For each of the key studies, candidates should show knowledge and understanding of:

• the context of the study and relationship to other studies

• the main theories/explanations included in the study
• the aim(s) and hypotheses of the study [if stated]
• the design of the study, including all methodology as appropriate, such as the research
method(s) used, sample size and demographics [if known] and sampling technique [if
known], procedure, technique for data collection
• the results, findings and conclusions of the study
• the main discussion points of the study.

HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY

Example study/key study Subject content

8.1.1 Practitioner and patient McKinstry and Wang (1991) non-verbal communications
interpersonal skills with a focus on practitioner
clothing, including a study.

verbal communications with a

McKinlay (1975). focus on understanding
medical terminology, including
a study

8.1.2 Patient and practitioner Shapiro et al. (1992) effect of practitioner style on
diagnosis and style patient satisfaction:

Savage & Armstrong (1990) practitioner diagnosis focusing

on making a diagnosis
(disclosure of information, false
positive and false negative
diagnosis) and presenting a
diagnosis.

8.1.3 Misusing health Delays in seeking treatment

services Safer et al. (1979) reasons for delay, including a
study

– alternative explanations for

delay, e.g. the health belief
model

Aleem and Ajarim (1995). Diagnostic features of

Munchausen (essential and
supporting features), including
a study

8.2.1 Types of non- types of non-adherence (failure

adherence and reasons why N/a to follow treatments and failure
patients do not adhere to attend appointments) and
problems caused by non-
 adherence.

Laba et al. (2012) – Health explanations of why patients do

Belief Model. not adhere: – rational non-
adherence, including a study,

8.2.2 Measuring non- Riekert and Drotar (1999). subjective measures including
adherence clinical interviews and semi-
structured interviews, including
a study

Chung and Naya (2000). objective measures focusing on

pill counting and medication
dispensers, including a study

biological measures including

blood and urine samples.

8.2.3 Improving adherence Chaney et al. (2004). improving adherence in

children including a study
.

Yokley and Glenwick (1984) Key study on improving

medical adherence using
community interventions:

individual behavioural
techniques: contracts, prompts,
customising treatment.

8.3.1 Types and theories of N/a theories of pain: specificity

pain. theory, gate control theory.

functions of pain; types of pain:

acute and chronic pain.

MacLachlan et al. (2004). Focus on phantom limb pain

and mirror treatment to include
a case study

8.3.2 Measuring pain subjective measures including

clinical interview.

psychometric measures and

visual rating scales: – McGill
pain questionnaire – visual
analogue scale (exemplified by
the following key study).

Brudvik et al. (2016) Key Study on comparing pain

behavioural/observational assessments by doctors,
measures: UAB pain behaviour parents and children:
scale.
 behavioural/observational
measures: UAB pain behaviour
scale.

8.3.3 Managing and n/a biological treatment:

controlling pain biochemical.

psychological treatments:
cognitive strategies (attention
diversion, non-pain imagery
and cognitive redefinition).

alternative treatments:
acupuncture; stimulation
therapy/TENS.

8.4.1. Sources of stress Chandola et al. (2008) causes of stress: Holmes and
Rahe’s life events, work

physiology of stress: the GAS

Model and effects of stress on
health.

Friedman and Rosenman’s

Type A personality

8.4.2 Measures of Stress Wang et al. (2005) biological measures: –

recording devices for heart rate
and brain function (fMRI),
including a study

Evans and Wener (2007) sample tests for salivary

cortisol, including a study

psychological measures: self-

report questionnaires, including
tests of Friedman and
Rosenman’s Type A
personality and Holmes and
Rahe’s life events
questionnaire.

8.4.3 Managing Stress Budzynski et al. (1969). psychological therapy:

biofeedback, including a study

Bridge et al. (1988) use of imagery to reduce stress

Key study on relaxation and

imagery in reducing stress
during medical treatment

preventing stress: three phases

of stress inoculation training.

8.5.1. Strategies for Janis and Feshbach (1953). fear arousal: use of fear to
promoting health improve health, including a
study
 Lewin et al. (1992). providing information: giving
information so people know
how to improve their health,
including a study

8.5.2 Health promotion in Tapper et al. (2003) schools with a focus on healthy
schools and worksites eating, including a study.

Fox et al. (1987). worksites with a focus on

health and safety, including a
study

8.5.3 Individual factors in Weinstein (1980) unrealistic optimism: reason for

changing health beliefs disregarding positive health
advice, including a study

Seligman (2004) positive psychology: defining

positive psychology. Three
focuses: pleasant life, good life,
meaningful life, including a
study

Shoshani and Steinmetz (2014) Application of positive

psychology. Key study on using
positive psychology in schools
to improve mental health

Key Studies

1. Savage, R and Armstrong, D (1990), Effect of a general practitioner’s consulting style

on patients’ satisfaction: a controlled study. BMJ: British Medical Journal, 301(6758):
968–70

2. Yokley, J M and Glenwick, D S (1984), Increasing the immunization of preschool

children; an evaluation of applied community interventions. Journal of Applied
Behavior Analysis, 17(3): 313–25

3. Brudvik, C, Moutte, S D, Baste, V and Morken, T (2016), A comparison of pain

assessment by physicians, parents and children in an outpatient setting. Emergency
Medicine Journal, 34(3): 138–44

4. Bridge, L R, Benson, P, Pietroni, P C and Priest, R G (1988), Relaxation and imagery

in the treatment of breast cancer. BMJ: British Medical Journal, 297: 1169–72

5. Shoshani, A and Steinmetz, S (2014), Positive Psychology at School: A School-

Based Intervention to Promote Adolescents’ Mental Health and Well-Being. Journal
of Happiness Studies, 15(6): 1289–1311
CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY

Example study/key study Subject content

1.1.1 Diagnostic criteria for Case Study of diagnostic criteria (ICD-11) of

schizophrenia Schizophrenia schizophrenia, including
symptoms (positive and
negative). A case study of
schizophrenia.

Key study using virtual reality

Freeman (2003) to investigate persecutory
ideation

1.1.2 Explanations of n/a biological explanations: –

schizophrenia genetic – biochemical (the
dopamine hypothesis).

psychological (cognitive)
explanation.

1.1.3 Treatment and Sensky et al. (2000). psychological therapy:

management of cognitive-behavioural therapy,
schizophrenia including a study

1.2.1 Diagnostic criteria for n/a diagnostic criteria (ICD-11) of

mood (affective) disorders mood disorders: depressive
disorder (unipolar) and bipolar
disorders including manic and
depressive episodes.

measure of depression: Beck

depression inventory.

1.2.2 Explanations of mood Oruč et al. (1997). biological explanations: –

disorders biochemical – genetic
(exemplified by the following
key study). Key study on
association analysis of genetics
of depressive disorder:

psychological explanations: –
Seligman et al. (1988). Beck’s cognitive theory of
depression – learned
helplessness/attributional style,
including a study
1.2.3 Treatment and n/a • biological treatments including
management of mood the use of anti-depressants
disorders (tricyclics, MAOIs and SSRIs).
• psychological therapies: –
Beck’s cognitive restructuring –
Ellis’s rational emotive
behaviour therapy (REBT).

1.3.1 Diagnostic criteria for n/a diagnostic criteria (ICD-11) of

Impulse control disorders impulse control disorders: –
kleptomania – pyromania –
gambling disorder.

measure of impulse control

disorders: Kleptomania
Symptom Assessment Scale
(K-SAS).

1.3.2 Explanations of Impulse n/a biological explanation:

control disorders dopamine.

psychological explanations: –
behavioural: positive
reinforcement – cognitive:
Miller’s feeling-state theory

1.3.3 Treatment and Grant et al. (2008). • biological treatments

management of Impulse (exemplified by the following
control disorders key study). Key study on
treating gambling disorder with
drugs and placebo

Glover (1985) psychological (cognitive-

behavioural) therapies
including: – covert
sensitisation, including a study

Blaszczynski and Nower imaginal desensitisation,

(2003). including a study

1.4.1 Diagnostic criteria for diagnostic criteria (ICD-11) of

Anxiety and fear related anxiety disorders and fear-
disorders related disorders: – generalised
anxiety disorder
– agoraphobia
– specific phobia (blood-
injection-injury).

measures of anxiety and fear-

related disorders:
– Generalised Anxiety
Disorder assessment (GAD-7).

Mas et al. (2010). – the blood injection phobia

inventory (BIPI), including a
study

1.4.2 Explanations of Anxiety Öst (1992). • biological explanation:

and fear related disorders genetic, including a study

psychological explanations: –
Little Albert, Watson and behavioural (classical
Rayner (1920) conditioning), including a study

Freud (1909) ‘Little Hans’. psychodynamic, including a

study,

1.4.2 Treatment and Chapman and DeLapp (2013). behavioural therapy:

management of Anxiety and systematic desensitisation
fear related disorders applied to any fear-related
disorder.

psychological therapy
(exemplified by the following
key study): – cognitive-
behavioural therapy (CBT) –
applied tension focusing on
treating blood/injection/injury
phobia.
Key study on treating
blood/injection/injury phobia
using cognitive-behavioural
therapy (CBT) with applied
tension:

1.5.1 Diagnostic criteria for (1989) ‘Charles’ diagnostic criteria for

OCD obsessive-compulsive disorder
(ICD-11) focusing on types of
obsessions and compulsions,
including a study,

Rapoport .
• measures: – Maudsley
Obsessive-Compulsive
Inventory (MOCI) – Yale-Brown
Obsessive-Compulsive Scale
(Y-BOCS).

1.5.2 Explanations of OCD n/a biological explanations: –

biochemical
– genetic.

psychological explanations:
– cognitive (thinking error)
– behavioural (operant
conditioning)
– psychodynamic.

1.5.3 Treatment and Lehmkuhl et al. (2008) biological treatments including

management of OCD the use of SSRIs.

psychological therapies
including: – exposure and
response prevention (ERP),
including a study,
Lovell et al. (2006).
 cognitive-behavioural therapy
(CBT) (exemplified by the
following key study).
Key study on treatment of
obsessive compulsive disorder
using telephone administered
cognitive behavioural therapy
(CBT):

CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY NB. Freeman is a different study than before - YOU NEED
2003 NOT 2008

1. Freeman, D, Slater, M, Bebbington, P E, Garety, P A, Kuipers, E, Fowler, D, Met, A,

Read, C, Jordan, J and Vinayagamoorthy, V (2003), Can virtual reality be used to
investigate persecutory ideation? The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease,
191(8): 509–14

2. Oruč, L, Verheyen, G R, Furac, I, Jakovljević, M, Ivezić, S, Raeymaekers, P and

Broeckhoven, C V (1997), Association analysis of the 5‐HT2C receptor and 5‐HT
transporter genes in bipolar disorder. American Journal of Medical Genetics, 74(5):
504–6

3. Grant, J E, Kim, S W, Hollander, E and Potenza, M N (2008), Predicting response to

opiate antagonists and placebo in the treatment of pathological gambling.
Psychopharmacology, 200(4): 521–27

4. Chapman, L K and DeLapp, R C (2013), Nine Session Treatment of a Blood–

Injection–Injury Phobia With Manualized Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: An Adult
Case Example. Clinical Case Studies, 20(10): 299–312

5. Lovell, K, Cox, D, Haddock, G, Jones, C, Raines, D, Garvey, R, Roberts, C and

Hadley, S (2006), Telephone administered cognitive behaviour therapy for treatment
of obsessive compulsive disorder: randomised controlled non-inferiority trial. BMJ:
British Medical Journal, 333(7574): 883