Cambridge International AS & A Level
PSYCHOLOGY 9990/41
Paper 4 Specialist Options: Application May/June 2023
1 hour 30 minutes
You must answer on the enclosed answer booklet.
* 7 2 0 1 4 2 1 9 7 9 *
You will need: Answer booklet (enclosed)
INSTRUCTIONS
● Answer four questions in total:
Answer questions from two options.
Section A: answer two questions.
Section B: answer one question.
Section C: answer one question.
● Follow the instructions on the front cover of the answer booklet. If you need additional answer paper,
ask the invigilator for a continuation booklet.
INFORMATION
● The total mark for this paper is 60.
● The number of marks for each question or part question is shown in brackets [ ].
This document has 8 pages. Any blank pages are indicated.
DC (CE) 314772/2
© UCLES 2023 [Turn over
, 2
Section A
You must answer two questions from this section.
Answer all the parts for the two questions you choose.
Psychology and abnormality
1 Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) can be treated with biomedical treatments and it can be
managed with psychological treatments. Biomedical treatments include the use of drugs such as
SSRIs. OCD can be managed psychologically using exposure and response prevention.
(a) Explain how SSRIs work when treating OCD. [2]
(b) (i) Explain what is meant by an obsession, using an example. [2]
(ii) Explain what is meant by a compulsion, using an example. [2]
(c) Outline one case study where exposure and response prevention was used to treat OCD. [4]
(d) Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of using drugs to treat OCD. You should include a
conclusion in your answer. [5]
Psychology and consumer behaviour
2 Hall et al. (2010) conducted a field experiment using an opportunity sample at a supermarket to
investigate choice blindness. Participants tasted jam or smelled tea. They were deceived in a
number of ways during the study.
(a) Explain what is meant by the term ‘choice blindness’. [2]
(b) Suggest two strengths of conducting field experiments, using examples from this study. [4]
(c) Explain two ways in which the participants were deceived by the experimenters in this study.
[4]
(d) Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of using an opportunity sample in this study. You
should include a conclusion in your answer. [5]
© UCLES 2023 9990/41/M/J/23
, 3
Psychology and health
3 The five city project (Farquhar et al., 1985) was a large experimental field study of community
health education for the prevention of cardiovascular (heart) disease. Selection of the five
cities was based on eight criteria (constraints). Data was collected over a six-year period using
physiological measures, such as testing blood pressure and analysing urine samples, and
behavioural measures.
(a) Explain what makes the main experimental design of this study independent measures. [2]
(b) Suggest why two of the selection criteria for the cities were important. [4]
(c) Participants in randomly selected households were used in this study.
(i) Suggest how this might have been done. [2]
(ii) Explain why this random selection was important. [2]
(d) Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of using physiological measures to assess the validity
of community health promotion projects. You should include a conclusion in your answer. [5]
Psychology and organisations
4 A manager can motivate workers by giving a monetary reward for extra work or good performance.
A manager can take money away for poor performance or for not meeting targets. However, giving
or taking away money might not be the best motivator. Non-monetary reward systems might be
more effective motivators.
(a) Explain what is meant by the term ‘non-monetary reward system’. [2]
(b) Explain how two types of non-monetary reward can be used to motivate workers. [4]
(c) Suggest how non-monetary rewards apply to two needs from Maslow’s hierarchy. [4]
(d) Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of using monetary reward systems to motivate
workers. You should include a conclusion in your answer. [5]
© UCLES 2023 9990/41/M/J/23 [Turn over
, 4
Section B
You must answer one question from this section.
Psychology and abnormality
5 Patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) can receive treatment with a therapist face-
to-face or by telephone.
(a) Design a study using a telephone interview to investigate whether face-to-face therapy is
more effective for women with OCD than for men with OCD. [10]
(b) Explain the psychological and methodological evidence on which your study is based. [8]
Psychology and consumer behaviour
6 Colour can be associated with specific products, but colour can also be used where products are
displayed in places such as supermarkets.
(a) Design a study using an interview to investigate which colour is best for the display area for
fruit and vegetables. [10]
(b) Explain the psychological and methodological evidence on which your study is based. [8]
Psychology and health
7 (a) Design a study to investigate the effectiveness of using pill counting compared to using
biochemical tests to measure adherence to medical advice. [10]
(b) Explain the psychological and methodological evidence on which your study is based. [8]
Psychology and organisations
8 (a) Design a study using a questionnaire to investigate which type of cognitive limitation/error is
the most common in a team of managers. [10]
(b) Explain the psychological and methodological evidence on which your study is based. [8]
© UCLES 2023 9990/41/M/J/23
PSYCHOLOGY 9990/41
Paper 4 Specialist Options: Application May/June 2023
1 hour 30 minutes
You must answer on the enclosed answer booklet.
* 7 2 0 1 4 2 1 9 7 9 *
You will need: Answer booklet (enclosed)
INSTRUCTIONS
● Answer four questions in total:
Answer questions from two options.
Section A: answer two questions.
Section B: answer one question.
Section C: answer one question.
● Follow the instructions on the front cover of the answer booklet. If you need additional answer paper,
ask the invigilator for a continuation booklet.
INFORMATION
● The total mark for this paper is 60.
● The number of marks for each question or part question is shown in brackets [ ].
This document has 8 pages. Any blank pages are indicated.
DC (CE) 314772/2
© UCLES 2023 [Turn over
, 2
Section A
You must answer two questions from this section.
Answer all the parts for the two questions you choose.
Psychology and abnormality
1 Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) can be treated with biomedical treatments and it can be
managed with psychological treatments. Biomedical treatments include the use of drugs such as
SSRIs. OCD can be managed psychologically using exposure and response prevention.
(a) Explain how SSRIs work when treating OCD. [2]
(b) (i) Explain what is meant by an obsession, using an example. [2]
(ii) Explain what is meant by a compulsion, using an example. [2]
(c) Outline one case study where exposure and response prevention was used to treat OCD. [4]
(d) Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of using drugs to treat OCD. You should include a
conclusion in your answer. [5]
Psychology and consumer behaviour
2 Hall et al. (2010) conducted a field experiment using an opportunity sample at a supermarket to
investigate choice blindness. Participants tasted jam or smelled tea. They were deceived in a
number of ways during the study.
(a) Explain what is meant by the term ‘choice blindness’. [2]
(b) Suggest two strengths of conducting field experiments, using examples from this study. [4]
(c) Explain two ways in which the participants were deceived by the experimenters in this study.
[4]
(d) Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of using an opportunity sample in this study. You
should include a conclusion in your answer. [5]
© UCLES 2023 9990/41/M/J/23
, 3
Psychology and health
3 The five city project (Farquhar et al., 1985) was a large experimental field study of community
health education for the prevention of cardiovascular (heart) disease. Selection of the five
cities was based on eight criteria (constraints). Data was collected over a six-year period using
physiological measures, such as testing blood pressure and analysing urine samples, and
behavioural measures.
(a) Explain what makes the main experimental design of this study independent measures. [2]
(b) Suggest why two of the selection criteria for the cities were important. [4]
(c) Participants in randomly selected households were used in this study.
(i) Suggest how this might have been done. [2]
(ii) Explain why this random selection was important. [2]
(d) Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of using physiological measures to assess the validity
of community health promotion projects. You should include a conclusion in your answer. [5]
Psychology and organisations
4 A manager can motivate workers by giving a monetary reward for extra work or good performance.
A manager can take money away for poor performance or for not meeting targets. However, giving
or taking away money might not be the best motivator. Non-monetary reward systems might be
more effective motivators.
(a) Explain what is meant by the term ‘non-monetary reward system’. [2]
(b) Explain how two types of non-monetary reward can be used to motivate workers. [4]
(c) Suggest how non-monetary rewards apply to two needs from Maslow’s hierarchy. [4]
(d) Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of using monetary reward systems to motivate
workers. You should include a conclusion in your answer. [5]
© UCLES 2023 9990/41/M/J/23 [Turn over
, 4
Section B
You must answer one question from this section.
Psychology and abnormality
5 Patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) can receive treatment with a therapist face-
to-face or by telephone.
(a) Design a study using a telephone interview to investigate whether face-to-face therapy is
more effective for women with OCD than for men with OCD. [10]
(b) Explain the psychological and methodological evidence on which your study is based. [8]
Psychology and consumer behaviour
6 Colour can be associated with specific products, but colour can also be used where products are
displayed in places such as supermarkets.
(a) Design a study using an interview to investigate which colour is best for the display area for
fruit and vegetables. [10]
(b) Explain the psychological and methodological evidence on which your study is based. [8]
Psychology and health
7 (a) Design a study to investigate the effectiveness of using pill counting compared to using
biochemical tests to measure adherence to medical advice. [10]
(b) Explain the psychological and methodological evidence on which your study is based. [8]
Psychology and organisations
8 (a) Design a study using a questionnaire to investigate which type of cognitive limitation/error is
the most common in a team of managers. [10]
(b) Explain the psychological and methodological evidence on which your study is based. [8]
© UCLES 2023 9990/41/M/J/23
