklist
PSYCHOPATHOLOGY
Revised? Not confident enough Generally confident Very confident

Definition of
abnormality: Failure to
function adequately

Definition of
abnormality: Deviation
from social norms

Definition of abnormality:
Deviation from ideal
mental health

Definition of
abnormality:
Statistical Infrequency

Characteristics
of OCD

Characteristics
of Depression

Characteristics
of Phobias

Biological
explanation of OCD

Biological
treatment of OCD

Cognitive explanation
of depression

Cognitive treatment
of depression

Behaviourist
explanation of phobias

Behaviourist treatment
of phobias: flooding

Behaviourist treatment
of phobias: systematic
desensitisation
AQA A Level Psychology

Topic Checklist
APPROACHES
Revised? Not confident enough Generally confident Very confident

Wundt and the

Origin of psychology

Emergence of
psychology
as a science

Learning approach:
Behaviourism

Learning approach:
Social learning theory

Cognitive Approach

Humanistic Approach

Biological Approach

Cognitive
Neuroscience

Psychodynamic
Approach

Comparison of
the approaches
AQA A Level Psychology

Topic Checklist
BIOPSYCHOLOGY 1
Revised? Not confident enough Generally confident Very confident

Structure of the
nervous system

Functions of the
nervous system

Types and structures

of neurons

Synaptic
transmissions

Endocrine system
and gland functions

Fight or flight
response

The role of
adrenaline

Localisation of
brain function

Hemispheric
lateralisation of
brain function

Language centres
in the brain
AQA A Level Psychology

Topic Checklist
BIOPSYCHOLOGY 2
Revised? Not confident enough Generally confident Very confident

Plasticity of the brain

Functional recovery
of the brain after
injury

Ways of studying
the brain: ERP

Ways of studying
the brain: EEP

Ways of studying
the brain: FMRI scan

Ways of studying the

brain: Post mortems

Circadian rhythms

Endogenous
pacemakers in the
sleep wake cycle

Exogenous
Zeitgebers in the
sleep wake cycle

Ultradian biorhythms

Infradian biorhythms
AQA A Level Psychology

Topic Checklist
Research Methods 1
Revised? Not confident enough Generally confident Very confident

Experimental
methods (lab,
natural, field, quasi)

Comparing
Experiments to
Correlations

Observational
methods

Time and event

sampling

Self report methods:

Questionnaires

Self report methods:

Interviews

Correlations

Content
Analysis

Case Study

Report writing:
Aims and abstracts

Report writing:
introduction,
discussions,
and references

Hypothesis

Variables in research
AQA A Level Psychology

Topic Checklist
Research Methods 2
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Sampling techniques

Experimental
designs

Pilot studies

Peer reviews

Control:
Random allocation

Control:
Counterbalancing

Control:
Standardisation

Control:
Randomisation

Demand
characteristics

Investigator
effects

Ethics in research

Implications for
the economy
AQA A Level Psychology

Topic Checklist
Research Methods 3
Revised? Not confident enough Generally confident Very confident

Reliability: assessing
it and improving it

Validity: assessing
it and improving it

Features of science

Qualitative data

Quantitative data

Primary data

Secondary data

Meta analysis

Levels of
measurement:
Ordinal data

Levels of
measurement:
Interval data

Levels of
measurement:
Nominal data

Descriptive statistics:
mean, median, mode
AQA A Level Psychology

Topic Checklist
Research Methods 4
Revised? Not confident enough Generally confident Very confident

Descriptive statistics:
Range and standard
deviation

Descriptive statistics:
percentages,
decimals, correlations

Graphs:
Bar charts

Graphs:
Scattergrams

Graphs:
Histograms

Graphs: Normal and

skewed distributions

Inferential tests:
choosing and
justifying them

Calculate the
sign test

Significance levels
in research

Type 1 and 2 errors

Using critical value

tables

Thematic analysis
AQA A Level Psychology

Topic Checklist
ISSUES & DEBATES
Revised? Not confident enough Generally confident Very confident

Culture Bias

Gender Bias

Reductionism and
Holism debate

Levels of explanation
(Reductionism)

Determinism and
Free will debate

Types of determinism

Scientific emphasis
on causal
explanations

Nature and nurture

debate

Interactionist
approach

Nomothetic
and Idiographic
approaches

Ethic and socially

sensitive research
AQA A Level Psychology

Topic Checklist
RELATIONSHIPS
Revised? Not confident enough Generally confident Very confident

Evolutionary
explanation for
partner preference

Relationship between
sexual selection and
human reproductive
behaviour

Factors affective
attraction in romantic
relationships

Theories of romantic
relationships

Ducks’ phase model

of relationship
breakdown

Virtual relationships
in social media

Parasocial
relationships
AQA A Level Psychology

Topic Checklist
gender
Revised? Not confident enough Generally confident Very confident

Sex and gender:

Sex roles

Androgyny and
the BSRI

The role of
chromosomes
and hormones
Atypical
chromosomes
(Turner Syndrome and
Klinefelter Syndrome)

Cognitive theory of
gender: Kohlberg

Cognitive theory
of gender: Gender
Schema Theory

Psychodynamic
explanation of gender

Social learning
theory of gender

The role of the media

The role of culture

Biological
explanations of
gender dysphoria

Social explanations
of gender dysphoria
AQA A Level Psychology

Topic Checklist
COGNITION AND DEVELOPMENT
Revised? Not confident enough Generally confident Very confident

Piaget’s theory
of cognitive
development

Piaget’s stages
of intellectual
development

Vygotsky’s theory
of cognitive
development

Baillargeon’s
explanation of early
infant abilities

The role of mirror

neuron systems in
social cognition

The development
of social cognition
AQA A Level Psychology

Topic Checklist
SCHIZOPHRENIA
Revised? Not confident enough Generally confident Very confident

Classification and
symptoms
of schizophrenia

Reliability issues
with classification
and diagnosis

Validity issues with

classification and
diagnosis

Gender and
culture bias

Biological
explanations of
schizophrenia

Interactionist
explanation and
treatment of
schizophrenia

Psychological
explanations of
schizophrenia

Drug therapy

CBT

Family therapy

Token economies
to manage
schizophrenia
AQA A Level Psychology

Topic Checklist
EATING BEHAVIOUR
Revised? Not confident enough Generally confident Very confident

Explanations for
food preferences:
the evolutionary
explanation

Explanations for food

preferences: the role
of learning

Neural and hormonal

mechanisms involved
in the control of
eating behaviour

Biological
explanations for
anorexia nervosa

Psychological
explanations for
anorexia nervosa

Biological
explanations
for obesity

Psychological
explanations
for obesity
AQA A Level Psychology

Topic Checklist
stress
Revised? Not confident enough Generally confident Very confident

The physiology
of stress

The role of stress

in illness

Sources of stress:
life changes and
daily hassles

Sources of stress:
workplace stress

Measuring stress:
self-report scales

Measuring stress:
physiological
measures

Individual differences
in stress: personality
types

Individual differences
in stress: hardiness

Managing and coping

with stress: drug
therapy

Managing and
coping with stress:
Biofeedback

Managing and coping

with stress: Stress
Inoculation therapy

Gender differences
in coping with stress

The role of social

support in coping
with stress
AQA A Level Psychology

Topic Checklist
ADDICTION
Revised? Not confident enough Generally confident Very confident

Describing addiction

Risk factors in the

development of
addiction

Explanations for
nicotine addiction:
brain neurochemistry,
including the role of
dopamine

Explanations for
nicotine addiction:
learning theory

Explanations for
gambling addiction:
learning theory

Explanations for
gambling addiction:
cognitive theory

Reducing addiction:
drug therapy

Reducing addiction:
behavioural
interventions

Reducing addiction:
CBT

The theory of
planned behaviour

Prochaska’s six-
stage model of
behaviour change
AQA A Level Psychology

Topic Checklist
FORENSICS
Revised? Not confident enough Generally confident Very confident

Offender profiling:
top down

Offender profiling:
bottom up

Biological
explanations:
atavistic form

Biological
explanations:
genetics and neural

Psychological
explanations:
Eysenck’s theory

Psychological
explanations:
Cognitive theory

Psychological
explanations:
Psychodynamic
theory

Psychological
explanations:
Differential
association theory

Dealing with
offending behaviour
AQA A Level Psychology

Topic Checklist
AGGRESSION
Revised? Not confident enough Generally confident Very confident

Neural and hormonal

mechanisms in
aggression

Genetic factors
in aggression

The ethological
explanation of
aggression

Evolutionary
explanations of
human aggression

The frustration-
aggression
hypothesis

Social learning
theory as applied to
human aggression

De-individuation

Institutional
aggression in the
context of prisons

Media influences
on aggression