3.2.4.4.2 Psychological explanation: negative schemas and attributions Quiz: AQA Psychology, Unit 8

The 20 questions

1. What is a negative schema in the psychological explanation of depression?

   • A medication that increases the amount of serotonin in the brain over time
   • A brain scan that shows low activity in the frontal lobe of the cortex
   • A social group that encourages risky behaviour among its members
   • A pattern of negative thinking that shapes how a person interprets their experiences

2. What are negative attributions?

   • Explanations for events that credit luck and assume that things will improve later
   • Measurements of blood oxygen taken during a stressful event at work
   • Explanations for events that blame oneself and expect bad things to last
   • Records of how often a person visits their doctor over a period of years

3. Which is the nurture influence in the psychological explanation of depression?

   • Random damage to a single brain area that occurs by accident in life
   • Inherited differences in brain chemistry passed from parent to child at birth
   • Learned negative thinking patterns, such as negative schemas and attributions
   • A fixed level of neurotransmitter in the synapse that does not vary

4. A student fails one test and concludes they are hopeless at everything. Which concept does this illustrate?

   • A biological imbalance of serotonin in the brain of the student
   • A recovery from a stroke in the motor area of the brain after injury
   • A positive schema that expects success in every subject at school
   • A negative attribution that generalises one event to everything the person does

5. Which example shows a negative attribution about the self?

   • Believing that friends are always supportive whatever happens between them
   • Believing that a setback happened because of an unlucky and temporary situation
   • Believing that a setback happened because of a permanent personal flaw
   • Believing that good results came from effort and careful planning in advance

6. A person with depression thinks, 'Nothing I do ever works.' Which concept does this show?

   • A tracer uptake that is high in the occipital lobe of the brain during rest
   • A negative schema that makes the person expect failure in what they try
   • A neurotransmitter imbalance that is present in the synapse of the person
   • A positive schema that makes the person expect success in what they try

7. Why might negative schemas be harmful for mental health?

   • They can bias interpretation, making neutral events seem negative
   • They always cause a person to become more confident in every situation
   • They have no effect on how a person interprets everyday events and setbacks
   • They only affect physical health through the condition of the skin and hair

8. Which is an example of a psychological explanation rather than a biological one?

   • Depression arising from habitual negative attributions about events
   • Depression arising from a tumour in the frontal lobe of the brain
   • Depression arising from a genetic inheritance passed down through the family
   • Depression arising from a reduced level of serotonin in the brain's synapses

9. How would a psychologist describe a negative attribution for a failed job interview?

   • The interview was held in an unusual room that was not used for interviews
   • The interviewer was wearing a blue jacket that was quite unusual for the job
   • The interviewer had a bad day and the outcome was unrelated to my performance
   • I failed because I am not capable, and I always will be

10. Which pattern of learning would most likely support a psychological explanation of depression?

    • Repeatedly interpreting setbacks as proof of personal failure
    • Experiencing sudden changes in blood sugar that follow each meal eaten
    • Having a brain scan that shows reduced activity in the cerebellum at rest
    • Inheriting a lower level of serotonin from one parent over many generations

11. Why is a psychological explanation described as a nurture explanation?

    • It focuses on influences learned from the environment and from experience
    • It focuses on inherited brain structures passed from parents to their children
    • It focuses on physical injuries to the body and nothing else in the person's life
    • It focuses on the natural colour of the eyes and hair of the person

12. A depressed person repeatedly says, 'I always ruin everything.' Which concept is most relevant?

    • A negative schema about the self that shapes how the person sees their actions
    • A PET scan finding that shows high activity in the parietal lobe
    • A synaptic release of dopamine that is measured by a PET scanner
    • A positive attribution about success and achievement in their work

13. Which of the following best reflects a negative attribution style?

    • Crediting oneself for good outcomes and expecting them to continue into the future
    • Ignoring outcomes entirely without giving any explanation for them at all
    • Blaming outside factors for good outcomes and assuming that they are rare
    • Blaming oneself for bad outcomes and assuming that they will last

14. A psychologist wants to test the negative schema explanation. Which measure would be most appropriate?

    • The mass of the participant's skull measured with an X-ray at the clinic
    • Questionnaire scores on how a person interprets everyday events
    • The colour of the participant's eyes recorded at the start of the study
    • The number of neurons in the cerebellum counted by eye under a microscope

15. Which is a limitation of explaining depression through negative schemas?

    • It may not fully explain depression that has strong biological causes
    • It proves that biology has no role in any mental health problem at all
    • It shows that depression is caused only by the weather in the local area
    • It requires a scan of every participant's brain before any data can be used

16. A patient shows a negative attribution after a relationship ends: 'It is because I am unlovable.' Which feature is present?

    • A biological symptom with no thought content at all in the explanation
    • An external, unstable attribution that blames a temporary situation and changes
    • A neutral attribution with no emotional content about the relationship
    • A stable, internal attribution that blames a permanent flaw in the self

17. Why might a psychologist ask about negative thinking during a depression assessment?

    • Thinking patterns always reveal a person's blood type in a clinical setting
    • Thinking patterns can reveal schemas and attributions that keep low mood going
    • Thinking patterns matter only for measuring the height of the person in the study
    • Thinking patterns are unrelated to mood in every study that has been done

18. Which of these is a positive attribution that would not support depression?

    • I failed because I have no ability whatsoever in any subject at all
    • I did well because I prepared carefully for the exam
    • Nothing good will ever happen to me again in my life
    • Everything I touch goes wrong for good and cannot be changed in future

19. What is the main difference between a schema and an attribution?

    • A schema is only found in children, while attributions are found only in adults
    • A schema is a general way of organising beliefs, while an attribution explains a specific event
    • A schema is a physical event, while an attribution is a structure in the brain
    • A schema is a medication, while an attribution is a result from a brain scan

20. Which best shows how negative schemas could be changed in therapy?

    • Removing all contact with the person's family and friends for the period
    • Telling the person never to think about their feelings or experiences again
    • Prescribing a fixed dose of a stimulant without any discussion with the person
    • Helping the person test and reframe unhelpful beliefs about themselves

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