PSYCHOLOGY A LEVEL
PAPER 1 EXAM
QUESTIONS
[Document subtitle]
[DATE]
[COMPANY NAME]
[Company address]
, Certainly! Here are all the questions numbered with their answers:
1. Describe a behavioural characteristic that might be seen in a person who has been
diagnosed with a phobia of wasps.
**Answer:** Panic behaviors such as crying, running, screaming; avoidance behaviors such
as not going to places where wasps might be encountered.
2. Describe one emotional characteristic that might be seen in a person who has been
diagnosed with a phobia of wasps.
**Answer:** Anxiety—feelings of worry or distress in the presence of wasps; fear—feelings
of terror or being scared.
3. Explain how a hierarchy and relaxation might be used in the treatment of someone who
has a phobia of wasps.
**Answer:** A hierarchy is a list, created by the therapist and client, ordered from least to
most feared situations involving wasps (e.g., seeing a picture of a wasp vs. seeing one in real
life). The client uses relaxation techniques, such as controlled breathing, to calm themselves
before progressing through the hierarchy, not moving on until relaxed.
4. Outline the use of one or more drugs in the treatment of OCD.
**Answer:** Drugs like antidepressants/SSRIs prevent the reuptake of serotonin, prolonging
its activity in the synapse; tricyclics block reabsorbing mechanisms for serotonin and
noradrenaline, increasing their activity; benzodiazepines enhance GABA activity to promote
relaxation; SNRIs increase serotonin and noradrenaline levels and can be tolerated when
SSRIs are ineffective.
5. Discuss one or more cognitive explanations of depression.
**Answer:** Beck's theory suggests faulty information processing, negative schemas, and
the negative triad contribute to depression; Ellis's ABC model states that an activating event
(A) leads to beliefs (B), which cause emotional consequences (C). Evidence supports the link
between faulty thinking and depression, with practical applications like CBT. Not all
depression episodes have clear activating events, and biological factors are not fully
explained.
PAPER 1 EXAM
QUESTIONS
[Document subtitle]
[DATE]
[COMPANY NAME]
[Company address]
, Certainly! Here are all the questions numbered with their answers:
1. Describe a behavioural characteristic that might be seen in a person who has been
diagnosed with a phobia of wasps.
**Answer:** Panic behaviors such as crying, running, screaming; avoidance behaviors such
as not going to places where wasps might be encountered.
2. Describe one emotional characteristic that might be seen in a person who has been
diagnosed with a phobia of wasps.
**Answer:** Anxiety—feelings of worry or distress in the presence of wasps; fear—feelings
of terror or being scared.
3. Explain how a hierarchy and relaxation might be used in the treatment of someone who
has a phobia of wasps.
**Answer:** A hierarchy is a list, created by the therapist and client, ordered from least to
most feared situations involving wasps (e.g., seeing a picture of a wasp vs. seeing one in real
life). The client uses relaxation techniques, such as controlled breathing, to calm themselves
before progressing through the hierarchy, not moving on until relaxed.
4. Outline the use of one or more drugs in the treatment of OCD.
**Answer:** Drugs like antidepressants/SSRIs prevent the reuptake of serotonin, prolonging
its activity in the synapse; tricyclics block reabsorbing mechanisms for serotonin and
noradrenaline, increasing their activity; benzodiazepines enhance GABA activity to promote
relaxation; SNRIs increase serotonin and noradrenaline levels and can be tolerated when
SSRIs are ineffective.
5. Discuss one or more cognitive explanations of depression.
**Answer:** Beck's theory suggests faulty information processing, negative schemas, and
the negative triad contribute to depression; Ellis's ABC model states that an activating event
(A) leads to beliefs (B), which cause emotional consequences (C). Evidence supports the link
between faulty thinking and depression, with practical applications like CBT. Not all
depression episodes have clear activating events, and biological factors are not fully
explained.
