A Level Psychology, Paper 1,
Q&A
Definitions of abnormality - answer-- Statistical infrequency
- Deviation from social norms
- Failure to function adequately
- Deviation from ideal mental health
Rosenhan - answer-Proposed three signs to show someone not functioning adequately;
- Not conforming standard interpersonal rules
- Person experiences severe personal distress
- A person's behaviour becomes irrational and dangerous to themselves or others.
Phobias - answer-An anxiety disorder marked by a persistent, irrational fear and avoidance of a
specific object, activity, or situation that negatively impacts a person's everyday life. .
Jahoda - answer-Suggested eight criteria to see if someone was mentally healthy;
- No symptoms or distress
- Able to think rationally
- Has the ability to self-actualise
- Can cope with stress
- Independent of others
- Good self-esteem
- Realistic view of the world
- Has the ability to work, love and enjoy leisure.
Types of phobias - answer-specific: Objects, animals, body parts or a situation
,social: social situations like public speaking Agoraphobia: being outside or in a public space
Phobia characteristics - answer-Behavioural: Panic, avoidance and endurance
Emotional: Anxiety, high arousal
Cognitive: Knowing your fear is irrational, unable to look away, can't control obsessive thoughts,
distorted view of phobia.
Behavioural approach to explaining phobias - answer-Mowrer, proposed the two process model
to explain phobias as they are learnt behaviour. Phobias are obtained through Classical
conditioning by learning to associate the phobias with a feared response e.g. Watson and
Rayner's Little Albert and maintained through operate conditioning. Every time a phobia is
avoided, anxiety levels drop, reinforcing avoidance.
Behavioural approach to explaining phobias evaluation - answer-Strength:
- The two-process model was a definite step forward in explaining the onset of phobias. This led
to the development of treatments like Systematic desensitisation and flooding so it has real life
applications.
Weaknesses:
- The two-processing model ignores evolutionary explanations of the development of phobias.
Boynton argued we have developed phobias over time to survive and adapt. We fear the dark
because it is dangerous.
- Cannot explain phobias where no previous encounters happened. it is impossible to classically
condition a fear response to a stimulus with no previous encounters.
- behaviourist explanations may be seen as reductionist as they see the sole explanation of
phobias as due to the environment ignoring the role of biology, cognitive thought processes in
developing phobias.
Behavioural approach to treating phobias - answer-Systematic desensitisation and flooding
Systematic desensitisation - answer-A behavioural therapy based on the principles of classical
conditioning. Wolpe based the technique on the premise that what can be learnt can be
unlearnt. The basis is counter conditioning where a new association is taught with the patient
being taught to relax like with reciprocal inhibition. Patients are taught relaxing techniques, and
create a hierarchy of fear with each scenario causing more anxiety. They slowly teach the
patient to be calm in each situation so they can master the feared situation.
systematic desensitisation evaluation - answer-Strengths:
- Evidence supports the effectiveness of desensitisation helping to reduce phobic anxiety.
Bronson and Thorpe used a 10 week long desensitisation program to help technophobes learn
more about technology on a learning course. At the end, their anxiety levels were significantly
lowered.
- Patients had some control over therapy which may factor into the effectiveness of treatment.
,Weaknesses:
- Reduces the phobic behaviour but is not always a cure, it may worsen again after a few
months so it is not permanent.
- Works better on some phobias, social and agoraphobia do not show as much improvement.
Suggesting other causes than classical conditioning.
- System substitute, a common criticism is that when a phobia disappears another appears as
the underlying cause is never confronted like psychodynamic psychologists say it must be.
Attrition - answer-High drop out rates
Flooding - answer-A treatment for phobias in which clients are exposed repeatedly and
intensively to a feared object and made to see that it is actually harmless and their fear has no
basis. It is not unethical but can be unpleasant and patients must give fully informed consent.
Extinction of the fear - answer-When there is no longer a conditioned response rather than
altering a pre-existing conditioned response.
Evaluation of flooding - answer-Strength:
- Cost effective and is highly effective and quicker than SD with sometimes only one session
being required.
Weaknesses:
- Doesn't work on all phobias like social phobias as these have cognitive aspects which flooding
doesn't acknowledge.
- Flooding is a very traumatic experience and there is high attrition as often many people do not
wish to continue.
- System substitute, a common criticism is that when a phobia disappears another appears as
the underlying cause is never confronted like psychodynamic psychologists say it must be.
Depression - answer-A mental disorder characterised by low mood and low energy
levels.They're the most common with 1/20 British adults having depression at any one time.
DSM-5 Categories of depression - answer-- Major depressive disorder, severe but short-term
- Premenstrual dysphonic disorder, disruption to mood prior to or during menstruation.
, Depression Characteristics - answer-Behavioural: Activity levels reduced leading to lethargic,
disruption to sleep and eating, aggression and self harm.
Emotional: Lowered mood seeing themselves as worthless and empty, lowered self-esteem and
anger
Cognitive: Poor memory, poor concentration and dwelling on the negative, delusions.
The Cognitive approach to explaining depression - answer--Beck's cognitive theory
-Ellis's ABC model
Beck's Theory of Depression - answer-Depression is caused by negative and irrational thought
processes. Some people are more vulnerable to depression than others from the three parts of
cognitive vulnerability:
1) Faulty information processes, focusing on the negative.
2) Negative self schema,
3) The Negative triad becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Schema - answer-A package of ideas developed through experiences.
Negative triad - answer-negative triad- negative beliefs (schema) process in negative ways
(cognitive biases) and leads to see the world negatively (depression)
Negative views about the world, negative views about the future and negative views about
oneself
Beck's Cognitive Theory evaluation - answer-Strengths:
- A range of evidence supports the idea that depression is associated with faulty thinking
processes. Grazioli and Terry Assessed 65 pregnant women for cognitive vulnerability and
depression before and after birth.
Cognitively vulnerable women are more likely to develop post-natal depression.
- Beck's theory has practical application including the treatment CBT.
Q&A
Definitions of abnormality - answer-- Statistical infrequency
- Deviation from social norms
- Failure to function adequately
- Deviation from ideal mental health
Rosenhan - answer-Proposed three signs to show someone not functioning adequately;
- Not conforming standard interpersonal rules
- Person experiences severe personal distress
- A person's behaviour becomes irrational and dangerous to themselves or others.
Phobias - answer-An anxiety disorder marked by a persistent, irrational fear and avoidance of a
specific object, activity, or situation that negatively impacts a person's everyday life. .
Jahoda - answer-Suggested eight criteria to see if someone was mentally healthy;
- No symptoms or distress
- Able to think rationally
- Has the ability to self-actualise
- Can cope with stress
- Independent of others
- Good self-esteem
- Realistic view of the world
- Has the ability to work, love and enjoy leisure.
Types of phobias - answer-specific: Objects, animals, body parts or a situation
,social: social situations like public speaking Agoraphobia: being outside or in a public space
Phobia characteristics - answer-Behavioural: Panic, avoidance and endurance
Emotional: Anxiety, high arousal
Cognitive: Knowing your fear is irrational, unable to look away, can't control obsessive thoughts,
distorted view of phobia.
Behavioural approach to explaining phobias - answer-Mowrer, proposed the two process model
to explain phobias as they are learnt behaviour. Phobias are obtained through Classical
conditioning by learning to associate the phobias with a feared response e.g. Watson and
Rayner's Little Albert and maintained through operate conditioning. Every time a phobia is
avoided, anxiety levels drop, reinforcing avoidance.
Behavioural approach to explaining phobias evaluation - answer-Strength:
- The two-process model was a definite step forward in explaining the onset of phobias. This led
to the development of treatments like Systematic desensitisation and flooding so it has real life
applications.
Weaknesses:
- The two-processing model ignores evolutionary explanations of the development of phobias.
Boynton argued we have developed phobias over time to survive and adapt. We fear the dark
because it is dangerous.
- Cannot explain phobias where no previous encounters happened. it is impossible to classically
condition a fear response to a stimulus with no previous encounters.
- behaviourist explanations may be seen as reductionist as they see the sole explanation of
phobias as due to the environment ignoring the role of biology, cognitive thought processes in
developing phobias.
Behavioural approach to treating phobias - answer-Systematic desensitisation and flooding
Systematic desensitisation - answer-A behavioural therapy based on the principles of classical
conditioning. Wolpe based the technique on the premise that what can be learnt can be
unlearnt. The basis is counter conditioning where a new association is taught with the patient
being taught to relax like with reciprocal inhibition. Patients are taught relaxing techniques, and
create a hierarchy of fear with each scenario causing more anxiety. They slowly teach the
patient to be calm in each situation so they can master the feared situation.
systematic desensitisation evaluation - answer-Strengths:
- Evidence supports the effectiveness of desensitisation helping to reduce phobic anxiety.
Bronson and Thorpe used a 10 week long desensitisation program to help technophobes learn
more about technology on a learning course. At the end, their anxiety levels were significantly
lowered.
- Patients had some control over therapy which may factor into the effectiveness of treatment.
,Weaknesses:
- Reduces the phobic behaviour but is not always a cure, it may worsen again after a few
months so it is not permanent.
- Works better on some phobias, social and agoraphobia do not show as much improvement.
Suggesting other causes than classical conditioning.
- System substitute, a common criticism is that when a phobia disappears another appears as
the underlying cause is never confronted like psychodynamic psychologists say it must be.
Attrition - answer-High drop out rates
Flooding - answer-A treatment for phobias in which clients are exposed repeatedly and
intensively to a feared object and made to see that it is actually harmless and their fear has no
basis. It is not unethical but can be unpleasant and patients must give fully informed consent.
Extinction of the fear - answer-When there is no longer a conditioned response rather than
altering a pre-existing conditioned response.
Evaluation of flooding - answer-Strength:
- Cost effective and is highly effective and quicker than SD with sometimes only one session
being required.
Weaknesses:
- Doesn't work on all phobias like social phobias as these have cognitive aspects which flooding
doesn't acknowledge.
- Flooding is a very traumatic experience and there is high attrition as often many people do not
wish to continue.
- System substitute, a common criticism is that when a phobia disappears another appears as
the underlying cause is never confronted like psychodynamic psychologists say it must be.
Depression - answer-A mental disorder characterised by low mood and low energy
levels.They're the most common with 1/20 British adults having depression at any one time.
DSM-5 Categories of depression - answer-- Major depressive disorder, severe but short-term
- Premenstrual dysphonic disorder, disruption to mood prior to or during menstruation.
, Depression Characteristics - answer-Behavioural: Activity levels reduced leading to lethargic,
disruption to sleep and eating, aggression and self harm.
Emotional: Lowered mood seeing themselves as worthless and empty, lowered self-esteem and
anger
Cognitive: Poor memory, poor concentration and dwelling on the negative, delusions.
The Cognitive approach to explaining depression - answer--Beck's cognitive theory
-Ellis's ABC model
Beck's Theory of Depression - answer-Depression is caused by negative and irrational thought
processes. Some people are more vulnerable to depression than others from the three parts of
cognitive vulnerability:
1) Faulty information processes, focusing on the negative.
2) Negative self schema,
3) The Negative triad becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Schema - answer-A package of ideas developed through experiences.
Negative triad - answer-negative triad- negative beliefs (schema) process in negative ways
(cognitive biases) and leads to see the world negatively (depression)
Negative views about the world, negative views about the future and negative views about
oneself
Beck's Cognitive Theory evaluation - answer-Strengths:
- A range of evidence supports the idea that depression is associated with faulty thinking
processes. Grazioli and Terry Assessed 65 pregnant women for cognitive vulnerability and
depression before and after birth.
Cognitively vulnerable women are more likely to develop post-natal depression.
- Beck's theory has practical application including the treatment CBT.
