AQA A Level Psychology
AQA A Level Psychology 3.1.4 Psychopathology Exam Questions
Free AQA A Level Psychology exam questions for 3.1.4 Psychopathology, with a mark scheme for every pack. Covers definitions of abnormality, characteristics of phobias, depression and OCD, and behavioural, cognitive and biological explanations and treatments.
3.1.4 Psychopathology exam questions
5 question packs of real past exam questions, each with its mark scheme. Do not stop after a few: answer as many as you can without notes, then mark every answer with the mark scheme. The more questions you do, the more quickly you will spot how examiners ask about each idea.
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About AQA A Level Psychology 3.1.4 Psychopathology
Psychopathology is the fourth Paper 1 topic in AQA A Level Psychology. It starts with four definitions of abnormality, then looks at the behavioural, emotional and cognitive characteristics of phobias, depression and OCD. Each disorder is linked to one approach: the behavioural approach to phobias, the cognitive approach to depression and the biological approach to OCD, with an explanation and treatment for each. This links strongly to Approaches on Paper 2 and to Schizophrenia on Paper 3 if you take that option. Examiners frequently ask you to identify characteristics from a scenario and to evaluate the effectiveness of treatments in essays.
What you need to know
- Definitions of abnormality Statistical infrequency, deviation from social norms, failure to function adequately (Rosenhan and Seligman's signs, such as observer discomfort) and deviation from ideal mental health (Jahoda's criteria such as self-actualisation and resistance to stress). Each has strengths and limitations.
- Characteristics of disorders Phobias involve irrational fear (emotional), avoidance and panic (behavioural) and selective attention to the phobic stimulus (cognitive). Depression involves low mood, reduced or increased activity and negative thinking. OCD involves anxiety, compulsions and obsessions.
- Phobias: behavioural approach Mowrer's (1960) two-process model says phobias are acquired by classical conditioning and maintained by operant conditioning (negative reinforcement through avoidance). Treatments are systematic desensitisation (anxiety hierarchy, relaxation, counterconditioning) and flooding.
- Depression: cognitive approach Beck's negative triad (negative views of self, world and future) and faulty schemas, and Ellis's ABC model (activating event, irrational belief, consequence). Treatment is CBT, including Ellis's REBT with disputing irrational beliefs.
- OCD: biological approach Genetic explanations include candidate genes such as COMT and SERT and the diathesis-stress view. Neural explanations involve low serotonin and abnormal activity in the orbitofrontal cortex. The drug treatment is SSRIs, which increase serotonin in the synapse by blocking reuptake.
Common mistakes in 3.1.4 Psychopathology
- Writing that statistical infrequency identifies all abnormal behaviour; it also labels desirable rare traits such as a very high IQ as abnormal.
- Getting the two-process model the wrong way round: acquisition is by classical conditioning and maintenance is by operant conditioning through negative reinforcement.
- Describing SSRIs as adding serotonin to the brain; they block reuptake so serotonin stays in the synapse longer.
- Mixing up Beck and Ellis; Beck explains depression with the negative triad and schemas, Ellis with the ABC model of irrational beliefs.
- Giving characteristics of the wrong type, such as calling avoidance an emotional characteristic; avoidance is behavioural.
Try three 3.1.4 Psychopathology exam-style questions
1. Outline the failure to function adequately definition of abnormality. (3 marks)
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A person is abnormal if they cannot cope with the demands of everyday life; for example they cannot hold down a job, maintain relationships or care for themselves; Rosenhan and Seligman suggested signs such as no longer conforming to interpersonal rules, severe personal distress and behaviour that is irrational or dangerous.
2. Describe systematic desensitisation as a treatment for phobias. (4 marks)
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A behavioural therapy based on counterconditioning; the client and therapist build an anxiety hierarchy from least to most feared situations; the client is taught relaxation techniques such as breathing exercises; the client works up the hierarchy while relaxed, so the phobic stimulus becomes associated with relaxation; reciprocal inhibition means they cannot be anxious and relaxed at the same time.
3. Describe the cognitive characteristics of OCD. (3 marks)
Show the mark scheme answer
Obsessive thoughts that are recurrent and intrusive, such as fear of contamination; the person may use cognitive coping strategies such as prayer or meditation to manage anxiety; insight into excessive anxiety, as the person recognises their obsessions are irrational, together with hypervigilance.
3.1.4 Psychopathology FAQs
What does AQA A Level Psychology Psychopathology cover?
It covers four definitions of abnormality, the characteristics of phobias, depression and OCD, and the behavioural, cognitive and biological approaches to explaining and treating each of these three disorders.
Which paper is Psychopathology examined in?
Psychopathology is examined on AQA A Level Paper 1, Introductory Topics in Psychology.
Which approach goes with which disorder for AQA Psychopathology?
Phobias go with the behavioural approach (two-process model, systematic desensitisation and flooding), depression with the cognitive approach (Beck, Ellis and CBT) and OCD with the biological approach (genetic and neural explanations and SSRIs).
