AQA A Level Psychology Paper 3: Issues and Options in Psychology June 2025 question paper 7182/3

A researcher tested the musical ability of two groups of children. The parents of children in Group 1 were professional musicians. The parents of children in Group 2 did not play a musical instrument.

The researcher found that the children in Group 1 had significantly higher musical ability scores than the children in Group 2.

Use your knowledge of two different types of determinism to explain the findings in Group 1 and Group 2.

The researcher also tested the motor (movement) skills of the children in Group 1 using a newly devised test.

The measures of central tendency for the motor skills test were as follows: Mean = 20.5, Mode = 30, Median = 25.5

Use the measures of central tendency to identify the type of distribution of scores in the motor skills test. Explain your answer.

Explain how the researcher could modify the motor skills test so that it would be more likely to produce a set of scores that is normally distributed.

The researcher noticed that a lot of the children who did well on the musical ability test also seemed to do well on the motor skills test.

Suggest how the researcher could use the existing data to investigate the relationship between musical ability and motor skills.

Explain what is meant by cultural relativism in psychology. Use one topic you have studied in psychology as part of your explanation.

Discuss the idiographic approach to psychological investigation.

Mike and Dan are talking about their 10-year relationship. Dan says, “I’d hate to start again with someone new. It could never be the same with anyone else. We’ve had some great holidays and fun with our friends.” Mike agrees: “Just look at the lovely home we have built together and the things we’ve saved up for and chosen together. Also, who would have the cats?”

Explain how Rusbult’s investment model of romantic relationships can be applied to the conversation between Mike and Dan.

Briefly evaluate absence of gating as a factor in virtual relationships.

A relationship psychologist studied what people say about themselves in descriptions on dating websites. Here is one description.

“My name is Joy. I am a teacher and I have a degree in economics. I live in Essex. I cycle to work because I care about the environment. I enjoy walking and like to cook in my spare time. I am looking for a partner who enjoys good food and is good at doing repairs around the house because I’m not very practical.”

Discuss the filter theory of romantic relationships. Refer to Joy in your answer.

Cal is 6 years old. He admires his father, who is a lawyer. Cal tells his school friends, “My daddy is clever and important.” Cal often sees his father using the laptop for work meetings. Sometimes, when no one is around, Cal sits in front of the laptop and pretends to talk to people. When his sister comes into the room, Cal says, “Be quiet, I’m doing important work because I’m a clever lawyer.”

Explain how the concepts of identification and internalisation can be applied to the description of Cal’s behaviour.

Briefly evaluate the influence of sex-role stereotyping on gender.

A psychologist observes 3-year-old Leela playing at home. Leela spends most of her time dressing up and playing with the toy kitchen. She ignores her brother’s toys like his toy cars and garage. Later, the psychologist asks Leela about nursery school. Leela tells the psychologist all about the girls and the games the girls play, but she hardly ever mentions what the boys do.

Discuss gender schema theory. Refer to Leela in your answer.

Mario is 4 years old. His mother is watching him use bricks to build a tower. She shows him how to put two bricks together, then she suggests that he looks for a big blue brick. When he can’t find the right one, she shows it to him. He takes the brick and places it on top of another brick. “Well done, Mario. Now which one goes next?” she asks. After a while his mother sits back and watches as Mario completes the tower.

Explain how Vygotsky’s theory of cognitive development can be applied to the interactions between Mario and his mother.

Briefly evaluate research into perspective-taking.

Two mothers are discussing their babies. Sunny is 3 months old and Gina is several months older. Sunny’s mother says, “He can wave his arms around and kick his legs. He loves the noise when he hits his rattle. He used to do it by accident, now he’s starting to do it on purpose.”

Gina’s mother says, “She can get hold of things now. She keeps getting her teddy and throwing it for me to pick up. If I hide it, she reaches under the cushion to get it.”

Discuss Piaget’s theory of cognitive development in the sensorimotor stage. Refer to Sunny and Gina in your answer.

Describe and evaluate family therapy as a treatment for schizophrenia.

Discuss the diathesis-stress model as a way of explaining schizophrenia.

Describe and evaluate the boundary model explanation for obesity.

Discuss the role of neural and hormonal mechanisms involved in the control of eating behaviour.

Describe and evaluate the role of social support in coping with stress.

Discuss individual differences in stress.

Which one of the following is a consequence of desensitisation?

Write the correct letter in your answer book.

A Increased sympathetic nervous system arousal when viewing violent images makes aggression less likely.

B Increased sympathetic nervous system arousal when viewing violent images makes aggression more likely.

C Reduced sympathetic nervous system arousal when viewing violent images makes aggression less likely.

D Reduced sympathetic nervous system arousal when viewing violent images makes aggression more likely.

Which one of the following is the best example of how disinhibition might lead to aggression?

Write the correct letter in your answer book.

A People playing violent computer games become aggressive because they imitate the aggressive behaviour of other players.

B People playing violent computer games become aggressive when they see aggressive trigger cues in the game.

C People playing violent computer games feel anonymous so feel less responsible for their aggressive actions.

D People playing violent computer games see lots of aggression so it appears normal and does not bother them.

Briefly outline the evolutionary explanation for human aggression.

Briefly evaluate the evolutionary explanation for human aggression.

Max is a first-time offender in Oddmin Prison. He describes his experiences.

“Most of the day we are in our cells. We have little choice in anything, not even what we eat or what’s on TV. There is nothing to do. It’s so boring. There is a pool table but you can never get near it. Same with the books, there’s hardly any. I wish my girlfriend could visit but it’s too far away. It’s quite scary in here. You have to stick up for yourself and be tough to survive.”

Discuss the situational explanation of institutional aggression in the context of prisons. Refer to Max’s experiences in your answer.

Which one of the following best explains the role of atavistic form in offending?

Write the correct letter in your answer book.

A People offend because of a body type that enables violence.

B People offend because they are primitive and cannot conform to societal rules.

C People offend because they are tough so they do not fear punishment.

D People offend because they have facial characteristics typical of offenders.

Which one of the following describes Eysenck’s criminal personality type?

Write the correct letter in your answer book.

A Someone with a high extraversion score and a low neuroticism score, who is impulsive and unstable.

B Someone with a high neuroticism score and a high extraversion score, who is impulsive and unstable.

C Someone with a high neuroticism score and a high introversion score, who is unstable and lacks empathy.

D Someone with a low extraversion score and a high neuroticism score, who is unstable and lacks empathy.

Briefly outline one aim of custodial sentencing.

Briefly evaluate custodial sentencing as a way of dealing with offending behaviour.

Debi is a thief. She describes what she thinks about her crimes to a newspaper reporter.

“I like having good stuff, like a big TV and a nice mobile phone. It’s exciting to take other people’s stuff and it doesn’t hurt anyone. Nobody cares. The police don’t bother me. I’ve been doing it for years and I never get caught, so it’s OK. If I do get caught, it would only be a tiny fine, so that’s nothing. My mates show me respect – they know I can get them whatever they want.”

Discuss level of moral reasoning as an explanation for offending. Refer to Debi’s comments in your answer.

Which one of the following best explains the role of cue reactivity in addiction?

Write the correct letter in your answer book.

A Where a craving for nicotine acts as primary reinforcer in certain environmental conditions.

B Where a craving for nicotine acts as secondary reinforcer in certain environmental conditions.

C Where an association is formed so that a primary reinforcer elicits cravings for nicotine.

D Where an association is formed so that a secondary reinforcer elicits cravings for nicotine.

Which one of the following best explains the role of dopamine in nicotine addiction?

Write the correct letter in your answer book.

A Nicotine increases dopamine action in the brain, inhibiting the reward pathway leading to feelings of euphoria.

B Nicotine increases dopamine action in the brain, stimulating the reward pathway leading to feelings of euphoria.

C Nicotine reduces dopamine action in the brain, inhibiting the reward pathway leading to feelings of euphoria.

D Nicotine reduces dopamine action in the brain, stimulating the reward pathway leading to feelings of euphoria.

What is meant by risk factors in addiction?

Briefly evaluate the role of risk factors in addiction.

Ash is talking to a friend about why he plays online computer games all the time.

“I always feel stressed and everything is a lot better if I join an online gaming session. It just takes my mind off things and everything improves if I can escape into a good game. I live on my own and work from home, so it’s boring at night. When online friends suggest a gaming session, it’s great to play for an evening and have fun competing. We all join in because nobody wants to spoil the party or be left out.”

Discuss cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) as a way of reducing addiction. Refer to Ash’s comments in your answer.