Edexcel International A Level Psychology
Edexcel International A Level Psychology Clinical Psychology Exam Questions
Free Edexcel International A Level Psychology exam questions for Clinical Psychology, with a mark scheme for every pack. Covers defining abnormality, diagnosis, reliability and validity, schizophrenia and a second disorder, treatments and Rosenhan (1973).
Clinical Psychology exam questions
1 question pack 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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A-Level Psychology Flashcards for 2027 Onwards
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About Edexcel International A Level Psychology Clinical Psychology
Clinical psychology in Edexcel International A Level Psychology is studied in Unit 4, Clinical Psychology and Psychological Skills. It covers how abnormality is defined and how mental disorders are diagnosed using classification systems such as DSM, and debates about the reliability and validity of diagnosis. You study schizophrenia in depth, including symptoms, explanations and treatments, plus a second disorder chosen by your centre, such as unipolar depression or anorexia nervosa. Methods include randomised controlled trials, neuroimaging and how published research is reported. The classic study is Rosenhan (1973), On being sane in insane places. Examiners often ask about diagnosis issues and comparing treatments.
What you need to know
- Defining abnormality Definitions include statistical infrequency, deviation from social norms, dysfunction and distress, each with limitations such as cultural relativity.
- Diagnosis Classification systems such as DSM list symptoms for each disorder. Reliability is consistency of diagnosis between clinicians, validity is whether the diagnosis is accurate; labelling and stigma are important debates.
- Schizophrenia Positive symptoms such as hallucinations and delusions, negative symptoms such as avolition and flattened affect. Explanations include the dopamine hypothesis and genetics alongside psychological and social explanations.
- Treatments Antipsychotic drugs block dopamine receptors; psychological treatments include cognitive behavioural therapy and family therapy. Randomised controlled trials are used to test effectiveness.
- Second disorder Learn the symptoms, explanations and treatments for the second disorder your centre studies, such as unipolar depression or anorexia nervosa.
- Classic study: Rosenhan (1973) Eight pseudopatients claimed to hear voices saying 'empty', 'hollow' and 'thud' and were admitted to psychiatric hospitals; all but one were diagnosed with schizophrenia and stayed 7 to 52 days (average 19). This challenged the validity of psychiatric diagnosis.
Common mistakes in Clinical Psychology
- Mixing up reliability and validity of diagnosis.
- Saying Rosenhan's pseudopatients acted mentally ill on the wards; they behaved normally after admission.
- Describing antipsychotics as a cure; they manage symptoms and have side effects such as movement problems.
- Using only biological explanations when a question asks for psychological explanations of a disorder.
- Forgetting that a randomised controlled trial needs random allocation to a treatment and a control or placebo group.
Try three Clinical Psychology exam-style questions
1. Explain what is meant by the validity of a diagnosis. (2 marks)
Show the mark scheme answer
Validity is the extent to which a diagnosis is accurate and measures what it claims to measure; a valid diagnosis identifies a real, distinct disorder that predicts the course and response to treatment.
2. Describe the findings of Rosenhan's (1973) first study. (4 marks)
Show the mark scheme answer
All pseudopatients were admitted and all but one were diagnosed with schizophrenia; they were discharged with schizophrenia in remission; they stayed an average of 19 days, ranging from 7 to 52; staff did not detect them, though some real patients were suspicious; normal behaviour such as note-taking was interpreted as a symptom.
3. Explain why randomised controlled trials are used to test treatments for mental disorders. (3 marks)
Show the mark scheme answer
Participants are randomly allocated to a treatment or control group, such as a placebo; this reduces participant variables and bias, so differences in outcome can be attributed to the treatment; blinding can reduce expectation effects.
Clinical Psychology FAQs
What does Edexcel International A Level Psychology Clinical psychology cover?
It covers definitions of abnormality, diagnosis and its reliability and validity, schizophrenia and a second disorder with explanations and treatments, clinical research methods, Rosenhan (1973) and contemporary studies.
Which unit is Clinical psychology examined in?
Clinical psychology is examined in Unit 4, Clinical Psychology and Psychological Skills.
Which contemporary studies should I learn for Clinical psychology?
Learn the schizophrenia contemporary study set in your specification and the study that matches the second disorder your centre has chosen, with aims, procedure, results and evaluation.
