OCR | A-Level Psychology | 2025 predictions
We are excited to be making our very first set of predictions for OCR A-Level Psychology. This year, we’re expanding our support to help even more students with their revision and exam preparation –-s for all the AS and A Level OCR Psychology papers. Scroll down for all papers.
Why Our Predicted Papers Are a Game-Changer
Our predicted papers are carefully designed by experienced teachers and examiners to help you prepare effectively. Here’s why they’re an essential part of your revision:
✅ Exam-Style Questions – Structured just like your real exams to help you practise under exam conditions.
✅ Mark Schemes Included – Learn exactly how marks are awarded so you can refine your technique.
✅ Free Video Walkthroughs – Get expert guidance on how to structure high-scoring answers and avoid common mistakes.
✅ Instant Digital Delivery – Download, print, and start revising straight away!
OCR A Level Psychology Paper 1: Psychological Themes Through Core Studies
Remember to revise all topics, as these are just predictions. We don’t have any additional information or insights into the actual exams – we haven’t seen the real papers!
We know for A Level Paper 1 – Psychological Themes Through Core Studies – there are three sections in the paper – (A) Core Studies, (B) Areas, Perspectives and Debates and (C) Practical Applications and we’ll go through each of these topics in this video.
You can use the timestamps in the description to jump to the section you’re interested in or you can just sit back and listen.
Core Studies:
Loftus and Palmer (1974): Familiarise yourself with this study on eyewitness testimony and memory reconstruction. Be ready to describe the aim, procedure, findings, and conclusion, particularly focusing on how different verb usage influenced participants' memory of car speed. Prepare to evaluate the study, discussing strengths, such as its controlled laboratory setting, and limitations, including the ecological validity and potential demand characteristics.
Sperry (1968): Understand Sperry’s split-brain research and how it explored hemispheric lateralisation in individuals who had undergone corpus callosotomy. Make sure you can explain the aim, procedure, findings, and conclusions, especially the differences in processing between the left and right hemispheres. Be prepared to evaluate strengths like its pioneering insights into brain lateralisation and limitations like the small sample size.
Blakemore and Cooper (1970): This study investigated the impact of visual deprivation on kittens and its effect on brain development. Be ready to describe its aim, procedure, findings, and conclusion, noting how early visual experience can shape perception. Prepare to evaluate the study’s strengths, such as its high control levels, and limitations, like ethical concerns due to the use of animals.
Freud (1909): Understand Freud’s analysis of Little Hans as a case study to support his theory of psychosexual stages. Know the study’s aim, procedure, findings, and conclusions, focusing on Freud’s interpretation of phobias and childhood sexuality. Be ready to evaluate, discussing the study’s insights into psychoanalytic theory but also its subjectivity and issues of generalisability.
Bandura et al. (1961): Be prepared to discuss Bandura’s Bobo doll experiment, examining observational learning and aggression. Be able to describe the study’s aim, procedure, findings, and conclusions. For evaluation, focus on strengths, such as its clear demonstration of social learning, and limitations, including potential ethical issues and lack of ecological validity.
Lee et al. (1997): This study examined cross-cultural differences in moral evaluations of lying and truth-telling among children. Understand the aim, procedure, findings, and conclusions, especially regarding cultural differences in moral judgments. Prepare to evaluate strengths, such as its cross-cultural perspective, and limitations, like potential social desirability bias in responses.
Areas, Perspectives, and Debates:
Behaviourist Perspective: Familiarise yourself with the behaviourist focus on observable behaviour and reinforcement principles. Be ready to discuss how this perspective has contributed to psychology through controlled experimentation and applications in therapies. Consider strengths, such as empirical support, and limitations, like its disregard for cognitive processes.
Free Will vs Determinism: Understand this key debate, contrasting the belief that behaviour is controlled by external or internal factors (determinism) with the idea that individuals have free choice. Be prepared to discuss evidence supporting both sides and to evaluate determinism’s strengths, like predictability, and limitations, such as ethical implications for responsibility.
Cognitive Approach: Focus on the cognitive approach’s emphasis on mental processes, such as perception, memory, and problem-solving. Be able to describe its strengths, such as scientific rigour and practical applications, and limitations, like potential reductionism and the challenges of accurately measuring mental processes.
Practical Applications:
Grant et al. (1998): Be prepared to describe this study on the effects of context-dependent memory, which explored how matching study and test environments affects memory recall. Know the aim, procedure, findings, and conclusions, and be ready to evaluate its ecological validity, implications for real-life study practices, and limitations, such as sample size.
Recommendations for and Evaluation of Methods for Altering Environmental Contexts to Improve Memory: Understand the practical applications of context-dependent memory research for educational and workplace settings. Be ready to discuss methods, such as creating consistent study or work environments, and evaluate their effectiveness by referencing research support and potential challenges, like practicality in varied settings.
OCR A Level Psychology Paper 3: Applied Psychology
Remember to revise all topics, as these are just predictions. We don’t have any additional information or insights into the actual exams – we haven’t seen the real papers!
We know for A Level Paper 3 – Applied Psychology – there are two sections in the paper – (A) Issues in Mental Health and (B) Options (Child, Criminal, Environmental and Sport and Exercise!) and we’ll go through each of these topics in this video. There are questions and walkthroughs for ALL of the optional topics. We’ve not limited it to just a selection or the most popular like some revision resources do. WHICHEVER topics you have prepared for and been taught, there will be questions and support for you!
You can use the timestamps in the description to jump to the section you’re interested in or you can just sit back and listen.
Issues in Mental Health:
Rosenhan (1973): Ensure you can describe the aim, procedure, findings, and conclusions of this key study on the validity of psychiatric diagnoses. Focus on how Rosenhan's research revealed issues within the mental health system, specifically regarding the reliability of diagnosing mental illness. Be ready to evaluate the study, considering its strengths, such as raising awareness about psychiatric practices, and limitations, like ethical concerns and the impact on participants.
Biochemical Explanation of Mental Illness: Understand how biochemical factors, such as neurotransmitter imbalances (e.g., serotonin and dopamine), are thought to contribute to mental health disorders like depression and schizophrenia. Be prepared to evaluate this explanation, noting its strengths, such as its empirical support and basis in scientific research, as well as its limitations, like reductionism and the complexity of mental health beyond just biochemical factors.
Behavioural Approach: Be familiar with the behavioural explanation of mental illness, which focuses on how maladaptive behaviours can be learned through conditioning. Be ready to describe key concepts, such as classical and operant conditioning, and to evaluate the approach’s strengths, such as its practical applications in behavioural therapies, alongside limitations, like its neglect of cognitive and emotional factors.
Child Psychology:
Gibson and Walk (1960): Make sure you can describe the aim, procedure, findings, and conclusions of the visual cliff experiment, which investigated depth perception in infants. Be ready to evaluate the study, discussing its strengths, such as its innovative design and insights into innate perception, and limitations, like ethical concerns regarding stress for infants.
Play Strategies to Develop Perception in Young Children: Understand the practical applications of using play to enhance children’s perceptual abilities. Be prepared to discuss strategies like sensory-rich activities and problem-solving games. Evaluate these methods, considering their effectiveness in real-world settings, and address any limitations, such as variations in children's engagement levels.
Criminal Psychology:
Hall and Player (2008): Ensure you can describe the aim, procedure, findings, and conclusions of this study on the impact of emotional context on forensic experts' decisions. Focus on how bias can affect fingerprint analysis. Be ready to evaluate the study, considering strengths like its real-world relevance and ecological validity, and limitations such as potential social desirability bias in participants' responses.
Minimising Bias in Forensic Evidence: Understand strategies to reduce cognitive bias in forensic investigations, such as the use of blind verification procedures. Be prepared to discuss the strengths of these approaches in improving the accuracy of forensic work, as well as limitations like practical challenges in implementing these measures consistently.
Environmental Psychology:
Ulrich (1984): Be familiar with this study on the effects of natural environments on recovery in hospital patients. Make sure you can describe the aim, procedure, findings, and conclusions, particularly the impact of views of nature on patient recovery times. Be ready to evaluate the study, discussing its strengths, such as its real-world applications in healthcare settings, and limitations, including potential confounding variables.
Environmental Design to Improve Health and Wellbeing: Understand how aspects like green spaces, natural light, and noise reduction can promote health and wellbeing. Be prepared to discuss practical recommendations for incorporating these features into architectural design, evaluating the strengths, such as evidence-based support, and limitations like cost and feasibility.
Sport and Exercise Psychology:
Munroe-Chandler et al. (2008): Ensure you can describe the study on the use of imagery to improve self-confidence and performance in young athletes. Focus on its aim, procedure, findings, and conclusions, particularly how mental imagery can enhance motivation and skills. Be prepared to evaluate the study, noting strengths like its direct applications in sports training and limitations, such as the challenges in measuring the effectiveness of imagery techniques.
Methods to Motivate Athletes: Be familiar with strategies to increase motivation, such as goal setting, positive reinforcement, and imagery. Be ready to discuss how these methods can be applied to boost athletes' performance, and evaluate their effectiveness, considering factors like individual differences and the importance of tailored approaches.
OCR AS Level Psychology: Psychological Themes Through Core Studies
Remember to revise all topics, as these are just predictions. We don’t have any additional information or insights into the actual exams – we haven’t seen the real papers!
We know for AS Level Paper 2 – Psychological Themes Through Core Studies – there are three sections in the paper – (A) Core Studies, (B) Areas, Perspectives and Debates and (C) Practical Applications and we’ll go through each of these topics in this video.
You can use the timestamps in the description to jump to the section you’re interested in or you can just sit back and listen.
Core Studies:
Milgram (1963): Make sure you can describe the aim, procedure, findings, and conclusion of this classic study on obedience to authority. Focus on how participants were willing to administer shocks under instructions, even when they believed it was causing harm. Be ready to evaluate the study, considering its strengths, such as its insights into human behaviour, and limitations like ethical concerns regarding deception and psychological harm.
Bocchiaro et al. (2012): Ensure you can describe the aim, procedure, findings, and conclusion of this study on whistleblowing and obedience. Focus on how participants were faced with the ethical dilemma of reporting unethical behaviour. Be prepared to evaluate the study’s strengths, including its ecological validity, and limitations, like potential demand characteristics due to the lab setting.
Chaney et al. (2004): Understand the aim, procedure, findings, and conclusion of this study on the use of a funhaler to improve medical adherence in children. Be prepared to evaluate its strengths, such as its real-world application in increasing adherence, and limitations like the small sample size, which may affect generalisability.
Sperry (1968): Be familiar with the aim, procedure, findings, and conclusions of this study on split-brain patients, exploring how the hemispheres function independently. Be ready to evaluate its strengths, like the insight into lateralisation of brain function, and limitations, such as the small, unique sample of individuals with epilepsy.
Casey et al. (2011): Make sure you can describe the aim, procedure, findings, and conclusions of this study on delayed gratification and its impact on later life. Be prepared to evaluate its strengths, such as longitudinal design insights, alongside limitations like potential cohort effects.
Baron-Cohen et al. (1997): Ensure you can describe the aim, procedure, findings, and conclusions of the study investigating theory of mind in individuals with autism. Focus on the 'Eyes Test' and its implications for understanding social cognition. Evaluate its strengths, such as its contribution to understanding autism, and limitations like the test's reliance on language skills.
Grant et al. (1998): Understand the aim, procedure, findings, and conclusions of this study on context-dependent memory, particularly how study environments affect recall. Be ready to evaluate strengths like the study’s applicability to educational settings and limitations, including artificiality of lab-based tasks.
Loftus and Palmer (1974): Focus on the aim, procedure, findings, and conclusions of this key study on eyewitness testimony and the impact of leading questions. Prepare to evaluate strengths like its influence on legal processes and limitations, such as low ecological validity due to the use of video clips rather than real-life events.
Areas, Perspectives, and Debates:
Social Approach: Be familiar with how the social approach explains behaviour through social influence, group dynamics, and social norms. Be ready to discuss the strengths, such as providing insights into conformity and obedience, and limitations, like neglecting individual cognitive factors.
Individual and Situational Explanations: Understand the debate between whether behaviour is driven by individual characteristics or the situation. Be prepared to provide examples from studies like Milgram (situational factors) and discuss the implications for understanding human behaviour, as well as limitations like the potential for reductionism.
Behavioural Perspectives: Ensure you can describe key principles of the behavioural approach, such as classical and operant conditioning, and how they explain behaviour. Be ready to evaluate its strengths, like its scientific rigour and practical applications, and limitations, such as ignoring cognitive processes.
Practical Applications:
Psychodynamic Perspective: Be prepared to describe the psychodynamic approach, particularly Freud’s theories of the unconscious, psychosexual stages, and defence mechanisms. Understand its practical applications in therapy, such as psychoanalysis, and evaluate strengths like its historical influence and limitations, such as lack of empirical evidence and potential for subjectivity.
OCR A-Level Psychology Guide
Exam Structure
OCR A-Level Psychology consists of three exam papers, each covering different areas of psychology.
Paper 1: Research Methods
Duration: 2 hours
Weighting: 30% of the A-Level
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Topics Covered:
Planning and Conducting Research – Hypotheses, variables, experimental and non-experimental methods.
Sampling and Ethics – How psychologists select participants and ethical considerations.
Types of Data and Analysis – Quantitative vs. qualitative data, descriptive statistics, and inferential tests.
Practical Applications – Applying research methods to real-life scenarios.
Paper 2: Psychological Themes Through Core Studies
Duration: 2 hours
Weighting: 35% of the A-Level
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Topics Covered:
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Core Studies – 10 pairs of classic and contemporary studies across five areas of psychology:
Social Psychology (e.g., Milgram on obedience, Bocchiaro on whistleblowing).
Cognitive Psychology (e.g., Loftus & Palmer on eyewitness memory, Grant et al. on context-dependent memory).
Developmental Psychology (e.g., Bandura on social learning, Chaney et al. on operant conditioning).
Biological Psychology (e.g., Sperry on split-brain research, Casey et al. on delayed gratification).
Individual Differences (e.g., Freud’s study on Little Hans, Baron-Cohen on autism).
Evaluation of Studies – Comparing classic and contemporary research in terms of ethics, validity, reliability, and usefulness.
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Paper 3: Applied Psychology
Duration: 2 hours
Weighting: 35% of the A-Level
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Topics Covered:
Issues in Mental Health – Historical views of mental illness, classification of disorders, explanations and treatments for disorders (e.g., schizophrenia, depression, phobias).
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Applied Psychology – Two optional topics from:
Criminal Psychology – Offender profiling, explanations of criminal behaviour, crime prevention.
Child Psychology – Attachment, the effects of daycare, cognitive and social development.
Environmental Psychology – Impact of the environment on behaviour, stress, and conservation psychology.
Sport and Exercise Psychology – Motivation in sports, personality in athletes, performance enhancement.
Top 10 Revision Tips for OCR A-Level Psychology
Know the Core Studies Inside Out – Make sure you can recall aims, methods, results, and evaluations for each classic and contemporary study.
Master Research Methods – This comes up in all three papers, so be confident with experimental designs, ethics, and data analysis.
Use Past Papers – Practising real exam questions will help with timing and understanding what examiners are looking for.
Structure 25-Mark Essays Well – These require clear, logical arguments, supported by evidence and evaluation points. Use PEEL (Point, Evidence, Explanation, Link).
Create Comparison Tables – Compare classic and contemporary studies to easily spot similarities and differences.
Use Mnemonics & Memory Aids – Techniques like acronyms or rhymes can help remember key studies and theories.
Apply Psychology to Real Life – Understanding how theories work in real-world contexts will make them easier to remember.
Use Mind Maps and Flashcards – Visual aids can help summarise key topics and improve recall.
Stay on Top of Terminology – Psychology has a lot of key terms; make sure you can define and apply them accurately.
Take Care of Yourself – Sleep, regular breaks, and staying hydrated will help you retain information and stay focused.
By following these tips and staying consistent with your revision, you'll be well-prepared for OCR A-Level Psychology! 🧠✨
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