A2 Essay Planner - Abnormality

You will need to write 4 different types of extended answers at A2:

Question Type What you will need to do Golden Rules

8 mark You will need to describe everything Know all the bullet points from the spec for
description you know that relates to one bullet Abnormality
(12 minutes) point from the specification.

10 mark You will need to discuss one section of Have 4 evaluation paragraphs prepared for
evaluation Abnormality in relation to 4 issues or each subsection of Abnormality
(15 minutes) debates. The question will name one
Make sure that each evaluation paragraph
issue that is required in your answer.
covers both negative and positive points.
The remaining 3 will be up to you.
The connective “therefore” should appear
A2 issues and debates: throughout your answer.
- Individual/situational
- Use of children
- Use of animals
- Application to real life
- Nature / Nurture
- Reductionism
- Determinism
- Longitudinal research
- Use of psychometrics
- Cultural bias

10 mark design You will need to design a study that Know 4-5 features of each research method:
(15 minutes) investigates an aspect of Abnormality. - Experiments
- Observations
- Interviews
- Questionnaires
- Correlations
- Case Studies

Clearly state your research method and then

apply the key features to the design scenario.

8 mark You will need to explain the method The connective “because” should appear
explanation and psychological theory/study on throughout your answer.
(12 minutes) which your design is based.
Refer to any key studies or theories that
relate to the question topic area.

12 mark You will need to argue to what extent You need to give 2 reasons for and 2
analysis you agree with a statement made in reasons against.
(18 minutes) the question stem, and come to a
conclusion. Support all reasons with evidence.
Finish with a conclusion.
Section 1: Schizophrenic & Psychotic Disorders
What the Spec says:
● characteristics of schizophrenia spectrum and psychotic disorders
– definitions, types, examples and case studies of schizophrenia and psychotic disorders
– schizophrenia and delusional disorder
– symptom assessment using virtual reality (Freeman, 2008)
● explanations of schizophrenia and delusional disorder
– genetic (Gottesman and Shields, 1972)
– biochemical (dopamine hypothesis)
– cognitive (Frith, 1992)
● treatment and management of schizophrenia and delusional disorder
– biochemical (antipsychotics and atypical antipsychotics)
– electro-convulsive therapy
– token economy (Paul and Lentz, 1977)
– cognitive-behavioural therapy (Sensky, 2000)

8 Mark Description:
Question: Describe what psychologists have discovered about explanations of schizophrenia and delusional
disorder.

Paragraph: What to describe: Key Terminology: Success Criteria:

1 - All descriptions are accurate

- Psychological terms are
used accurately throughout
2
- Paragraphs are linked
together using connectives
3 - All relevant bullet points are
covered in a logical structure

10 Mark Evaluation:
Question: Evaluate explanations of schizophrenia and delusional disorder, including a discussion about
reductionism.

Issue: + / - points: Supporting examples: Success Criteria:

1 - The named issue is

discussed
- 3 other issues are also
discussed
2 - Paragraphs are arranged
issue by issue
- Each paragraph contains +
and - evaluation points
3 - Each paragraph contains
supporting examples
- At least one paragraph ends
with a conclusion
4 (“Therefore”)

10 Mark Design:
Question: Design a study to test the effectiveness of virtual reality as a way to measure symptoms of schizophrenia
Method: Success criteria:

Features: Application of features: - Thorough psychological

knowledge
1 - Accurate, coherent and
detailed response - so
2 detailed that it is replicable
- Includes 4 or 5 design
3 features
- Appropriate method chosen,
4 applied competently to the
question
5
8 Mark Explain:
Question: Explain the psychological and methodological evidence on which your study is based.

Evidence Success criteria:

Psychological - Detailed explanation of design

choice, using connective
Methodological ‘because’, that is clearly linked
to the topic area
- Refer explicitly to any key
studies or theories that relate to
the question topic area.
- Accurate and detailed
description of psychological &
methodological knowledge
- Balanced response between
psychological and
methodological knowledge
12 Mark Analysis:
Question: ‘A token economy used for patients with schizophrenia in hospitals only makes them behave better for
the staff’. To what extent do you agree with this statement? Use examples of research you have
studied to support your answer.

Reasons: Supporting examples: Success Criteria:

For 1 - Both sides of the argument

are considered
For 2 - Appropriate examples are
included which fully support
Against 1 both sides
- Discussion is detailed with
Against 2 good understanding and clear
expression
- A conclusion is drawn with
appropriate justification

Conclusion
Section 2: Bipolar and Related Disorders
What the Spec says:
● characteristics of bipolar and related disorders
– definitions and characteristics of abnormal affect
– types: depression (unipolar) and mania (bipolar)
– measures: Beck depression inventory
● explanations of depression
– biological: genetic and neurochemical (Oruc et al., 1998)
– cognitive (Beck, 1979)
– learned helplessness/attributional style (Seligman, 1988)
● treatment and management of depression
– biological: chemical/drugs (MAO, SSRIs)
– electro-convulsive therapy
– cognitive restructuring (Beck, 1979)
– rational emotive behaviour therapy (Ellis, 1962)
8 Mark Description:
Question: Describe what psychologists have discovered about the treatment and management of
depression.

Paragraph: What to describe: Key Terminology: Success Criteria:

1 - All descriptions are accurate

- Psychological terms are
used accurately throughout
2
- Paragraphs are linked
together using connectives
3 - All relevant bullet points are
covered in a logical structure

10 Mark Evaluation:
Question: Evaluate what psychologists have learned about treatments and management of depression, including
a discussion of individual versus situational factors.

Issue: + / - points: Supporting examples: Success Criteria:

1 - The named issue is

discussed
- 3 other issues are also
discussed
2 - Paragraphs are arranged
issue by issue
- Each paragraph contains +
and - evaluation points
3 - Each paragraph contains
supporting examples
- At least one paragraph ends
with a conclusion
4 (“Therefore”)
10 Mark Design:
Question: Design an experiment to test the effectiveness of cognitive restructuring in the treatment of depression.

Method: Success criteria:

Features: Application of features: - Thorough psychological

knowledge
1 - Accurate, coherent and
detailed response - so
2 detailed that it is
replicable
3 - Includes 4 or 5 design
features
4 - Appropriate method
chosen, applied
5 competently to the
question
8 Mark Explain:
Question: Explain the psychological and methodological evidence on which your experiment is based.

Evidence Success criteria:

Psychological - Detailed explanation of design

choice, using connective
Methodological ‘because’, that is clearly linked
to the topic area
- Refer explicitly to any key
studies or theories that relate to
the question topic area.
- Accurate and detailed
description of psychological &
methodological knowledge
- Balanced response between
psychological and
methodological knowledge
12 Mark Analysis:
Question: ‘Drug therapy is the only effective treatment of depression’. To what extent do you agree with this
statement? Use examples of research you have studied to support your answer.

Reasons: Supporting examples: Success Criteria:

For 1 - Both sides of the

argument are considered
For 2 - Appropriate examples are
included which fully
Against 1 support both sides
- Discussion is detailed with
Against 2 good understanding and
clear expression
- A conclusion is drawn with
appropriate justification

Conclusion
Section 3: Impulse Control Disorders and Non-Substance Addictive Disorder
What the Spec says:
● characteristics of impulse control disorders and non-substance addictive disorder
– definitions (Griffiths, 2005)
– types: kleptomania, pyromania (Burton et al., 2012) and gambling disorder
– measures: Kleptomania Symptom Assessment Scale (K-SAS)
● causes of impulse control disorders and non-substance addictive disorder
– biochemical: dopamine
– behavioural: positive reinforcement
– cognitive: feeling-state theory (Miller, 2010)
● treating and managing impulse control disorders and non-substance addictive disorder
– biochemical (Grant et al., 2008)
– cognitive-behavioural: covert sensitisation (Glover, 2011), imaginal desensitisation
(Blaszczynski and Nower, 2002), impulse control therapy (Miller, 2010)

8 Mark Description:
Question: Describe characteristics of impulse control and non-addictive substance disorder.

Paragraph: What to describe: Key Terminology: Success Criteria:

1 - All descriptions are accurate

- Psychological terms are
used accurately throughout
2
- Paragraphs are linked
together using connectives
3 - All relevant bullet points are
covered in a logical structure

10 Mark Evaluation:
Question: Evaluate characteristics of impulse control disorders and non-substance addictive disorder, including a
discussion of the application of psychology to everyday life.

Issue: + / - points: Supporting examples: Success Criteria:

1 - The named issue is

discussed
- 3 other issues are also
discussed
2 - Paragraphs are arranged
issue by issue
- Each paragraph contains +
and - evaluation points
3 - Each paragraph contains
supporting examples
- At least one paragraph ends
with a conclusion
4 (“Therefore”)

10 Mark Design:
Question: Design a study using a questionnaire to investigate the validity of different types of impulse control
 disorders and non-substance addictive disorder.

Method: Success criteria:

Features: Application of features: - Thorough psychological

knowledge
1 - Accurate, coherent and
detailed response - so
2 detailed that it is
replicable
3 - Includes 4 or 5 design
features
4 - Appropriate method
chosen, applied
5 competently to the
question
8 Mark Explain:
Question: Explain the psychological and methodological evidence on which your study is based.

Evidence Success criteria:

Psychological - Detailed explanation of design

choice, using connective
Methodological ‘because’, that is clearly linked
to the topic area
- Refer explicitly to any key
studies or theories that relate to
the question topic area.
- Accurate and detailed
description of psychological &
methodological knowledge
- Balanced response between
psychological and
methodological knowledge
12 Mark Analysis:
Question: ‘Cognitive-behavioural treatments are the only effective ways to manage impulse control disorders and
non-substance addictive disorder’. To what extent do you agree with this statement? Use examples of
research you have studied to support your answer.

Reasons: Supporting examples: Success Criteria:

For 1 - Both sides of the

argument are considered
For 2 - Appropriate examples are
included which fully
Against 1 support both sides
- Discussion is detailed with
Against 2 good understanding and
clear expression
- A conclusion is drawn with
appropriate justification

Conclusion
Section 4: Anxiety Disorders
What the Spec says:
● characteristics of anxiety disorders
– characteristics of generalised anxiety and examples/case studies of phobias
– types: agoraphobia and specific phobias (blood phobia, animal phobia, button phobia)
– measures: the blood injury phobia inventory (BIPI); Generalised Anxiety Disorder assessment (GAD-7)
● explanations of phobias
– behavioural (classical conditioning, Watson, 1920)
– psychoanalytic (Freud, 1909)
– biomedical/genetic (Ost, 1992)
– cognitive (DiNardo et al., 1988)
● treatment and management of anxiety disorders
– systematic desensitisation (Wolpe, 1958)
– applied tension (Ost et al., 1989)
– cognitive-behavioural therapy (Ost and Westling, 1995)

8 Mark Description:
Question: Describe what psychologists have discovered about treatment and management of anxiety disorders.

Paragraph: What to describe: Key Terminology: Success Criteria:

1 - All descriptions are accurate

 - Psychological terms are
used accurately throughout
2 - Paragraphs are linked
together using connectives
3 - All relevant bullet points are
covered in a logical structure

10 Mark Evaluation:
Question: Evaluate treatment and management of anxiety disorders, including a discussion of nature versus
nurture.

Issue: + / - points: Supporting examples: Success Criteria:

1 - The named issue is

discussed
- 3 other issues are also
discussed
2 - Paragraphs are arranged
issue by issue
- Each paragraph contains +
and - evaluation points
3 - Each paragraph contains
supporting examples
- At least one paragraph ends
with a conclusion
4 (“Therefore”)

10 Mark Design:
Question: Design a study to test the reliability of measures of anxiety disorders.

Method: Success criteria:

Features: Application of features: - Thorough psychological

knowledge
1 - Accurate, coherent and
detailed response - so
2 detailed that it is
replicable
3 - Includes 4 or 5 design
features
4 - Appropriate method
chosen, applied
5 competently to the
question
8 Mark Explain:
Question: Explain the psychological and methodological evidence on which your study is based.

Evidence Success criteria:

Psychological - Detailed explanation of design

choice, using connective
Methodological ‘because’, that is clearly linked
to the topic area
- Refer explicitly to any key
 studies or theories that relate to
the question topic area.
- Accurate and detailed
description of psychological &
methodological knowledge
- Balanced response between
psychological and
methodological knowledge

12 Mark Analysis:
Question: ‘The use of children in psychological research to investigate anxiety disorders is unethical and should
be avoided where possible’. To what extent do you agree with this statement? Use examples of
research you have studied to support your answer.

Reasons: Supporting examples: Success Criteria:

For 1 - Both sides of the

argument are considered
For 2 - Appropriate examples are
included which fully
Against 1 support both sides
- Discussion is detailed with
Against 2 good understanding and
clear expression
- A conclusion is drawn with
appropriate justification

Conclusion
Section 5: Obsessive Compulsive and Related Disorders
What the Spec says:
● characteristics of obsessive-compulsive and related disorders
– types of and common obsessions, common compulsions, hoarding and body dysmorphic disorder
– examples and case studies (‘Charles’ by Rappaport,1989)
– measures: Maudsley Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory (MOCI), Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive
Scale (Y-BOCS)
● explanations of obsessive-compulsive disorder
– biomedical (genetic, biochemical and neurological)
– cognitive and behavioural
– psychodynamic
● treatment and management of obsessive-compulsive and related disorders
– biomedical (SSRIs)
– psychological: cognitive (Lovell et al., 2007) and exposure and response prevention (Lehmkuhl et al.,
2008)
8 Mark Description:
Question: Describe explanations of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

Paragraph: What to describe: Key Terminology: Success Criteria:

1 - All descriptions are accurate

- Psychological terms are
used accurately throughout
2
- Paragraphs are linked
together using connectives
3 - All relevant bullet points are
covered in a logical structure

10 Mark Evaluation:
Question: Evaluate explanations of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), including a discussion about
determinism.

Issue: + / - points: Supporting examples: Success Criteria:

1 - The named issue is

discussed
- 3 other issues are also
discussed
- Paragraphs are arranged
2 issue by issue
- Each paragraph contains +
and - evaluation points
- Each paragraph contains
3 supporting examples
- At least one paragraph ends
with a conclusion
(“Therefore”)
4

10 Mark Design:
Question: Design a study to investigate whether obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is more
effectively treated by psychological or biomedical techniques.

Method: Success criteria:

Features: Application of features: - Thorough psychological

knowledge
1 - Accurate, coherent and
detailed response - so
2 detailed that it is replicable
- Includes 4 or 5 design
3 features
- Appropriate method
4 chosen, applied
competently to the
5 question

8 Mark Explain:
Question: Explain the psychological and methodological evidence on which your study is based.

Evidence Success criteria:

Psychological - Detailed explanation of design

choice, using connective
Methodological ‘because’, that is clearly linked to
the topic area
- Refer explicitly to any key
studies or theories that relate to
the question topic area.
- Accurate and detailed
description of psychological &
methodological knowledge
- Balanced response between
psychological and
methodological knowledge
12 Mark Analysis:
Question: ‘Conducting a case study is the best way to find out about obsessive, compulsive and related
disorders.’ To what extent do you agree with this statement? Use examples of research you have studied to support
your answer.

Reasons: Supporting examples: Success Criteria:

For 1 - Both sides of the argument

are considered
For 2 - Appropriate examples are
included which fully support
Against 1 both sides
- Discussion is detailed with
Against 2 good understanding and
clear expression
- A conclusion is drawn with
appropriate justification

Conclusion