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We are excited to be making our very first set of predictions for OCR GCSE Psychology – Paper 1! This year, we’re expanding our support to help even more students with their revision and exam preparation.
Laura, our Head of Psychology, has carefully analysed the trends and patterns that have emerged in past OCR exams. She’s done an in-depth review of the topics and questions that have appeared in previous seasons and has used this information to create Psychology predicted papers specifically for this year.
To access these predicted papers, simply follow the link in the description below.
Alongside these papers, Laura has also created video walkthroughs for both papers so you can see exactly what a top band answer looks like in Psychology. These videos will guide you through the skills needed to interpret questions, understand what’s being asked, and structure your responses effectively.
You’ll encounter questions designed in the same style as those you’ll see in your exams, enabling you to break down the questions, identify what needs to be included in your answers, and how to structure them. This will help you feel confident and fully prepared when you sit the real exam!
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!
OCR GCSE Psychology Paper 1: Studies and Applications in Psychology
We know for Paper 1 – Studies and Applications in Psychology 1– there are four sections in the paper – Development, Criminal Psychology, Psychological Problems and Research Methods and we’ll go through each of these topics.
Development:
Concepts of Object Permanence, Animism, and Egocentrism:
Object Permanence: Be prepared to define this concept, which is the understanding that objects continue to exist even when they cannot be seen, heard, or touched. Know how Piaget demonstrated this in his sensorimotor stage and be ready to discuss its significance in early cognitive development.
Animism: Be able to explain this concept, which is the belief that inanimate objects have lifelike qualities and are capable of action. It's a key feature of the preoperational stage. Be prepared to discuss examples, like a child believing that a doll can feel emotions.
Egocentrism: Understand how this refers to a child's inability to see a situation from another person's point of view. Know how Piaget illustrated this in the three mountains task and be ready to evaluate the concept, considering strengths like its empirical support and limitations such as its underestimation of children's social cognition.
Piaget (1952) – Study into Conservation of Number:
Be familiar with the aim of Piaget’s study, which was to investigate whether children understand that quantity remains the same even when the appearance of an object changes.
Know the procedure: Piaget showed children two identical rows of counters and then spread out one row, asking if there were the same number of counters in each row.
Be ready to describe the findings: Younger children (under 7) typically said the spread-out row had more counters, indicating a lack of conservation. Older children (around 7+) understood that the number of counters remained the same.
Understand the conclusion: Piaget concluded that the ability to conserve develops as children enter the concrete operational stage around age 7.
For the evaluation, prepare strengths like the study's pioneering role in understanding cognitive development, and limitations such as its reliance on language and lack of ecological validity.
IQ Tests as a Measure of Intelligence:
Be ready to define IQ tests and understand how they are used to measure cognitive abilities. Know the strengths, such as providing a standardised measure of cognitive abilities, and limitations, like cultural bias and the inability to capture multiple intelligences or creativity. Be prepared to evaluate the effectiveness of IQ tests as a tool for measuring intelligence and their application in educational settings.
Application of Learning Theories to the Development of Education:
Dweck’s Mindsets: Be familiar with Dweck’s theory, which distinguishes between a fixed mindset (believing intelligence is static) and a growth mindset (believing intelligence can be developed). Understand how this theory applies to educational settings, promoting perseverance and resilience in learning. Be ready to discuss strengths, like its positive impact on student motivation, and limitations, such as difficulties in changing established mindsets.
Willingham’s Ideas on Teaching Through Meaning: Know Willingham's emphasis on teaching that focuses on understanding rather than rote memorisation. Be prepared to discuss his suggestions for applying cognitive science to education, such as encouraging problem-solving and critical thinking. Evaluation should include strengths like the practical applicability of his strategies and the strong evidence base, alongside limitations such as the challenges in implementing these strategies in diverse classroom environments.
Criminal Psychology:
The Role of Vicarious Reinforcement in Social Learning:
Be prepared to explain how vicarious reinforcement works within the context of social learning theory. Understand that it involves learning behaviours by observing others being rewarded or punished for those behaviours. Make sure you can provide examples, such as how witnessing the punishment of a criminal can deter observers from engaging in similar behaviour.
Cooper and Mackie (1986):
This is a named study in the specification, so you need to know it in detail. Be prepared to describe the aim of the study, which was to investigate the impact of aggressive video games on children's behaviour.
Be familiar with the procedure: The study involved children playing either an aggressive or non-aggressive video game, or no game at all, followed by a behavioural measure of aggression.
Know the findings: The results showed that playing aggressive video games did not increase aggressive behaviour in boys but did in girls. This suggests that the impact of media on aggression may be influenced by gender.
Understand the conclusion: The study concluded that the relationship between media and aggression is complex and may vary based on factors such as gender.
For the evaluation, be ready to discuss strengths like its controlled experimental design, and limitations such as the artificial setting and limited generalisability due to the small sample size.
The Role of Positive Role Models in Rehabilitation:
Be able to explain how positive role models can be utilised in rehabilitation programmes to encourage pro-social behaviour and reduce reoffending rates. Understand that role models demonstrate desirable behaviours, which offenders can observe and emulate, fostering a more positive self-concept and social identity.
Fines as a Deterrent:
Understand how fines function as a form of negative reinforcement by imposing a financial penalty for undesirable behaviour, with the intention of deterring future offences. Be ready to evaluate their effectiveness, considering strengths like their immediate impact and ease of enforcement, and limitations such as their varying impact based on an individual's financial situation and the potential for fines to disproportionately affect lower-income offenders.
The role of community sentences:
· Community sentences aim to rehabilitate offenders by requiring them to complete specific activities such as unpaid work, treatment programmes, or curfews, allowing them to remain integrated within their communities while addressing the causes of their offending behaviour. Be prepared to discuss strengths, such as their focus on rehabilitation and reducing reoffending by promoting social responsibility.
Psychological Problems:
Key Statistics About Clinical Depression:
Be prepared with an understanding of general trends in clinical depression, including its prevalence, and variations across age, sex, and ethnicity. While specific statistics change frequently, focus on overarching patterns such as higher prevalence rates in females compared to males, and increased incidence during adolescence and early adulthood. Recovery rates can vary widely depending on access to treatment and support, so understand that while many people recover with the right interventions, some experience recurrent episodes. This foundational knowledge will help you contextualise the impact of depression on different demographic groups and evaluate treatment effectiveness.
Role of Community Care for Those with Mental Health Problems:
Community care is vital in supporting individuals with mental health issues by providing localised services, such as therapy, support groups, and crisis intervention, while allowing them to remain integrated within their communities. Understand how community care aims to promote recovery, reduce stigma, and prevent hospitalisation. Be ready to discuss the benefits, like improved social support and continuity of care, and challenges, such as resource limitations and inconsistent service provision across regions. Evaluation should include how effective community care is in reducing relapse rates and enhancing quality of life for those with mental health problems.
Psychological Theory – The Social Drift Theory of Schizophrenia:
Be prepared to explain the social drift theory, which suggests that people with schizophrenia tend to drift downwards in the social hierarchy due to their symptoms affecting their ability to maintain employment and social relationships. Understand the key idea that schizophrenia may result in social decline rather than being caused by low socio-economic status. Be ready to evaluate the theory, considering strengths such as supporting evidence showing higher prevalence rates of schizophrenia in lower socio-economic groups, and limitations like the difficulty in establishing cause and effect, as well as alternative explanations such as social causation theory, which suggests that low socio-economic status may increase vulnerability to schizophrenia.
Research Methods:
· Embrace Research Methods Across Both of The Papers: Recognise that Research Methods content appears in both exam papers, not just Paper 1. You’ll find dedicated Research Methods sections in both Paper 1 and Paper 2, as well as questions appearing in the other topics too. Always be ready! Familiarise yourself with examples of research and identify key elements such as hypotheses, variables, control measures, samples used, ethics and data collected. Exposure to different research scenarios will better prepare you for the new piece of research you'll face in this section. Use resources such as our predicted papers and walkthroughs to strengthen your understanding and application of research methods!
OCR GCSE Psychology Paper 1: Studies and Applications in Psychology 1
We know for Paper 2 – Studies and Applications in Psychology 2– there are four sections in the paper – Sleep and Dreaming, Social Influence, Memory and Research Methods and we’ll go through each of these topics.
Section A: Sleep and Dreaming:
· Activation Synthesis Theory of Dreaming: Be prepared to explain this theory, which posits that dreams result from the brain's attempt to make sense of random neural activity during REM sleep. Understand the implications of this theory for understanding the nature of dreams and be ready to evaluate its strengths, such as its scientific grounding, and limitations, like its failure to account for the content of dreams.
· Role of the Pineal Gland and Melatonin: Know how the pineal gland produces melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep-wake cycles. Be able to discuss how light exposure influences melatonin secretion and understand the significance of melatonin in maintaining circadian rhythms, including the consequences of disrupted melatonin production on sleep patterns.
· Freud (1918) Wolfman Study: Familiarise yourself with Freud's case study of the "Wolfman," which explores the interpretation of dreams as a window into the unconscious mind. Be prepared to discuss Freud's insights on the symbolic nature of dreams and how this study exemplifies his theories on dream analysis and psychosexual development.
· Neurological Damage to the Hypothalamus and Impact on Sleep: Be ready to discuss how damage to the hypothalamus can lead to sleep disorders, such as insomnia or hypersomnia, and the broader implications for mental health and daily functioning.
Section B: Social Influence:
· Authoritarian Personality: Be prepared to define the authoritarian personality, a personality type characterised by rigidity, conformity to traditional values, and hostility towards out-groups. You should be able to explain how those with an authoritarian personality experience obedience and how they react to orders from other people.
· Bickman (1970): Familiarise yourself with the aim of Bickman's study, which investigated the effects of uniform on obedience. Be prepared to describe the procedure, where participants were approached by individuals in different attire (a civilian, a guard, and a milkman) who asked them to perform tasks. Know the findings, which showed that individuals were more likely to obey requests from those in uniform, highlighting the influence of perceived authority on compliance. Evaluation should include strengths like the controlled experimental design, and limitations such as the artificial setting, which may not reflect real-life scenarios. It’s important to note here that there were 3 experiments in the study – 1, 2 and 3. Most questions will focus on Experiment 1 – but don’t forget to revise 2 and 3!
· Minority Influence Leading to Social Change: Understand the process of minority influence, which occurs when a smaller group influences the beliefs or behaviours of a larger group. Be ready to discuss the key factors that contribute to successful minority influence, such as consistency, commitment, and flexibility.
Section C: Memory:
· Multi-Store Model of Memory: Be prepared to explain the multi-store model of memory proposed by Atkinson and Shiffrin (1968), which suggests that memory consists of three stores: sensory memory, short-term memory (STM), and long-term memory (LTM). Understand the characteristics of each store, including their duration and capacity, and be ready to discuss how information is transferred between them. Evaluation should include strengths like its clear structure and limitations such as its oversimplification of memory processes.
· Clive Wearing Case Study: Familiarise yourself with the case study of Clive Wearing, a musician who suffered from profound amnesia due to a viral infection. Be prepared to describe how his condition illustrates the distinction between procedural memory (which he retains) and declarative memory (which he loses). Understand the significance of his case for memory research and be ready to evaluate the insights it provides into the workings of memory systems, considering strengths like the real-world application of findings and limitations such as the uniqueness of his case limiting generalisability.
· Autobiographical Advertising: Understand the concept of autobiographical advertising, which refers to marketing strategies that evoke personal memories to influence consumer behaviour. Be ready to discuss how this type of advertising can create emotional connections with consumers by triggering nostalgia.
Section D: Research Methods:
· Embrace Research Methods Across Both of The Papers: Recognise that Research Methods content appears in both exam papers. You’ll find dedicated Research Methods sections in both Paper 1 and Paper 2, as well as questions appearing in the other topics too. Always be ready! Familiarise yourself with examples of research and identify key elements such as hypotheses, variables, control measures, samples used, ethics and data collected. Exposure to different research scenarios will better prepare you for the new piece of research you'll face in this section. Use resources such as our predicted papers and walkthroughs to strengthen your understanding and application of research methods!
Exam Structure
OCR GCSE Psychology consists of two exam papers, each covering different topics.
Paper 1: Studies and Applications in Psychology 1
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
Weighting: 50% of the GCSE
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Topics Covered:
Criminal Psychology – Why people commit crimes, theories of criminal behaviour, and how psychology is used in crime prevention.
Development – How the brain develops, Piaget’s theory of cognitive development, and the role of education in learning.
Psychological Problems – Key mental health issues, such as depression and addiction, and their treatments.
Research Methods – How psychological research is conducted, including experiments, ethics, sampling, and data analysis.
Paper 2: Studies and Applications in Psychology 2
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
Weighting: 50% of the GCSE
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Topics Covered:
Social Influence – Conformity, obedience, crowd behaviour, and why people follow authority figures.
Memory – How memory works, factors affecting memory, and key research studies.
Sleep and Dreaming – The function of sleep, sleep disorders, and Freud’s dream theory.
Research Methods – More in-depth application of research methods, including evaluating psychological studies.
Top 10 Revision Tips for OCR GCSE Psychology
Understand Key Studies – OCR focuses on specific psychological studies, so make sure you know the key research, including aims, methods, results, and conclusions.
Use Flashcards – Create flashcards with key theories, definitions, and studies to test yourself regularly.
Practice Past Papers – Answering past questions will help you get used to the style of exam questions and improve your confidence.
Master Research Methods – This topic appears in both papers, so make sure you understand different research techniques and how to evaluate them.
Apply Psychology to Real Life – Linking theories to real-world examples (e.g., how eyewitness memory is used in court cases) helps improve understanding and recall.
Use Mnemonics – Memory tricks, acronyms, or rhymes can help you recall complex theories and researchers.
Create Mind Maps – Summarise topics visually to show links between concepts, helping you see the bigger picture.
Practice Writing 13-Mark Answers – The longer essay-style questions require a clear structure, including key points, evidence, and evaluations.
Stay Organised – Use a revision timetable to cover all topics in good time before the exam, focusing on weaker areas.
Take Care of Yourself – Get enough sleep, eat well, and take breaks to keep your brain functioning at its best.
By following these revision tips and practising regularly, you'll feel more confident tackling OCR GCSE Psychology! 🧠✨
