DP Psychology Questionbank

Description

Abnormal psychology focuses on diagnosing, explaining and treating humans suffering from psychological disorders. This option begins with a consideration of normal and abnormal behaviour. An understanding of issues related to diagnosis provides a framework for the subsequent study of disorders and therapeutic approaches.

Although there are numerous psychological disorders this option focuses on the following three groups of disorders:

• anxiety (for example, agoraphobia)

• affective (for example, depression)

• eating (for example, bulimia).

By studying one disorder from two of these groups of disorders, students are encouraged to develop an awareness of the range of psychological disorders. This approach embraces the etiology, symptoms and prevalence of each disorder. As a consequence of this understanding, it is possible to administer effective treatments while at the same time having an appreciation of relevant cultural and gender variations.

Therapeutic approaches to treating disorders may be broadly organized into three groups:

• biomedical therapies (for example, drug therapy)

• individual psychological therapies (for example, systematic desensitization, cognitive restructuring therapy)

• group psychological therapies (for example, encounter groups, family therapy, community‑based therapy).

Therapies from each of these approaches involve the use of specific techniques that need to be applied appropriately. These approaches should reflect a considerable degree of efficacy and ethical appropriateness to the specific disorder.

Directly related questions

• 16N.Paper 2.BP.TZ0.1:

  To what extent do sociocultural factors influence abnormal behaviour?

• 16N.Paper 2.BP.TZ0.2:

  Discuss concepts of normality and abnormality.

• 16N.Paper 2.BP.TZ0.3:

  Evaluate the use of an eclectic approach to treatment.

• 17M.Paper 2.BP.TZ0.2:

  To what extent do biological factors influence abnormal behaviour?

• 17M.Paper 2.BP.TZ0.3:

  Discuss one or more cultural considerations in diagnosis.

• 17M.Paper 2.BP.TZ0.1:

  Contrast one individual approach (psychological, not biomedical) and one group approach to the treatment of one disorder.

• 17N.Paper 2.BP.TZ0.01:

  Discuss the relationship between etiology and therapeutic approach(es) in relation to one disorder.

• 17N.Paper 2.BP.TZ0.03:

  Discuss two or more ethical considerations in diagnosis.

• 17N.Paper 2.BP.TZ0.02:

  Discuss cultural variations in the prevalence of psychological disorders.

• 18M.Paper 2.BP.TZ0.1:

  Abnormal psychology

  Discuss concepts of normality and abnormality.

• 18M.Paper 2.BP.TZ0.2:

  Abnormal psychology

  Discuss the use of one or more examples of an eclectic approach to treatment.

• 18M.Paper 2.BP.TZ0.3:

  Abnormal psychology

  Explain, with reference to psychological research, two etiologies of one anxiety, affective or eating disorder.

• 21N.Paper 2.HL.TZ0.2:

  Evaluate one or more explanations for one psychological disorder.

• 21N.Paper 2.HL.TZ0.1:

  Discuss validity and/or reliability of diagnosis.

• 18N.Paper 2.BP.TZ0.3:

  Contrast the use of biomedical and individual approaches to the treatment of one disorder.

• 18N.Paper 2.BP.TZ0.1:

  To what extent do cognitive factors influence abnormal behaviour?

• 18N.Paper 2.BP.TZ0.2:

  Evaluate one or more examples of psychological research (theories and/or studies) related to approaches to treatment.

• 961248: This is an example question for the example test. You can delete this question.