4.2: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

Question 1

Describe one behavioural and one cognitive characteristic of OCD (2 marks)

Answer 1

One behavioural component of OCD is how the condition hinders everyday functioning

Question 2

Describe one behavioural and one cognitive characteristic of OCD (2 marks).
One behavioural component of OCD is how the condition hinders everyday functioning, such as what?

Answer 2

One behavioural component of OCD is how the condition hinders everyday functioning, such as not being able to work effectively

Question 3

Describe one behavioural and one cognitive characteristic of OCD (2 marks).
One behavioural component of OCD is how the condition hinders everyday functioning, such as not being able to work effectively.

One cognitive characteristic of OCD

Answer 3

One cognitive characteristic of OCD is attentional bias

Question 4

Describe one behavioural and one cognitive characteristic of OCD (2 marks).
One behavioural component of OCD is how the condition hinders everyday functioning, such as not being able to work effectively.

One cognitive characteristic of OCD is attentional bias, where what?

Answer 4

One cognitive characteristic of OCD is attentional bias, where perception tends to become focused on anxiety-generating stimuli

Question 5

Outline the behavioural characteristics of OCD (2 marks)

Answer 5

A behavioural characteristic of OCD is the hindering of everyday functioning

Question 6

Outline the behavioural characteristics of OCD (2 marks).

A behavioural characteristic of OCD is the hindering of everyday functioning, for both what?

Answer 6

A behavioural characteristic of OCD is the hindering of everyday functioning, for both obsessions and compulsions

Question 7

Outline the behavioural characteristics of OCD (2 marks).
A behavioural characteristic of OCD is the hindering of everyday functioning, for both obsessions and compulsions, such as what?

Answer 7

A behavioural characteristic of OCD is the hindering of everyday functioning, for both obsessions and compulsions, such not being able to successfully complete work tasks

Question 8

Outline the emotional characteristics of OCD (2 marks)

Answer 8

An emotional characteristic of OCD would be extreme anxiety for obsessions and distress for compulsions

Question 9

Outline the emotional characteristics of OCD (2 marks).

An emotional characteristic of OCD would be extreme anxiety for obsessions, due to what, and distress for compulsions?

Answer 9

An emotional characteristic of OCD would be extreme anxiety for obsessions, due to the persistence of forbidden ideas, and distress for compulsions

Question 10

Outline the emotional characteristics of OCD (2 marks).
An emotional characteristic of OCD would be extreme anxiety for obsessions, due to the persistence of forbidden ideas, and distress for compulsions, why?

Answer 10

An emotional characteristic of OCD would be extreme anxiety for obsessions, due to the persistence of forbidden ideas, and distress for compulsions, as they cannot be consciously controlled

Question 11

Outline the cognitive characteristics of OCD (2 marks)

Answer 11

A cognitive characteristic could be recurrent and persistent thoughts for obsessions, and uncontrollable urges for compulsions

Question 12

A team of researchers wishes to conduct an observational study to examine the behavioural characteristics of people with OCD.

Explain why it would be necessary to establish inter-observer reliability in the study (2 marks)

Answer 12

Inter-observer reliability is important, as all observers need to make consistent recordings of the behavioural characteristics of OCD

Question 13

A team of researchers wishes to conduct an observational study to examine the behavioural characteristics of people with OCD.

Explain how inter-observer reliability could be established (2 marks)

Answer 13

Inter-observer reliability could be established by setting up clear, separate behavioural categories of OCD before the study commences and making sure that these categories don’t overlap in any way

Question 14

Distinguish between obsessions and compulsions (2 marks)

Answer 14

Obsessions are internal components and compulsions are external components

Question 15

Distinguish between obsessions and compulsions (2 marks).

Obsessions are internal components, why, and compulsions are external components?

Answer 15

Obsessions are internal components, because they are thoughts, and compulsions are external components

Question 16

Distinguish between obsessions and compulsions (2 marks).

Obsessions are internal components, because they are thoughts, and compulsions are external components, why?

Answer 16

Obsessions are internal components, because they are thoughts, and compulsions are external components, because they are behaviours

Question 17

Distinguish between obsessions and compulsions (2 marks).
Obsessions are internal components, because they are thoughts, and compulsions are external components, because they are behaviours.
What are obsessions?

Answer 17

Obsessions are intrusive, recurring or unwanted thoughts

Question 18

Distinguish between obsessions and compulsions (2 marks).
Obsessions are internal components, because they are thoughts, and compulsions are external components, because they are behaviours.
Obsessions are intrusive, recurring or unwanted thoughts, whereas what are compulsions?

Answer 18

Obsessions are intrusive, recurring or unwanted thoughts, whereas compulsions are repetitive behaviours

Question 19

Steven describes how he feels when he is in a public place.
‘I always have to look out for people who might be ill. If I come into contact with people who look ill, I think I might catch it and die. If someone starts to cough or sneeze then I have to get away and clean myself quickly.’

Outline one cognitive characteristic of OCD and one behavioural characteristic of OCD that can be identified from the description provided by Steven (2 marks)

Answer 19

One cognitive characteristic of OCD is catastrophic thinking

Question 20

Steven describes how he feels when he is in a public place.
‘I always have to look out for people who might be ill. If I come into contact with people who look ill, I think I might catch it and die. If someone starts to cough or sneeze then I have to get away and clean myself quickly.’

Outline one cognitive characteristic of OCD and one behavioural characteristic of OCD that can be identified from the description provided by Steven (2 marks).
One cognitive characteristic of OCD is catastrophic thinking.
What is this shown by?

Answer 20

This is shown by ‘I might catch it and die’

Question 21

Steven describes how he feels when he is in a public place.
‘I always have to look out for people who might be ill. If I come into contact with people who look ill, I think I might catch it and die. If someone starts to cough or sneeze then I have to get away and clean myself quickly.’

Outline one cognitive characteristic of OCD and one behavioural characteristic of OCD that can be identified from the description provided by Steven (2 marks).
One cognitive characteristic of OCD is catastrophic thinking.
This is shown by ‘I might catch it and die’.

One behavioural characteristic of OCD

Answer 21

One behavioural characteristic of OCD is repetitive cleaning

Question 22

Steven describes how he feels when he is in a public place.
‘I always have to look out for people who might be ill. If I come into contact with people who look ill, I think I might catch it and die. If someone starts to cough or sneeze then I have to get away and clean myself quickly.’

Outline one cognitive characteristic of OCD and one behavioural characteristic of OCD that can be identified from the description provided by Steven (2 marks).
One cognitive characteristic of OCD is catastrophic thinking.
This is shown by ‘I might catch it and die’.

One behavioural characteristic of OCD is repetitive cleaning.
What is this shown by?

Answer 22

This is shown by ‘I have to clean myself’