AQA A-LEVEL PSYCHOLOGY END OF COURSE EXAM
2025/2026 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS GRADED A++
✔✔Endogenous pacemakers - ✔✔Internal body clocks that regulate many of our
biological rhythms.
✔✔Seasonal affective disorder - SAD - ✔✔Depression associated with seasonal
changes, usually the onset of winter and decreased darkness.
✔✔Stages of sleep - ✔✔90-minute cycles during sleep brain, sleep escalator from stage
1 to 5 and REM. Brain wave activity changes.
✔✔What happens in stage 1 of sleep? - ✔✔Light sleep; person can be easily woken.
Theta waves in stage 1; person in light sleep and can easily be woken.
✔✔What happens in stage 2 of sleep? - ✔✔Sleep spindles, theta waves and mixed
EEG activity. Light sleep where person can be easily woken.
✔✔What waves are present in stage 3 and 4 of sleep? - ✔✔Involves delta waves that
are slower and greater amplitude than earlier wave patterns. This is deep sleep/slow
wave sleep and it's difficult to rouse somebody at this point.
✔✔Rapid eye movement (REM sleep) - ✔✔A kind of sleep that occurs at intervals
during the night and is characterised by rapid eye movements, more dreaming and
bodily movement, and faster pulse and breathing.
✔✔Exogenous cues for circadian rhythms. - ✔✔Day light. Social cues - meal times, bed
times ect.
✔✔Examples of a circadian rhythm. - ✔✔Sleep/wake cycle and body temperature.
✔✔Exogenous cues for infradian rhythms. - ✔✔Pheromones and light.
✔✔Suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) - ✔✔.Tiny bundle of nerve cells located in the
hypothalamus in each hemisphere of the brain where the optic nerves from each eye
cross. The primary endogenous pacemaker in mammals. Receives info directly from
this structure.
✔✔Melatonin - ✔✔Produced by pineal gland at night, governs sleep/wake cycle.
Production inhibited during periods of wakefulness.
✔✔Light - ✔✔A zeitgeber in humans that can reset the main endogenous pacemaker
(SCN) and plays a role in the sleep/wake cycle.
, ✔✔Social cues entraining circadian rhythms. - ✔✔Schedules created by others, e.g.
mealtimes and bedtimes. Circadian rhythms start at 6 weeks. Most babies entrained by
16 weeks. Schedules imposed by parents are a key influence. Adapting to local eating
and sleeping times is an effective way of entraining circadian rhythms and beating jet
lag.
✔✔Zeitgebers - ✔✔External factors in the environment that reset our biological clocks
through a process called entrainment.
✔✔Light as an exogenous zeitgeber. - ✔✔One of the most dominant EZs; resets body's
pacemaker through SCN. May explain why Campell and Murphy found that shining
lights on knees caused a shift in circadian rhythm.
✔✔How is the Nervous System divided? - ✔✔- Central Nervous System → Spinal Cord
+ Brain
- Peripheral Nervous System → Somatic Nervous System + Autonomic Nervous
System → Sympathetic Nervous System + Parasympathetic System
✔✔What is the Central Nervous System (CNS)? - ✔✔- Consists of the brain and spinal
cord
- Controls behaviour and regulates body's physiological processes
✔✔What is the role of the Spinal Cord in the CNS? - ✔✔- Relay info between brain and
rest of body
- Allows monitoring and regulation of bodily processes + coordination of movements
✔✔What is the Peripheral Nervous System? - ✔✔- All the nerves outside the CNS
- Divided into somatic and autonomic nervous system
✔✔What is the Somatic Nervous System? - ✔✔- Divison responsible for carrying
sensory and motor information to and from the CNS
✔✔What is the Autonomic Nervous System? - ✔✔- Regulates involuntary actions e.g.
heartbeat and digestion
✔✔What are Neurons? - ✔✔- Specialised cells that carry neural information
✔✔What is the role of the Sensory Neuron? - ✔✔- Carries nerve impulse from sensory
receptor (e.g. vision, taste, smell) to CNS
✔✔What is the role of the Relay Neuron? - ✔✔- Lies between sensory input and motor
output
- Allow sensory and motor neurons to communicate
2025/2026 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS GRADED A++
✔✔Endogenous pacemakers - ✔✔Internal body clocks that regulate many of our
biological rhythms.
✔✔Seasonal affective disorder - SAD - ✔✔Depression associated with seasonal
changes, usually the onset of winter and decreased darkness.
✔✔Stages of sleep - ✔✔90-minute cycles during sleep brain, sleep escalator from stage
1 to 5 and REM. Brain wave activity changes.
✔✔What happens in stage 1 of sleep? - ✔✔Light sleep; person can be easily woken.
Theta waves in stage 1; person in light sleep and can easily be woken.
✔✔What happens in stage 2 of sleep? - ✔✔Sleep spindles, theta waves and mixed
EEG activity. Light sleep where person can be easily woken.
✔✔What waves are present in stage 3 and 4 of sleep? - ✔✔Involves delta waves that
are slower and greater amplitude than earlier wave patterns. This is deep sleep/slow
wave sleep and it's difficult to rouse somebody at this point.
✔✔Rapid eye movement (REM sleep) - ✔✔A kind of sleep that occurs at intervals
during the night and is characterised by rapid eye movements, more dreaming and
bodily movement, and faster pulse and breathing.
✔✔Exogenous cues for circadian rhythms. - ✔✔Day light. Social cues - meal times, bed
times ect.
✔✔Examples of a circadian rhythm. - ✔✔Sleep/wake cycle and body temperature.
✔✔Exogenous cues for infradian rhythms. - ✔✔Pheromones and light.
✔✔Suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) - ✔✔.Tiny bundle of nerve cells located in the
hypothalamus in each hemisphere of the brain where the optic nerves from each eye
cross. The primary endogenous pacemaker in mammals. Receives info directly from
this structure.
✔✔Melatonin - ✔✔Produced by pineal gland at night, governs sleep/wake cycle.
Production inhibited during periods of wakefulness.
✔✔Light - ✔✔A zeitgeber in humans that can reset the main endogenous pacemaker
(SCN) and plays a role in the sleep/wake cycle.
, ✔✔Social cues entraining circadian rhythms. - ✔✔Schedules created by others, e.g.
mealtimes and bedtimes. Circadian rhythms start at 6 weeks. Most babies entrained by
16 weeks. Schedules imposed by parents are a key influence. Adapting to local eating
and sleeping times is an effective way of entraining circadian rhythms and beating jet
lag.
✔✔Zeitgebers - ✔✔External factors in the environment that reset our biological clocks
through a process called entrainment.
✔✔Light as an exogenous zeitgeber. - ✔✔One of the most dominant EZs; resets body's
pacemaker through SCN. May explain why Campell and Murphy found that shining
lights on knees caused a shift in circadian rhythm.
✔✔How is the Nervous System divided? - ✔✔- Central Nervous System → Spinal Cord
+ Brain
- Peripheral Nervous System → Somatic Nervous System + Autonomic Nervous
System → Sympathetic Nervous System + Parasympathetic System
✔✔What is the Central Nervous System (CNS)? - ✔✔- Consists of the brain and spinal
cord
- Controls behaviour and regulates body's physiological processes
✔✔What is the role of the Spinal Cord in the CNS? - ✔✔- Relay info between brain and
rest of body
- Allows monitoring and regulation of bodily processes + coordination of movements
✔✔What is the Peripheral Nervous System? - ✔✔- All the nerves outside the CNS
- Divided into somatic and autonomic nervous system
✔✔What is the Somatic Nervous System? - ✔✔- Divison responsible for carrying
sensory and motor information to and from the CNS
✔✔What is the Autonomic Nervous System? - ✔✔- Regulates involuntary actions e.g.
heartbeat and digestion
✔✔What are Neurons? - ✔✔- Specialised cells that carry neural information
✔✔What is the role of the Sensory Neuron? - ✔✔- Carries nerve impulse from sensory
receptor (e.g. vision, taste, smell) to CNS
✔✔What is the role of the Relay Neuron? - ✔✔- Lies between sensory input and motor
output
- Allow sensory and motor neurons to communicate
