Lesson 7.1.6

7.1.6 Autism: features, explanations and therapies Quiz: Pearson Edexcel Psychology, Unit 7

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson 7.1.6, Autism: features, explanations and therapies: 20 multiple choice questions for the Pearson Edexcel Psychology (9PS0), Unit 7: Child psychology, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. Which three areas of impairment make up the triad of autism described by Wing and Gould?

    • Social interaction, communication and imagination
    • Diet, sleep and physical exercise
    • Memory, attention and reasoning
    • Motor skills, vision and hearing

  2. What is theory of mind?

    • The ability to swim across a pool without help
    • The ability to memorise long lists of numbers
    • The ability to play a musical instrument by ear
    • The ability to understand that other people have beliefs and knowledge that may differ from one's own

  3. What does the Sally-Anne test assess?

    • Understanding of false belief, a key part of theory of mind
    • Colour recognition in young children
    • Physical strength in a playground game
    • Speed of reading aloud in class

  4. What did Folstein and Rutter (1977) find in their twin study?

    • Autism was more concordant in identical twins than in non-identical twins
    • Autism was found only in non-identical twins
    • Twins never show any link to autism
    • Autism was equally concordant in all twin types

  5. Which therapy is based on applied behaviour analysis and uses reinforcement to teach skills?

    • Applied behaviour analysis (ABA)
    • The ethical interview for offenders
    • Psychodynamic therapy using dream analysis
    • The Strange Situation procedure

  6. What does weak central coherence refer to?

    • The ability to understand another person's beliefs
    • A strong ability to see the big picture in every task
    • A type of memory disorder affecting faces
    • A tendency to focus on details rather than the overall meaning of a situation

  7. Which feature of autism is described as restricted and repetitive behaviour?

    • Fluent conversation with many new friends
    • Heightened social enthusiasm with strangers
    • Repetitive movements or rigid routines
    • A preference for constant novel change every day

  8. A child fails to predict where another person will look for a hidden object. What does this suggest?

    • Good physical coordination in reaching
    • Strong visual memory for the object's location
    • A high level of general knowledge
    • Difficulty understanding another person's false belief

  9. A child with autism has difficulty making eye contact and sharing interests. Which area of the triad does this describe?

    • Memory
    • Motor coordination
    • Social interaction
    • Hearing

  10. Which approach uses structured visual schedules to organise the environment for autistic children?

    • The ethical interview
    • TEACCH
    • The Strange Situation procedure
    • Psychodynamic therapy

  11. A study finds that identical twins show higher concordance for autism than non-identical twins. Which conclusion is best supported?

    • Twins are never affected by autism
    • Autism is caused only by parenting style
    • Genetic factors contribute to autism, but they do not account for all cases
    • Autism is entirely caused by the environment

  12. In a sample of 200 children with autism, 140 showed impaired theory of mind. What percentage is this?

    • 40 per cent
    • 14 per cent
    • 70 per cent
    • 140 per cent

  13. Why is early intervention often recommended for children with autism?

    • It cures autism completely in every child
    • It only affects children over twelve years old
    • It removes the need for any family support
    • Early support can build communication and social skills during important developmental periods

  14. A child shows intense focus on the wheels of a toy train and misses the overall play scene. Which explanation fits best?

    • Secure attachment with a caregiver
    • Operant conditioning of play behaviour
    • Strong theory of mind with excellent social understanding
    • Weak central coherence, with attention drawn to local detail

  15. A researcher compares two therapies for autistic children using the same outcome measures. Which design is this?

    • A meta-analysis of cat behaviour studies
    • A survey of teachers' opinions only
    • A single case study of one child
    • A controlled comparison of two therapies with outcome measures

  16. Which evaluation of the theory of mind explanation for autism is most appropriate?

    • It has no relevance to autism at all
    • It explains every feature of autism perfectly
    • It has been disproved by every study ever carried out
    • It explains many features, but not every autistic child fails false-belief tasks, so it cannot explain all cases

  17. Why does less than 100 per cent concordance in identical twins matter for the genetic explanation of autism?

    • It means identical twins never share any genes
    • It shows that genes have no role in autism
    • It proves that autism is always caused by parenting
    • It shows that genes are not the only cause, so environmental or other factors must also contribute

  18. Autism is found in about 1 in 100 children. How many children would be expected to have autism in a group of 2000?

    • 200
    • 20
    • 2
    • 10

  19. Which evaluation of applied behaviour analysis as a therapy is most balanced?

    • It has shown gains for some children, but its intensity and emphasis raise ethical concerns for individual wellbeing
    • It has no benefit for any child in any setting
    • It cures autism in every child who receives it
    • It has no ethical considerations because it uses rewards

  20. Which conclusion best integrates biology and environment in explaining autism?

    • Autism is entirely environmental with no genetic role
    • Genetic vulnerability may interact with environmental factors to influence development
    • Autism has no biological or environmental explanation
    • Autism is entirely genetic with no environmental role

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