Lesson 4.1.4.2

4.1.4.2 Characteristics of phobias, depression and OCD Quiz: AQA Psychology, Unit 1

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson 4.1.4.2, Characteristics of phobias, depression and OCD: 20 multiple choice questions for the AQA Psychology (7182), Unit 1: Introductory topics in Psychology, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. Which of these is a behavioural characteristic of a phobia?

    • Negative thoughts about the self and the future
    • Persistent feelings of guilt and worthlessness
    • Avoidance of the feared object or situation
    • Repeated checking of locks and taps

  2. Which of these is an emotional characteristic of a phobia?

    • Belief that one is worthless
    • Intense fear or anxiety when the phobic object is present or anticipated
    • Compulsive washing of hands
    • Sadness and loss of interest in previously enjoyed activities

  3. Which of these is a cognitive characteristic of a phobia?

    • Irrational beliefs about the feared object or situation
    • Withdrawal from social contact, which often follows a long period of low mood and loss of interest
    • Repeated rituals such as counting, which are carried out to reduce the anxiety that the person feels
    • Feelings of hopelessness about the future, which usually appear alongside a persistent low mood

  4. Which of these is a behavioural characteristic of depression?

    • Withdrawal from social activities and reduced activity levels
    • Frequent intrusive thoughts about contamination, which the person tries to remove through repeated washing of the hands
    • Intense fear when faced with a specific object, which is usually linked to a sudden and overwhelming feeling of panic
    • Repeated checking of doors and windows, which is carried out until the person feels that everything is safe again

  5. Which of these is a cognitive characteristic of depression?

    • Negative thoughts about oneself, the world and the future
    • Repeated handwashing rituals, which take up a large part of each day and cause real distress
    • Avoidance of a specific feared animal, such as a spider, which the person will go to great lengths to escape
    • Strong fear of enclosed spaces, which leads the person to avoid lifts, tunnels and small rooms

  6. Which emotional characteristic is typical of depression?

    • Calm acceptance of every situation
    • Anxiety that is relieved by performing a ritual
    • Intense panic when a feared object is nearby
    • Persistent sadness, hopelessness and feelings of guilt

  7. Which of these is a characteristic of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)?

    • Intrusive, unwanted thoughts that cause anxiety, followed by repetitive behaviours
    • A belief that the world is safe and predictable, which keeps the person calm and free of worry in daily life
    • Persistent low mood without any anxiety, and with no change in the person's daily routines or behaviour
    • Avoidance of a single feared animal only, with no thoughts or rituals attached to the fear at any time

  8. A person repeatedly checks that the cooker is switched off because they cannot stop worrying about a fire. Which disorder does this most closely match?

    • Social anxiety with avoidance
    • Depression with low energy
    • Obsessive-compulsive disorder
    • Phobia of cookers

  9. A person avoids lifts entirely, feels intense fear when they must use one, and believes lifts are certain to trap them. Which combination of characteristics is most evident?

    • Compulsive rituals, obsessive doubts and feelings of guilt, typical of OCD in most of the cases described
    • Low mood, withdrawal and negative thoughts about the self, typical of depression in most of the cases described
    • Behavioural avoidance, emotional fear and cognitive irrational belief, typical of a phobia
    • Repetitive checking and cleaning, with anxiety relieved by the ritual, typical of OCD in most of the cases described

  10. A person who feels worthless, has lost interest in hobbies, and believes the future is hopeless shows which combination of characteristics?

    • Features of a normal stress response only, such as temporary worry about an upcoming event
    • Features of a phobia, such as avoidance and a strong fear of a specific object or situation
    • Features of OCD only, such as repeated rituals and intrusive thoughts that cause distress
    • Emotional, behavioural and cognitive features of depression

  11. Which feature best distinguishes OCD from a phobia?

    • OCD involves no anxiety at all, whereas a phobia always involves intense anxiety that is relieved by repeated rituals
    • OCD involves fear of a specific object, whereas a phobia involves intrusive thoughts that the person cannot stop
    • Phobias involve compulsive rituals that are repeated many times each day, whereas OCD never involves any ritual at all
    • OCD involves intrusive thoughts and repetitive rituals, whereas a phobia centres on fear of a specific object or situation

  12. A person feels very sad most days, sleeps much more than usual and struggles to concentrate at work. Which disorder do these symptoms most closely match?

    • Depression
    • Obsessive-compulsive disorder
    • Social anxiety only
    • Phobia

  13. A person has a fear of spiders that leads them to avoid visiting the garden at all. Which characteristic is most clearly shown?

    • Behavioural avoidance
    • Persistent low mood
    • Compulsive washing
    • Obsessional doubt

  14. Which characteristic is common to both phobias and OCD?

    • Obsessive ruminations about the self
    • Persistent low mood as the main symptom
    • Absence of any emotional response
    • Anxiety that drives the behaviour

  15. Which evaluation point applies to classifying disorders by their characteristics?

    • Symptoms can overlap across disorders, which makes diagnosis difficult
    • Symptoms are not useful for diagnosis in any case
    • Each disorder has completely separate symptoms with no overlap
    • Symptoms are always identical across all people with the same disorder

  16. A clinician finds that a patient's depression symptoms include negative thinking and withdrawal from friends. Which classification of characteristics includes withdrawal from friends?

    • Cognitive
    • Emotional
    • Physiological only
    • Behavioural

  17. Which person is showing a cognitive characteristic of OCD?

    • A person who laughs nervously at a party, and who avoids all conversation with people they do not know
    • A person who has repeated intrusive thoughts that a door may be unlocked
    • A person who feels sad and withdraws from friends, and who has lost interest in activities they once enjoyed
    • A person who avoids a dog in the park, and who feels intense fear whenever a dog comes into view

  18. A researcher compares people with a phobia and people with OCD. Which finding would best separate the two groups?

    • Both groups show the same pattern of behaviour in all tests
    • Neither group shows any anxiety
    • People with a phobia have repeated rituals, while people with OCD avoid specific objects
    • People with OCD have repeated rituals, while people with a phobia avoid specific objects or situations

  19. Which symptom would be expected in a person with depression rather than a phobia?

    • Avoidance of a particular room due to fear
    • Panic when a specific animal is present
    • Feeling hopeless about the future
    • Repetitive checking of an appliance

  20. Why might a clinician consider a person's cognitive characteristics when diagnosing depression?

    • Negative thinking about oneself and the future is a core feature of depression
    • Cognitive characteristics are a sign of a physical illness only
    • Cognitive characteristics only appear in children
    • Negative thinking is never linked to depression

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