3.2.4.5.2 Wiles' study of the effectiveness of CBT; reductionist and holistic perspectives Quiz: AQA Psychology, Unit 8

The 20 questions

1. What is Wiles' study in the specification about?

   • The effects of social media on the sleep patterns of young adults
   • The effect of diet on blood pressure in a group of children over time
   • The effectiveness of a surgical method used to treat injuries to the brain
   • The effectiveness of cognitive behaviour therapy in treating depression

2. Which concept do Wiles' study and CBT both relate to?

   • The genetic causes of eye colour that are passed down through families
   • The biological mechanism of blood clotting in the veins of the body
   • The effectiveness of a psychological treatment for depression
   • The chemistry of fuel combustion in a car engine on a cold morning

3. Why would a psychologist evaluate a study of CBT's effectiveness?

   • To prove that CBT always works for every single person who receives it
   • To judge whether the treatment really improves mental health compared with alternatives
   • To remove all need for any other form of treatment in the health service
   • To decide which colour the therapy room should be painted in the clinic

4. A study of CBT's effectiveness uses symptom scores before and after treatment. What is being measured?

   • The number of neurons in the participants' brains counted after each session
   • The change in the level of symptoms associated with the treatment
   • The speed of the participants' reactions to a flash of light in the lab
   • The height of the participants measured before and after the treatment sessions

5. Which is a reason to be cautious about concluding that CBT is effective for everyone?

   • Results from one study always apply to every person on the planet equally
   • Results never show any effect at all in any of the people who take part
   • Results are always identical across every study that has ever been carried out
   • Results may vary between individuals and between different settings

6. What does 'reductionist' mean when evaluating CBT?

   • Explaining the outcome of CBT using a brain scan as the only type of evidence
   • Explaining the outcome of CBT using only one cause, such as thought change
   • Explaining the outcome of CBT without using any evidence from studies at all
   • Explaining the outcome of CBT using many causes at the same time in one account

7. Why might a holistic perspective be used when evaluating CBT?

   • It considers only the person's thoughts and ignores everything else in their life
   • It considers only the person's brain chemistry and nothing else about them
   • It considers the person's thoughts, behaviour, relationships and wider context together
   • It considers only the number of sessions that the person attended in the clinic

8. Which is a reductionist criticism of CBT's explanation of recovery?

   • It includes the person's whole life story in every analysis that is made
   • It may ignore biological and social factors that also affect how a person recovers
   • It uses many causes to explain every single outcome of the treatment
   • It considers every factor and ignores none of the influences on recovery

9. Which feature of CBT would a holistic evaluation count as a strength?

   • It reduces the whole problem to one chemical level in the brain of the person
   • It considers how thoughts and behaviour connect to the person's wider life
   • It relies on one brain scan result as the only evidence of progress made
   • It ignores the person's thoughts and feelings entirely during the sessions

10. Which measure would be most useful to a researcher evaluating whether CBT is effective?

    • The participant's shoe size recorded after the treatment has finished
    • The participant's favourite colour recorded before the treatment begins
    • The time taken by the participant to finish a crossword puzzle in the lab
    • A standard depression scale completed before and after the treatment

11. A study finds CBT improves depression scores more than a control group. What is the appropriate conclusion?

    • CBT shows no difference from no treatment, so the apparent improvement must be a measurement error
    • CBT improves scores only in the control group, so the therapy group's result should be ignored
    • CBT appears more effective than no treatment in this study, but findings must be evaluated carefully
    • CBT is proven to cure all depression permanently in every person who receives it

12. Why is a control group useful in a study of CBT effectiveness?

    • It ensures that all participants receive exactly the same brain scan in the study
    • It guarantees that the treatment will be successful for the people taking it
    • It shows whether improvement is due to the treatment rather than other factors
    • It replaces the need for any outcome measure in the study design at all

13. What is a limitation of evaluating CBT with self-report questionnaires?

    • Self-report data always show exactly the same results every time they are used
    • Self-report data cannot be analysed statistically in any way by researchers
    • Participants may answer in ways that are influenced by expectations or their mood
    • Self-report data are always more accurate than any other type of evidence available

14. Which statement about reductionist and holistic perspectives is most accurate?

    • Reductionist views consider many factors, while holistic views use only one cause
    • Both perspectives use exactly the same methods and the same assumptions about people
    • Reductionist views simplify causes, while holistic views weigh many factors
    • Both perspectives ignore all evidence from studies and rely on opinion alone

15. A researcher concludes that CBT works because of thought change alone. Which perspective does this reflect?

    • A neutral perspective that makes no assumptions about the cause of change
    • A reductionist perspective, because it reduces the outcome to one factor
    • A genetic perspective, because it looks at inherited differences in people
    • A holistic perspective, because it considers the whole person and their context

16. Why might long-term follow-up be important when evaluating CBT?

    • It shows whether the patient's shoes are comfortable during the sessions
    • It shows whether the therapist enjoyed working with the patient each week
    • It shows whether the benefits last after the treatment has ended
    • It shows whether the room in the clinic was painted recently by staff

17. A study of CBT includes participants from only one town. What is the main limitation?

    • Findings are always more accurate than national data collected across many areas
    • Findings cannot be analysed at all because the sample comes from one place
    • Findings must be false because only one town was used in the research
    • Findings may not generalise to people from different areas or backgrounds

18. What is the purpose of evaluating an intervention such as CBT?

    • To judge how well it works and for whom, using evidence
    • To find out which area of the brain is the largest in the adult population
    • To decide whether the therapist should wear a uniform during the sessions
    • To count how many people attend the clinic each year for appointments

19. A reviewer says Wiles' study shows CBT is effective, and notes it only considered thought change. Which perspective is the reviewer applying?

    • A neutral evaluation that has no link to the mechanisms by which change occurs
    • A reductionist evaluation that focuses on one mechanism of change
    • A holistic evaluation that includes many mechanisms of change in one account
    • A genetic evaluation that looks at the participants' DNA in the study sample

20. Which evidence would best support a claim that CBT's effect is maintained over time?

    • A single measurement taken during the very first session of the treatment
    • Follow-up measurements taken months after the end of treatment
    • A measurement of the room temperature during the sessions in the clinic
    • A count of how many words the therapist used during each of the sessions

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