Verdict on the June 2025 Series

The June 2025 Oxford AQA International AS Psychology papers (PS01 and PS02) presented a balanced assessment of introductory concepts, biopsychology, development, and research methods. Both papers exhibited a moderate level of difficulty, leaning heavily on a candidate's ability to seamlessly transition from pure recall (AO1) to contextual application (AO2) and methodological evaluation (AO3). The structure of both papers strictly adhered to the 30-mark-per-section specification, ensuring equitable coverage across the core chapters.

Where the Marks are Won or Lost

The core of the mark allocation is concentrated in the high-stakes extended response questions. In PS01, Asch's variables affecting conformity (20 marks) and the behavioural explanation of phobias (12 marks) accounted for over a third of the paper's total. In PS02, Baillargeon's violation of expectation research (20 marks) and the application of sensory, relay, and motor neurons to Mariam's reflex arc (6 marks) demanded deep evaluation and clear, step-by-step sequential mapping. High-scoring candidates demonstrated precise terminology—such as distinguishing habituation from surprise/longer looking in Baillargeon's trials—while weaker candidates lost marks due to vague, non-specific evaluations.

Examiner Pitfalls & Misconceptions

  • The Memory Trait Mistake: When comparing episodic and procedural memory, candidates who brought in semantic memory received zero credit. The mark scheme is unyielding on this distraction.
  • Procedural Precision in Research: For the Gabbert (2003) post-event discussion study, candidates often failed to describe the critical detail that pairs watched the same crime from different perspectives.
  • Hypothesis Operationalisation: In Section C of Paper 2, writing a directional or a difference hypothesis when a non-directional correlation was explicitly requested was a major point of mark loss. Furthermore, failure to fully operationalise both co-variables (including "number of years playing" and "score out of 50") led to immediate cap-downs.
  • Neurological Sequences: In the reflex arc scenario (Mariam dropping the cup), candidates frequently mixed up the transmission order or left out the vital role of the relay neuron in the CNS.

Strategic Revision & Future Predictions

For the upcoming examination cycles, students should focus on topics that were neglected in this series. In Memory, the Working Memory Model (WMM) is heavily overdue and holds high recurrence value. In Social Psychology, expect a shift towards dispositional explanations of obedience (such as the Authoritarian Personality) or minority influence. In Psychopathology, cognitive and behavioural treatments (CBT, Systematic Desensitisation, and Flooding) are likely to be tested after this series focused on explanations. For Research Methods, candidates must master self-report techniques (interviews/questionnaires) and observations, as correlations and matched-pair experiments were heavily highlighted here.