🧠 AQA A Level Psychology Predictions 2026 (Paper 1, 2 & 3)

If you’re revising AQA A Level Psychology right now, you’ve probably already searched:

“psychology predictions 2026”

…and ended up with loads of vague lists that don’t actually help you revise.

So here’s something better.

I’ve gone through past papers from the current specification and put together realistic essay questions that are likely to come up in 2026 — especially the 8 and 16 markers that students usually struggle with most.

These aren’t random guesses either:

• They’re based on patterns in past exams
• Focused on topics that haven’t come up recently
• And written in a way that actually matches how AQA ask questions

⚠️ Just to be clear — there’s no way to guarantee what will come up.
But these will give you a really strong idea of what to prioritise.

 

Paper 1 Essay Predictions (2026)

Memory

Predicted essays:

• Outline and evaluate research into coding in memory (8 marks)
• Outline and evaluate research into capacity in memory (8 marks)
• Outline and evaluate types of long-term memory (16 marks)
• Discuss the cognitive interview and eyewitness testimony (16 marks)

Social Influence

Predicted essays:

• Describe and evaluate Zimbardo’s research into conformity to social roles (16 marks)
• Outline and evaluate resistance to social influence (16 marks)
• Discuss social influence processes in social change (16 marks)

Attachment

Predicted essays:

• Describe and evaluate Schaffer’s stages of attachment (16 marks)
• Describe and evaluate the Strange Situation (16 marks)
• Outline and evaluate Bowlby’s maternal deprivation theory (16 marks)

Psychopathology

Predicted essays:

• Outline and evaluate the behavioural approach to treating phobias (16 marks)
• Discuss definitions of abnormality (16 marks)

Paper 2 Essay Predictions (2026)

Approaches

Predicted essays:

• Describe and evaluate social learning theory (16 marks)
• Describe and evaluate the cognitive approach (16 marks)
• Describe and evaluate the biological approach (16 marks)
• Compare the biological and cognitive approaches (16 marks)

Biopsychology

Predicted essays:

• Discuss infradian rhythms (8 marks)
• Discuss ultradian rhythms (8 marks)
• Discuss localisation of function in the brain (16 marks)

Paper 3 Essay Predictions (2026)

Issues & Debates

Predicted essays:

• Discuss culture bias in psychological research (8 marks)
• Discuss the nature vs nurture debate (16 marks)

Relationships

Predicted essays:

• Discuss virtual relationships in social media (16 marks)
• Outline and evaluate physical attractiveness in attraction (8 marks)

Gender

Predicted essays:

• Discuss atypical sex chromosome patterns (16 marks)
• Discuss culture/media influences on gender roles (16 marks)

Cognition & Development

Predicted essays:

• Discuss Selman’s levels of perspective-taking (16 marks)
• Discuss theory of mind (16 marks)

Schizophrenia

Predicted essays:

• Discuss diagnosis and classification (16 marks)
• Discuss token economies (16 marks)

Eating Behaviour

Predicted essays:

• Discuss the cognitive theory of anorexia (16 marks)
• Discuss family systems theory (16 marks)

Stress

Predicted essays:

• Discuss the physiology of stress (16 marks)
• Discuss research into daily hassles as a source of stress (16 marks)

Aggression

Predicted essays:

• Describe and evaluate research into the effects of media on aggression (16 marks)
• Discuss the effects of computer games on aggression (16 marks)

Forensic Psychology

Predicted essays:

• Outline and evaluate the top-down approach to offender profiling (8 marks)
• Discuss Eysenck's theory of the criminal personality (16 marks)

Addiction

Predicted essays:

• Describe and evaluate the theory of planned behaviour in relation to addictive behaviour (16 marks)
• Discuss learning theory as an explanation for gambling addiction (16 marks)

🔥 Want FULL Model Essays for These Questions?

Right now you’ve only seen the questions.

👉 Imagine going into the exam having already practised:

• Full A model answers*
• Structured exactly like AQA mark schemes
• With AO1 + AO3 fully developed

💡 That’s exactly what the full predicted essays download gives you.

 

AND IF YOU WANT FULL PAPER PRACTICE THEN GET MY 2026 PSYCHOLOGY A LEVEL PREDICTED PAPERS!