Example Answer for Psychopathology: A Level
Psychology, Paper 1, June 2017 (AQA)
Outline one or more ways in which behaviourists treat phobias. (6 Marks)
Systematic desensitisation and flooding are two behavioural techniques used to treat phobias. By
evoking a different response—relaxation—instead of fear, counterconditioning is used in systematic
desensitisation to assist patients in "unlearning" their phobias. In order to classify phobic situations
from least to most terrible, a patient and their therapist build a fear hierarchy. In order to assist the
patient, maintain their composure when confronted by their fear, relaxation methods are also given
to them, such as breathing exercises. The patient then attempts to maintain their calmness as they
progress through their hierarchy of fears, starting at the bottom. Two emotional states cannot coexist
at once, according to the reciprocal inhibition hypothesis of systematic desensitisation, and gradually,
relaxation will replace the fear.
Another behavioural therapy is called flooding, which exposes the patient to the stimulus that causes
them the greatest anxiety at once rather than progressively exposing them to their phobic stimuli.
With flooding, a person cannot escape it (which would reinforce their fear negatively), and over time,
anxiety levels finally go down as a result of repeated exposure. Since there is no longer a choice to
engage avoidant behaviour, extinction will soon occur since anxiety is a temporary condition, and as
a consequence, the fear will gradually pass.
Rob is a sixth form student who has started hearing voices in his head. The voices come often, are
usually threatening and make Rob feel frightened. The voices are making it difficult for Rob to
complete his homework properly and he is worried about how this may affect his chances of going to
university. Rob has not told anyone about his experiences, but his parents and teachers have noticed
that he appears distracted, anxious and untidy.
Outline and evaluate failure to function adequately and deviation from ideal mental health as
definitions of abnormality. Refer to the experiences of Rob in your answer. (16 Marks)
A person is deemed abnormal if they are unable to manage the demands of daily life (such as social
and/or vocational responsibilities) and live freely in society, as per the Failure to Function
Adequately (FFA) criterion. In addition, a person's actions must result in personal pain and misery
due to their inability to deal for it to be labelled abnormal. They could, however, also make other
individuals who see their behaviours feel distressed or uncomfortable. In light of this description,
Rob can be seen as abnormal since his symptoms make it difficult for him to function in daily life and
"complete his homework." Rob's symptoms are also upsetting or bothering him since "his parents
and teachers" have observed his anxiousness.
The fact that Rob's subjective personal experiences are taken into consideration in the FFA definition
is one of its strengths. This definition does not just pass judgement based on a pre-defined set of
symptoms but also takes into account Rob's ideas, feelings, and the problems he is experiencing. The
FFA definition may be a helpful tool for evaluating psychopathological behaviours, according to this.
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