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A-Level · Psychology

PSY.PSYP2 Characteristics of Phobias: Behavioural, Emotional and Cognitive

AQA 7182 · Calculators not allowed · about 50 minutes

Total Marks

Name: _______________________________ Date: ____ / ____ / ______

Answer ALL questions. Show all your working.

Define the term 'phobia' as it is used in clinical psychology, naming the three exemplar types: specific phobia, social anxiety (social phobia) and agoraphobia.

(Total for Question 1 is 2 marks)

Outline one behavioural characteristic of phobias with reference to panic responses, using the example of a person with a spider phobia (specific phobia).

(Total for Question 2 is 3 marks)

Describe two contrasting behavioural responses seen in phobias: avoidance and endurance, using agoraphobia as the context.

(Total for Question 3 is 4 marks)

Outline the emotional characteristics of phobias, emphasising persistent and excessive fear and anxiety that is disproportionate to the danger posed, with social anxiety as the named example.

(Total for Question 4 is 4 marks)

Explain what is meant by 'disproportionate' fear in the emotional features of phobias, using an example of a person with a dog phobia who experiences high anxiety around small, calm dogs.

(Total for Question 5 is 3 marks)

Outline one cognitive characteristic of phobias: irrational beliefs or cognitive distortions, with reference to social anxiety (social phobia).

(Total for Question 6 is 3 marks)

Describe selective attention to the threat stimulus as a cognitive characteristic of phobias, using the example of someone with a fear of flying who scans cabin noises for signs of danger.

(Total for Question 7 is 3 marks)

Vignette: Priya refuses to board a city bus. She says her heart races, her hands shake and she feels she must get off or she will choke. She now walks long distances to avoid buses and has not used public transport for months.

Identify the single behavioural characteristic of phobias best illustrated by Priya, and justify your choice using evidence from the vignette.

(Total for Question 8 is 4 marks)

Vignette: Noah is due to give a short presentation at work. He is convinced he will stumble over his words and that everyone will think he is incompetent. During the meeting he monitors colleagues' faces for signs they are judging him and replays perceived negative expressions afterward.

Identify the cognitive characteristic illustrated by Noah and justify your choice with reference to the vignette.

(Total for Question 9 is 4 marks)

Vignette: Amelia finds that even in safe, well-lit parks her chest tightens and she feels overwhelming fear at the thought of leaving her home. She recognises the park is safe but still feels intense anxiety when thinking about going out.

Identify the emotional characteristic shown by Amelia and justify your answer using the vignette.

(Total for Question 10 is 4 marks)

Vignette: Callum has a dog phobia. He believes any dog will bite him and scans parks for dogs, interpreting even distant dogs as threatening. He sometimes freezes and cannot move when a dog approaches. Using this vignette, identify two different characteristics of phobias (one cognitive and one behavioural), and explain briefly how the vignette shows each.

(a)Identify and explain the cognitive characteristic shown by Callum, with supporting evidence from the vignette.(3)

(b)Identify and explain the behavioural characteristic shown by Callum, with supporting evidence from the vignette.(3)

(Total for Question 11 is 6 marks)

State two named examples of phobias given in the AQA specification and give one brief behavioural sign for each example you name. Context: characteristics of phobias topic.

(Total for Question 12 is 2 marks)

Extended question (10 marks): Vignette: Yusuf avoids going to the supermarket because he feels overwhelming fear in crowds. He believes that if he goes he will make a scene and everyone will notice. When he is forced to go he scans shoppers and interprets neutral faces as hostile, and sometimes freezes at the entrance.

Explain three different characteristics of phobias shown in Yusuf. For each characteristic: identify it, explain what it means, and apply it to Yusuf's vignette. One mark is available for correctly identifying the likely phobia type at the end.

(Total for Question 13 is 10 marks)

Mark scheme · PSY.PSYP2 Characteristics of Phobias: Behavioural, Emotional and Cognitive

Question 1

B1 a phobia is an excessive, persistent fear or anxiety triggered by a specific object, situation or social stimulus oe
B1 names at least two of the three exemplars: specific phobia, social anxiety (social phobia) and agoraphobia oe
Answer: A phobia is an excessive, persistent fear or anxiety triggered by a specific object, situation or social stimulus. Examples include specific phobia, social anxiety (social phobia) and agoraphobia.

Question 2

M1 identifies panic as a behavioural characteristic, e.g. crying, screaming, trembling, or a fight-or-flight reaction oe
A1 links panic to the example, e.g. a person with spider phobia might scream or freeze when they see a spider oe
A1 explains why this counts as behavioural, referring to observable actions or physiological reactions oe
Answer: Panic involves observable responses such as crying, screaming, trembling or a fight-or-flight reaction when exposed to the stimulus; for example, someone with a spider phobia might scream and freeze on seeing a spider.

Question 3

M1 describes avoidance: actively avoiding the feared situation, e.g. staying at home to avoid crowded places in agoraphobia oe
A1 explains the effect of avoidance, e.g. reduced daily functioning and possible negative impact on work and social life oe
M1 describes endurance: staying in the feared situation but experiencing high anxiety or distress, e.g. going to the shops but feeling panicky and distressed oe
A1 explains the effect of endurance, e.g. continued exposure without escape maintains high anxiety and impairs concentration or coping oe
Answer: Avoidance involves actively avoiding feared situations, for example someone with agoraphobia may stay at home to avoid crowds, reducing daily functioning. Endurance involves remaining in the situation despite intense anxiety, for example going shopping but feeling panicky and distressed throughout.

Question 4

M1 identifies persistent and excessive fear and anxiety as core emotional characteristics oe
A1 states that the fear is disproportionate to the actual danger posed by the stimulus, e.g. mild risk in social situations yet extreme anxiety in social phobia oe
M1 gives an example related to social anxiety, e.g. intense worry before social events, fear of negative evaluation oe
A1 explains why this matters, e.g. such emotional responses interfere with everyday life and are distressing beyond what the situation warrants oe
Answer: Emotional characteristics include persistent and excessive fear and anxiety that are disproportionate to the actual danger. In social anxiety someone may experience intense worry and fear of negative evaluation before and during social events, which is out of proportion to the likely risk and interferes with daily life.

Question 5

M1 states that disproportionate fear means the emotional response is much greater than the objective threat posed by the stimulus oe
A1 applies to the example, e.g. a person fearful of small calm dogs despite little real danger oe
A1 explains the consequence, e.g. disproportionate fear leads to avoidance or distress that is not matched by the actual risk oe
Answer: Disproportionate fear means the emotional response is much larger than the objective threat. For example, someone may feel extreme anxiety around small, calm dogs even though the real risk is minimal, causing undue avoidance and distress.

Question 6

M1 identifies irrational beliefs or cognitive distortions as a cognitive characteristic, e.g. believing one will be judged harshly or perform badly oe
A1 applies to social anxiety, e.g. a person may believe 'everyone will notice I am nervous' or 'I will say something stupid' oe
A1 explains why this matters, e.g. these beliefs increase anxiety and encourage avoidance of social situations oe
Answer: Irrational beliefs or cognitive distortions include thoughts such as 'I will embarrass myself' or 'everyone will notice my anxiety'. In social anxiety these beliefs increase fear, maintain anxiety and promote avoidance of social situations.

Question 7

M1 describes selective attention: the tendency to focus on threat-related cues and ignore neutral information oe
A1 applies to the example, e.g. a person with fear of flying listens to every noise and interprets it as a sign of danger oe
A1 explains the effect, e.g. selective attention maintains anxiety because neutral evidence that flight is safe is overlooked oe
Answer: Selective attention means focusing on threat cues and ignoring neutral information. For example, someone afraid of flying may concentrate on every cabin noise and interpret it as dangerous, which maintains their anxiety because safety cues are ignored.

Question 8

B1 identifies avoidance as the primary behavioural characteristic shown cao
M1 justifies with evidence that Priya actively avoids buses and walks long distances to prevent exposure oe
A1 adds secondary behavioural evidence that she avoids public transport for months, showing a persistent pattern of avoidance oe
A1 links the physiological reactions (heart racing, shaking) to panic behaviours often accompanying avoidance in phobias oe
Answer: Avoidance. Priya walks long distances to avoid buses and has not used public transport for months; her heart racing and shaking when on a bus show panic that leads to persistent avoidance.

Question 9

B1 identifies irrational beliefs/cognitive distortions (eg catastrophising, negative expectations) cao
M1 justifies by citing Noah's belief he will stumble and be seen as incompetent oe
A1 links selective attention to threat, citing Noah monitoring colleagues' faces for judgment during the meeting oe
A1 notes post-event rumination where he replays perceived negative expressions, reinforcing the cognitive bias oe
Answer: Irrational beliefs and selective attention to threat. Noah expects he will be seen as incompetent and watches colleagues for signs of judgement, then replays perceived negative expressions afterward, showing cognitive distortions and focused attention on threat cues.

Question 10

B1 identifies persistent and excessive fear/anxiety as the emotional characteristic cao
M1 justifies by noting she feels overwhelming fear and chest tightness even though she recognises the park is safe oe
A1 explains the disproportionate nature of the fear given the objective safety of the setting oe
A1 links this emotional response to agoraphobic features like fear of leaving home despite recognising low objective risk oe
Answer: Persistent and excessive fear and anxiety. Amelia experiences overwhelming fear and chest tightness about going to safe parks despite recognising they are safe, showing a disproportionate emotional response typical of agoraphobia.

Question 11

(a) M1 identifies the cognitive characteristic: selective attention to threat or irrational belief that any dog will bite cao
(a) A1 explains using vignette evidence, e.g. Callum scans parks for dogs and interprets distant dogs as threatening oe
(a) A1 explains consequence, e.g. this bias maintains anxiety by focusing on threat cues and ignoring safe evidence oe
(a) Answer: Cognitive: selective attention/irrational belief. Callum scans parks for dogs and interprets distant dogs as threatening, believing any dog will bite, which maintains his anxiety by focusing on threat cues.
(b) M1 identifies the behavioural characteristic: panic/freeze response or avoidance behaviour (freeze is primary here) cao
(b) A1 explains with vignette evidence, e.g. he sometimes freezes and cannot move when a dog approaches oe
(b) A1 explains effect, e.g. freezing is an observable panic-type behavioural reaction that indicates high fear and may lead to avoidance of parks oe
(b) Answer: Behavioural: panic-type freeze response. Callum sometimes freezes and cannot move when a dog approaches, an observable panic reaction that can lead to avoidance of parks.

Question 12

B1 names a phobia and gives a correct behavioural sign, e.g. specific phobia - panic or avoidance around the object oe
B1 names a second phobia and gives a correct behavioural sign, e.g. social anxiety - avoiding social situations or visible anxiety when socialising oe
Answer: Examples: specific phobia (eg spider phobia) - avoidance or panic when near the object; social anxiety (social phobia) - avoiding social events or showing visible anxiety while speaking.

Question 13

B1 identifies characteristic 1 (cognitive or emotional or behavioural) cao
A1 explains characteristic 1, eg definition of selective attention, irrational belief, panic, avoidance, or disproportionate fear oe
A1 applies characteristic 1 to Yusuf with specific vignette evidence oe
B1 identifies characteristic 2 cao
A1 explains characteristic 2 with a clear definition oe
A1 applies characteristic 2 to Yusuf with vignette evidence oe
B1 identifies characteristic 3 cao
A1 explains characteristic 3 with a clear definition oe
A1 applies characteristic 3 to Yusuf with vignette evidence oe
B1 identifies the likely phobia type correctly, eg agoraphobia or social anxiety depending on justification, cao

Characteristics of Phobias: Behavioural, Emotional and Cognitive - Worksheets, Questions and Revision