SCHIZOPHRENIA - AQA A LEVEL PSYCHOLOGY (PAPER 3)
LATEST 2025 (PAPER 3) WITH QUESTIONS AND CORRECT
VERIFIED ANSWERS RADED A+ GUARANTEED PASS
What is schizophrenia? - CORRECT ANSWERS-Schizophrenia is a serious thought disorder,
characterised by severe disruption of psychological functioning and a loss of contact with reality.
When is the onset of schizophrenia? And what are the types of onset? - CORRECT ANSWERS-
Men: 17-25 yrs
Women: 28-35 yrs
Acute (rapid) and chronic (slow) onset.
What are the problems with diagnosing and classifying schizophrenia? - CORRECT ANSWERS-
No agreement as to what schizophrenia is.
What are the two types of schizophrenia symptoms? - CORRECT ANSWERS-Type 1 (positive -
adds to the personality) and Type 2 (negative - takes away from personality)
What are the four Type 1 symptoms of schizophrenia? And who first described these symptoms? -
CORRECT ANSWERS-•Thought control
•Delusions of control, influence and passivity
•Hallucinatory voices
•Persistent delusions
Explain catatonic behaviour (symptom of schizophrenia) - CORRECT ANSWERS-Characterised
by unusual body movements and includes the adoption of odd postures, uncontrolled limb movements
and sometimes complete frozen immobility.
Negative symptom.
Explain the other negative symptoms of schizophrenia. - CORRECT ANSWERS-Lack of drive or
motivation, speech conveys little meaning.
,Flat affect - displays little emotional response to what is going on around them, speaks in monotonous
tone of voice. When emotion is displayed, it can be inappropriate - e.g, laughing at bad news, crying at a
joke.
What do you need to be diagnosed with schizophrenia? - CORRECT ANSWERS-Need either
one positive symptom or 2 negative symptoms, occurring over 1 month (according to ICD-10) , or over 6
months (according to DSM)
What are the 7 sub-types of schizophrenia? - CORRECT ANSWERS-1) Paranoid schizophrenia
2) Disorganised schizophrenia
3) Catatonic schizophrenia
4) Residual schizophrenia
5) Undifferentiated schizophrenia
6) Post-schizophrenic depression
7) Simple schizophrenia
Explain paranoid schizophrenia - CORRECT ANSWERS-Preoccupation with one or more
delusions, or frequent auditory hallucinations.
Occurs in around 35-40% of people with schizophrenia.
Explain disorganised schizophrenia. - CORRECT ANSWERS-Disorganised speech and behaviour,
flat or inappropriate effect.
Occurs in around 10% of people with schizophrenia.
Explain catatonic schizophrenia. - CORRECT ANSWERS-Immobility, excessive motor activity,
extreme negativism, bizarre movement.
Occurs in around 10% of schizophrenics
Explain residual schizophrenia - CORRECT ANSWERS-Have met symptoms of schizophrenia in
the past, but not for the past 12 months.
Occurs in around 20% of schizophrenics
, Explain undifferentiated schizophrenia - CORRECT ANSWERS-General category - individual has
insufficient symptoms for any of the subtypes - or too many.
Occurs in around 20% of schizophrenics
Explain post-schizophrenic depression - CORRECT ANSWERS-Criteria for schizophrenia has
been met in the past 12 months, but are not currently present. Depressive symptoms are prolonged and
severe.
Not recognised by DSM - only ICD.
Explain simple schizophrenia - CORRECT ANSWERS-Slow but progressive development (over
period of at least a year) of social withdrawal, apathy, poverty of speech and marked decline in
scholastic/occupational performance.
Not recognised by DSM - only ICD.
What are the issues with diagnosis and classification of schizophrenia? (evaluation points) -
CORRECT ANSWERS-• Reliability
• Validity
• Co-morbidity
• Symptom Overlap
• Gender bias
• Culture bias
Why is reliability an issue for diagnosing and classifying schizophrenia? What study shows this? -
CORRECT ANSWERS-Reliability = consistency
An important measure of reliability is inter-rater reliability = the extent to which 2 or more diagnosticians
would arrive at the same conclusion when faced with the same individual.
*Beck (1961)*
LATEST 2025 (PAPER 3) WITH QUESTIONS AND CORRECT
VERIFIED ANSWERS RADED A+ GUARANTEED PASS
What is schizophrenia? - CORRECT ANSWERS-Schizophrenia is a serious thought disorder,
characterised by severe disruption of psychological functioning and a loss of contact with reality.
When is the onset of schizophrenia? And what are the types of onset? - CORRECT ANSWERS-
Men: 17-25 yrs
Women: 28-35 yrs
Acute (rapid) and chronic (slow) onset.
What are the problems with diagnosing and classifying schizophrenia? - CORRECT ANSWERS-
No agreement as to what schizophrenia is.
What are the two types of schizophrenia symptoms? - CORRECT ANSWERS-Type 1 (positive -
adds to the personality) and Type 2 (negative - takes away from personality)
What are the four Type 1 symptoms of schizophrenia? And who first described these symptoms? -
CORRECT ANSWERS-•Thought control
•Delusions of control, influence and passivity
•Hallucinatory voices
•Persistent delusions
Explain catatonic behaviour (symptom of schizophrenia) - CORRECT ANSWERS-Characterised
by unusual body movements and includes the adoption of odd postures, uncontrolled limb movements
and sometimes complete frozen immobility.
Negative symptom.
Explain the other negative symptoms of schizophrenia. - CORRECT ANSWERS-Lack of drive or
motivation, speech conveys little meaning.
,Flat affect - displays little emotional response to what is going on around them, speaks in monotonous
tone of voice. When emotion is displayed, it can be inappropriate - e.g, laughing at bad news, crying at a
joke.
What do you need to be diagnosed with schizophrenia? - CORRECT ANSWERS-Need either
one positive symptom or 2 negative symptoms, occurring over 1 month (according to ICD-10) , or over 6
months (according to DSM)
What are the 7 sub-types of schizophrenia? - CORRECT ANSWERS-1) Paranoid schizophrenia
2) Disorganised schizophrenia
3) Catatonic schizophrenia
4) Residual schizophrenia
5) Undifferentiated schizophrenia
6) Post-schizophrenic depression
7) Simple schizophrenia
Explain paranoid schizophrenia - CORRECT ANSWERS-Preoccupation with one or more
delusions, or frequent auditory hallucinations.
Occurs in around 35-40% of people with schizophrenia.
Explain disorganised schizophrenia. - CORRECT ANSWERS-Disorganised speech and behaviour,
flat or inappropriate effect.
Occurs in around 10% of people with schizophrenia.
Explain catatonic schizophrenia. - CORRECT ANSWERS-Immobility, excessive motor activity,
extreme negativism, bizarre movement.
Occurs in around 10% of schizophrenics
Explain residual schizophrenia - CORRECT ANSWERS-Have met symptoms of schizophrenia in
the past, but not for the past 12 months.
Occurs in around 20% of schizophrenics
, Explain undifferentiated schizophrenia - CORRECT ANSWERS-General category - individual has
insufficient symptoms for any of the subtypes - or too many.
Occurs in around 20% of schizophrenics
Explain post-schizophrenic depression - CORRECT ANSWERS-Criteria for schizophrenia has
been met in the past 12 months, but are not currently present. Depressive symptoms are prolonged and
severe.
Not recognised by DSM - only ICD.
Explain simple schizophrenia - CORRECT ANSWERS-Slow but progressive development (over
period of at least a year) of social withdrawal, apathy, poverty of speech and marked decline in
scholastic/occupational performance.
Not recognised by DSM - only ICD.
What are the issues with diagnosis and classification of schizophrenia? (evaluation points) -
CORRECT ANSWERS-• Reliability
• Validity
• Co-morbidity
• Symptom Overlap
• Gender bias
• Culture bias
Why is reliability an issue for diagnosing and classifying schizophrenia? What study shows this? -
CORRECT ANSWERS-Reliability = consistency
An important measure of reliability is inter-rater reliability = the extent to which 2 or more diagnosticians
would arrive at the same conclusion when faced with the same individual.
*Beck (1961)*
