plumiForensic psychology: AQA A‑Level Psychology questions
Every AQA A-Level Psychology exam question on 4.3.9 Forensic psychology, 2020–2025, with its mark scheme and examiner’s report.
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![June 2025 Paper 3, question 27: Which one of the following best explains the role of atavistic form in offending? Write the correct letter in your answer book. [1 mark] A People offend because](https://pub-e8a9dbab8e2a4d089f52b2a45e0d0b50.r2.dev/bank/71823-jun25-27-qp.webp)
![June 2025 Paper 3, question 28: Which one of the following describes Eysenck’s criminal personality type? Write the correct letter in your answer book. [1 mark] A Someone with a high extravers](https://pub-e8a9dbab8e2a4d089f52b2a45e0d0b50.r2.dev/bank/71823-jun25-28-qp.webp)
![June 2025 Paper 3, question 29: Briefly outline one aim of custodial sentencing. [2 marks]](https://pub-e8a9dbab8e2a4d089f52b2a45e0d0b50.r2.dev/bank/71823-jun25-29-qp.webp)
![June 2025 Paper 3, question 30: Briefly evaluate custodial sentencing as a way of dealing with offending behaviour. [4 marks]](https://pub-e8a9dbab8e2a4d089f52b2a45e0d0b50.r2.dev/bank/71823-jun25-30-qp.webp)
![June 2024 Paper 3, question 45: Outline Eysenck’s theory of the criminal personality. [3 marks]](https://pub-e8a9dbab8e2a4d089f52b2a45e0d0b50.r2.dev/bank/71823-jun24-45-qp.webp)
![June 2023 Paper 3, question 31: Referring to information about the study, explain two other reasons why it was appropriate to use a Chi-Squared test in this case. [4 marks]](https://pub-e8a9dbab8e2a4d089f52b2a45e0d0b50.r2.dev/bank/71823-jun23-31-qp.webp)
![June 2023 Paper 3, question 32: Using your knowledge of the top-down approach to offender profiling, explain the likely outcome of the study. [4 marks]](https://pub-e8a9dbab8e2a4d089f52b2a45e0d0b50.r2.dev/bank/71823-jun23-32-qp.webp)
![June 2023 Paper 3, question 34: Describe how cognitive distortions might be involved in offending behaviour. [6 marks]](https://pub-e8a9dbab8e2a4d089f52b2a45e0d0b50.r2.dev/bank/71823-jun23-34-qp.webp)
![June 2023 Paper 3, question 35: Evaluate the role of cognitive distortions in offending. [6 marks]](https://pub-e8a9dbab8e2a4d089f52b2a45e0d0b50.r2.dev/bank/71823-jun23-35-qp.webp)
![June 2022 Paper 3, question 34: Outline the bottom-up approach to offender profiling. [4 marks]](https://pub-e8a9dbab8e2a4d089f52b2a45e0d0b50.r2.dev/bank/71823-jun22-34-qp.webp)
![June 2022 Paper 3, question 35: Briefly evaluate the bottom-up approach to offender profiling. [4 marks]](https://pub-e8a9dbab8e2a4d089f52b2a45e0d0b50.r2.dev/bank/71823-jun22-35-qp.webp)
![June 2022 Paper 3, question 36: Discuss psychodynamic explanations of offending. [16 marks]](https://pub-e8a9dbab8e2a4d089f52b2a45e0d0b50.r2.dev/bank/71823-jun22-36-qp.webp)
![November 2021 Paper 3, question 31: Which way of dealing with offending involves victims? [1 mark]](https://pub-e8a9dbab8e2a4d089f52b2a45e0d0b50.r2.dev/bank/71823-nov21-31-qp.webp)
![November 2021 Paper 3, question 32: Referring to your answer to Question 31, describe what a case worker might recommend in order for Jack to deal with his offending. [4 marks]](https://pub-e8a9dbab8e2a4d089f52b2a45e0d0b50.r2.dev/bank/71823-nov21-32-qp.webp)
All 26 questions on Forensic psychology, as a list
- June 2025, Paper 3, Q27 (1 mark): Which one of the following best explains the role of atavistic form in offending? Write the correct letter in your answer book. [1 mark] A People offend because
- June 2025, Paper 3, Q28 (1 mark): Which one of the following describes Eysenck’s criminal personality type? Write the correct letter in your answer book. [1 mark] A Someone with a high extravers
- June 2025, Paper 3, Q29 (2 marks): Briefly outline one aim of custodial sentencing. [2 marks]
- June 2025, Paper 3, Q30 (4 marks): Briefly evaluate custodial sentencing as a way of dealing with offending behaviour. [4 marks]
- June 2025, Paper 3, Q31 (16 marks): 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
- June 2024, Paper 3, Q43 (3 marks): In psychological reporting it is usual to present book references in an accepted format. The reference below includes some, but not all, of the necessary pieces
- June 2024, Paper 3, Q44 (2 marks): A police trainer investigating offender profiling has devised a questionnaire for police officers to complete. The questionnaire consists of a series of stateme
- June 2024, Paper 3, Q45 (3 marks): Outline Eysenck’s theory of the criminal personality. [3 marks]
- June 2024, Paper 3, Q46 (16 marks): Vera has a bad temper and has been in and out of prison many times. She is currently in prison for assault. The prison governor is keen to rehabilitate prisoner
- June 2023, Paper 3, Q31 (4 marks): Referring to information about the study, explain two other reasons why it was appropriate to use a Chi-Squared test in this case. [4 marks]
- June 2023, Paper 3, Q32 (4 marks): Using your knowledge of the top-down approach to offender profiling, explain the likely outcome of the study. [4 marks]
- June 2023, Paper 3, Q33 (4 marks): Different participants were used in each condition of the experiment, which might have affected the results. Explain one way in which the experiment could be ch
- June 2023, Paper 3, Q34 (6 marks): Describe how cognitive distortions might be involved in offending behaviour. [6 marks]
- June 2023, Paper 3, Q35 (6 marks): Evaluate the role of cognitive distortions in offending. [6 marks]
- June 2022, Paper 3, Q34 (4 marks): Outline the bottom-up approach to offender profiling. [4 marks]
- June 2022, Paper 3, Q35 (4 marks): Briefly evaluate the bottom-up approach to offender profiling. [4 marks]
- June 2022, Paper 3, Q36 (16 marks): Discuss psychodynamic explanations of offending. [16 marks]
- November 2021, Paper 3, Q30 (1 mark): Psychology students sometimes propose hypotheses that are untestable. Which one of the following is essential for a testable hypothesis? Write the correct lette
- November 2021, Paper 3, Q31 (1 mark): Which way of dealing with offending involves victims? [1 mark]
- November 2021, Paper 3, Q32 (4 marks): Referring to your answer to Question 31, describe what a case worker might recommend in order for Jack to deal with his offending. [4 marks]
- November 2021, Paper 3, Q33 (2 marks): Outline one limitation of the way of dealing with offending you have described in your answer to Question 32. [2 marks]
- November 2021, Paper 3, Q34 (16 marks): Describe and evaluate one or more of the following biological explanations for offending: atavistic form, genetics, neural. [16 marks]
- November 2020, Paper 3, Q33 (6 marks): Describe psychodynamic explanation(s) for offending behaviour. [6 marks]
- November 2020, Paper 3, Q34 (4 marks): Peter is talking about his offending. Peter says, “I don’t know why it happens. Sometimes when I hear people telling stupid jokes in a bar, I just get cross and
- November 2020, Paper 3, Q35 (6 marks): Outline one strength and one limitation of anger management as a way of dealing with offending. [6 marks]
- November 2020, Paper 3, Q36 (8 marks): Discuss neural explanations for offending behaviour. [8 marks]
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