Health psychology — AS & A Level Psychology (9990) questions by topic
Health psychology covers identifying behavioural categories on a pain behaviour scale, suggesting how to compare stress at work against stress at home, unpicking psychosomatic symptoms in a scenario about abdominal scars, and designing a study comparing pill counting with biochemical adherence tests, worth 4 to 24 marks.
Explain, suggest, outline, describe and evaluate lead 93 real questions from 2023 to 2025 papers. Because outlining a term by repeating the question's own wording earns nothing, drafting an answer to each scenario and checking the instant-marked result shows quickly whether a definition or design has genuinely gone beyond restating what was already given.
What examiners look for
- A recurring criticism is outlining a term by echoing the question's own phrase, such as saying it 'can be applied to daily life', which scores no credit.
- Examiners repeatedly note answers that mention a measure of adherence without linking it specifically, or that omit a measure of non-adherence altogether.
- Reports flag confusion between a 'pleasant life' and a 'meaningful life', with candidates giving vague or generic advice rather than the specific concept asked about.
- A common error is focusing on treatments for stress, such as biofeedback or imagery, when stress-prevention techniques were required instead.
- Strong answers went beyond naming pill-count limitations to discuss patient dishonesty from social desirability, and drew on Meichenbaum's stress-inoculation work covering conceptualisation, skill acquisition and application.
May–June 2025, Paper 31
Suggest why a doctor might make a false positive diagnosis. [4]
Answer this question and get it marked →Outline what is meant by the nomothetic approach, including an example from a study on preferences for practitioner clothing in non-verbal communication with patients. [2]
Answer this question and get it marked →Dr Smith has patients who do not adhere to his instructions for taking their medication. Suggest two ways Dr Smith could measure whether his patients adhere to his instructions…
Answer this question and get it marked →Describe the study by Bridge et al. (1988) on relaxation and imagery in reducing stress during medical treatment. [6]
Answer this question and get it marked →May–June 2025, Paper 32
Isha has been experiencing stress at work. She worries about whether she will meet deadlines and whether the quality of her work is good enough. Suggest how stress inoculation…
Answer this question and get it marked →Outline one reason why a person could delay seeking treatment. [2]
Answer this question and get it marked →Dr Brown works in a hospital and when her patients are given a questionnaire to rate their satisfaction with her consultations, they give her low scores. Suggest how Dr Brown…
Answer this question and get it marked →Describe: - a study on promoting healthy eating in schools, and - a study on promoting health and safety in worksites. [6]
Answer this question and get it marked →May–June 2025, Paper 33
Suggest why a doctor might make a false positive diagnosis.
Answer this question and get it marked →Outline what is meant by the nomothetic approach, including an example from a study on preferences for practitioner clothing in non-verbal communication with patients.
Answer this question and get it marked →Dr Smith has patients who do not adhere to his instructions for taking their medication. Suggest two ways Dr Smith could measure whether his patients adhere to his instructions…
Answer this question and get it marked →Describe the study by Bridge et al. (1988) on relaxation and imagery in reducing stress during medical treatment.
Answer this question and get it marked →May–June 2025, Paper 41
From the key study on positive psychology in schools by Shoshani and Steinmetz (2014): Identify two features of the sample used in this study.
Answer this question and get it marked →Identify two behavioural categories included in the UAB pain behaviour scale.
Answer this question and get it marked →Plan a study using a face-to-face interview to investigate the effectiveness of stimulation therapy/TENS for managing acute pain. Your plan must include details about: - interview…
Answer this question and get it marked →May–June 2025, Paper 42
From the key study by Yokley and Glenwick (1984) on improving medical adherence using community interventions: Outline two dependent variables (dependent measures) recorded by…
Answer this question and get it marked →Outline what is meant by a visual analogue scale to measure pain.
Answer this question and get it marked →Plan a study using an online questionnaire to investigate differences between adult males and adult females in rational non-adherence to medical advice. Your plan must include…
Answer this question and get it marked →May–June 2025, Paper 43
From the key study on positive psychology in schools by Shoshani and Steinmetz (2014): Identify two features of the sample used in this study.
Answer this question and get it marked →Identify two behavioural categories included in the UAB pain behaviour scale.
Answer this question and get it marked →Plan a study using a face-to-face interview to investigate the effectiveness of stimulation therapy/TENS for managing acute pain. Your plan must include details about - interview…
Answer this question and get it marked →May–June 2024, Paper 31
A professor wants to improve doctors' verbal communication with patients. Suggest one way to improve the doctors' verbal communication with patients. [2]
Answer this question and get it marked →Outline what is meant by the nature versus nurture debate. [2]
Answer this question and get it marked →Becky has broken her leg and is in a lot of pain. She has tried both biochemical and psychological treatments for the pain. Her doctor has suggested that she uses an alternative…
Answer this question and get it marked →Describe what psychologists have discovered about: - unrealistic optimism, and - positive psychology. [6]
Answer this question and get it marked →May–June 2024, Paper 32
Dr Munsi is concerned that some of her elderly patients with heart disease do not take their medication every day. Dr Munsi uses the Health Belief Model to design a leaflet to…
Answer this question and get it marked →Outline what is meant by 'application to everyday life', including a measure of non-adherence as an example. [2]
Answer this question and get it marked →Zainab has two daughters who are 8 and 17 years old. Zainab wants to help her daughters to continue to experience good mental health. She reads a book on positive psychology about…
Answer this question and get it marked →Describe a study investigating reasons for delay in seeking treatment and a study on Munchausen syndrome. [6]
Answer this question and get it marked →May–June 2024, Paper 33
Suggest one way to improve the doctors' verbal communication with patients.
Answer this question and get it marked →Outline what is meant by the nature versus nurture debate.
Answer this question and get it marked →Outline two alternative treatments that Becky could use to manage her pain.
Answer this question and get it marked →Describe what psychologists have discovered about: • unrealistic optimism, and • positive psychology.
Answer this question and get it marked →May–June 2024, Paper 41
In the key study by Bridge et al. (1988), the ‘profile of mood states’ questionnaire was used to assess the effectiveness of their relaxation and imagery treatment programme on…
Answer this question and get it marked →Explain what is meant by an ‘objective measure of adherence’, in relation to medical advice. Include a biological measure as an example.
Answer this question and get it marked →Plan a study using a postal questionnaire to investigate the reasons why people attend or fail to attend appointments with a medical practitioner. Your plan must include details…
Answer this question and get it marked →May–June 2024, Paper 42
From the key study by Brudvik et al. (2016) on pain assessments by doctors, parents and children: Outline one rating scale completed by the 3–8-year-old children.
Answer this question and get it marked →Stress can be measured using sample tests for salivary cortisol, e.g. in the study by Evans and Wener (2007). Outline the procedure of one study that measured stress using…
Answer this question and get it marked →Plan a study using a semi-structured interview to investigate whether stress inoculation training is effective. Your plan must include details about: - interview technique -…
Answer this question and get it marked →May–June 2024, Paper 43
In the key study by Bridge et al. (1988), the ‘profile of mood states’ questionnaire was used to assess the effectiveness of their relaxation and imagery treatment programme on…
Answer this question and get it marked →Explain what is meant by an ‘objective measure of adherence’, in relation to medical advice. Include a biological measure as an example.
Answer this question and get it marked →Plan a study using a postal questionnaire to investigate the reasons why people attend or fail to attend appointments with a medical practitioner. Your plan must include details…
Answer this question and get it marked →October–November 2024, Paper 31
A teacher sees one class of 11-year-olds eating too much unhealthy food. She wants to promote healthy eating. Suggest how the teacher could decrease the amount of unhealthy food…
Answer this question and get it marked →Outline what is meant by free-will, including an example from positive psychology. [2]
Answer this question and get it marked →Nadim has been feeling stressed at work but feels relaxed at home. His practitioner is concerned about the effect of this stress on Nadim. Suggest how his practitioner could…
Answer this question and get it marked →Describe explanations of why patients do not adhere to medical advice (rational non-adherence and Health Belief Model). [6]
Answer this question and get it marked →October–November 2024, Paper 32
Camilla's father is told by his doctor that he needs to take pills every day. Camilla does not know if her father is adhering to his doctor's advice. Suggest two ways in which…
Answer this question and get it marked →There are two practitioner styles: doctor-centred (directed) and patient-centred (sharing). Outline one of these practitioner styles in relation to an individual explanation. [2]
Answer this question and get it marked →Hanif visits his doctor and reports that he has pains in his chest. When his doctor examines him, she notices that Hanif has a number of abdominal scars from previous surgery. The…
Answer this question and get it marked →Describe psychological measures of stress: • a test of Friedman and Rosenman's Type A personality, and • Holmes and Rahe's life events questionnaire. [6]
Answer this question and get it marked →October–November 2024, Paper 33
A teacher sees one class of 11-year-olds eating too much unhealthy food. She wants to promote healthy eating. Suggest how the teacher could decrease the amount of unhealthy food…
Answer this question and get it marked →Outline what is meant by free-will, including an example from positive psychology.
Answer this question and get it marked →Nadim has been feeling stressed at work but feels relaxed at home. His practitioner is concerned about the effect of this stress on Nadim. Suggest how his practitioner could…
Answer this question and get it marked →Describe explanations of why patients do not adhere to medical advice (rational non-adherence and Health Belief Model).
Answer this question and get it marked →October–November 2024, Paper 41
Outline how participants were recruited for the study.
Answer this question and get it marked →Outline the psychological treatment of 'attention diversion' to manage and control pain.
Answer this question and get it marked →Plan a study using a face-to-face interview to investigate patients' preference for the clothing their doctors wear. Your plan must include details about: - question…
Answer this question and get it marked →October–November 2024, Paper 42
Outline the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSE).
Answer this question and get it marked →Explain what is meant by a clinical interview. Do not refer to observing patients' behaviour in your answer.
Answer this question and get it marked →Plan a study using a telephone interview of these children, once they are adults, to investigate whether their participation in this healthy eating programme resulted in eating…
Answer this question and get it marked →October–November 2024, Paper 43
Outline how participants were recruited for the study.
Answer this question and get it marked →Outline the psychological treatment of 'attention diversion' to manage and control pain.
Answer this question and get it marked →Plan a study using a face-to-face interview to investigate patients' preference for the clothing their doctors wear. Your plan must include details about: • question…
Answer this question and get it marked →May–June 2023, Paper 31
Practitioners may make type I or type II errors in diagnosis. Outline one of these types of error, including an example in your answer. [2]
Answer this question and get it marked →Describe what psychologists have discovered about the management of stress. [8]
Answer this question and get it marked →May–June 2023, Paper 32
Explain what is meant by 'organic pain'. [2]
Answer this question and get it marked →Describe what psychologists have discovered about health promotion in schools, worksites and communities. [8]
Answer this question and get it marked →May–June 2023, Paper 33
Practitioners may make type I or type II errors in diagnosis. Outline one of these types of error, including an example in your answer.
Answer this question and get it marked →Describe what psychologists have discovered about the management of stress.
Answer this question and get it marked →May–June 2023, Paper 41
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…
Answer this question and get it marked →Design a study to investigate the effectiveness of using pill counting compared to using biochemical tests to measure adherence to medical advice.
Answer this question and get it marked →'Fear arousal is the best strategy for promoting health.' To what extent do you agree with this statement? Use examples of research you have studied to support your answer.
Answer this question and get it marked →May–June 2023, Paper 42
Explain one physiological effect that stress may have on health.
Answer this question and get it marked →Design a study to investigate whether a stress-prevention technique is more effective for women than men.
Answer this question and get it marked →'A repeat prescription is the only accurate way to know that a person has adhered to a request to take their medication.' To what extent do you agree with this statement? Use…
Answer this question and get it marked →May–June 2023, Paper 43
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…
Answer this question and get it marked →Design a study to investigate the effectiveness of using pill counting compared to using biochemical tests to measure adherence to medical advice.
Answer this question and get it marked →'Fear arousal is the best strategy for promoting health.' To what extent do you agree with this statement? Use examples of research you have studied to support your answer.
Answer this question and get it marked →October–November 2023, Paper 31
Identify two recording devices that give physiological measures of stress. [2]
Answer this question and get it marked →Describe what psychologists have discovered about strategies for promoting health (fear arousal, Yale model of communication, providing information). [8]
Answer this question and get it marked →October–November 2023, Paper 32
Outline one behavioural technique used to improve adherence to medical advice. [2]
Answer this question and get it marked →Describe what psychologists have discovered about types and theories of pain. [8]
Answer this question and get it marked →October–November 2023, Paper 33
Identify two recording devices that give physiological measures of stress. [2]
Answer this question and get it marked →Describe what psychologists have discovered about strategies for promoting health (fear arousal, Yale model of communication, providing information). [8]
Answer this question and get it marked →October–November 2023, Paper 41
Explain what is meant by chronic pain, using an example.
Answer this question and get it marked →Design a study to investigate age differences in stages of delay, as proposed by Safer, before seeking medical treatment.
Answer this question and get it marked →'Practitioner style (doctor or patient-centred) is irrelevant. What is important is the way in which a practitioner is dressed.' To what extent do you agree with this statement?…
Answer this question and get it marked →October–November 2023, Paper 42
Explain how the participants' knowledge of these thirteen words was assessed in the interview.
Answer this question and get it marked →Design a longitudinal study using an interview to investigate beliefs about health change in adults.
Answer this question and get it marked →'Disclosure of information to a computer will one day remove the need for diagnosis by a doctor.' To what extent do you agree with this statement? Use examples of research you…
Answer this question and get it marked →October–November 2023, Paper 43
Many people experience chronic pain. Some people use medical techniques (biochemical) such as drugs, psychological techniques, or alternative techniques to manage (and/or control)…
Answer this question and get it marked →Design a study to investigate age differences in stages of delay, as proposed by Safer, before seeking medical treatment.
Answer this question and get it marked →'Practitioner style (doctor or patient-centred) is irrelevant. What is important is the way in which a practitioner is dressed.' To what extent do you agree with this statement?…
Answer this question and get it marked →Other AS & A Level Psychology topics
- Research methods (146)
- Clinical psychology (94)
- Consumer psychology (93)
- Organisational psychology (93)
- Biological approach (38)
- Cognitive approach (37)
- Learning approach (36)
- Social approach (31)