Lesson 8.1.1

8.1.1 Addiction, tolerance, dependency and withdrawal Quiz: Pearson Edexcel Psychology, Unit 8

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

In partnership with Revision Ninja

Lesson 8.1.1, Addiction, tolerance, dependency and withdrawal: 20 multiple choice questions for the Pearson Edexcel Psychology (9PS0), Unit 8: Health psychology, written with Revision Ninja.

Host it live on the board and students join with a game code on their own devices, or revise alone with Free Play. The answers are revealed in the game.

Host this setFree Play

The 20 questions

  1. What is tolerance in the context of drug misuse?

    • A reduced need for a drug, because the body has become more sensitive to it
    • A drug-free period during which a person is protected from relapse
    • A strong urge to take a drug that appears only after it has been stopped
    • A need for increasing amounts of a drug to achieve the same effect, because the body has adapted to it

  2. Which term describes unpleasant physical symptoms that occur when a dependent person stops or reduces a drug?

    • Tolerance
    • Reinforcement
    • Sensitisation
    • Withdrawal

  3. What is the difference between physical dependence and psychological dependence?

    • Physical dependence applies only to nicotine, while psychological dependence applies only to heroin
    • Physical dependence is always temporary, while psychological dependence is always permanent
    • Physical dependence is a bodily need for the drug, while psychological dependence is a strong craving or sense of need for it
    • There is no difference because both are caused by withdrawal alone

  4. Addiction is often defined as compulsive drug seeking and use despite negative consequences. Which feature best distinguishes addiction from simple heavy use?

    • The person continues to use the drug compulsively even when it causes harm
    • The person uses the drug only at weekends
    • The person has never tried the drug before
    • The person is always physically healthy

  5. A person who drinks alcohol every evening notices they need more drinks to feel the same effect than they did a year ago. Which concept does this describe?

    • Psychological dependence only
    • Withdrawal
    • Tolerance
    • Aversion

  6. A heavy smoker feels irritable, anxious and craves cigarettes after an overnight stay in hospital without access to nicotine. Which concepts are best illustrated?

    • Physical dependence with no withdrawal
    • Reinforcement and sensitisation
    • Withdrawal and psychological dependence
    • Tolerance and aversion

  7. A researcher finds that a drug user who stops taking heroin shows sweating, nausea and cravings within hours. The researcher concludes the user is physically dependent. Which evidence is most important for this conclusion?

    • The user's favourite colour
    • The user's age at first use
    • The presence of physical symptoms that appear when the drug is removed
    • The user's number of friends

  8. A patient's dose of a sedative must be increased every month to achieve the same calming effect. Which problem is most likely to follow if they suddenly stop?

    • Permanent sensitivity to the drug
    • Improved memory and reduced anxiety immediately
    • Withdrawal symptoms, because the body has adapted to the drug's presence
    • No symptoms at all, because tolerance protects against withdrawal

  9. Which of the following statements about addiction is most accurate?

    • Addiction is caused by a single gene and cannot be influenced by experience
    • Addiction only develops in people who have very low self-esteem
    • Addiction is a conscious choice that can never be affected by the body's chemistry
    • Addiction involves biological, psychological and social factors interacting with the drug's effects

  10. Why might a person who is tolerant to a drug be at greater risk of overdose if they stop for several weeks and then restart at their old dose?

    • Tolerance makes the drug more potent over time
    • Withdrawal always makes the drug safer
    • Their body has lost its tolerance, so the old dose now produces a much stronger effect than expected
    • Overdose can only happen to people who have never used the drug before

  11. Which combination best describes the features that define drug dependence in clinical terms?

    • Tolerance, withdrawal and continued use despite harm
    • Aversion, reinforcement and sensitisation
    • Validity, reliability and generalisability
    • Privation, deprivation and monotropy

  12. A researcher argues that addiction should be understood as a learned behaviour rather than a fixed biological trait. Which evidence would best support this argument?

    • Evidence that cravings can be triggered by environmental cues associated with past use
    • Evidence that drug use is equally common in all countries
    • Evidence that withdrawal never occurs in any case
    • Evidence that all addicts share an identical genetic profile

  13. A person says they are addicted because they feel a strong craving, but they show no tolerance or withdrawal. Which evaluation point is most appropriate?

    • Their experience is clearly physical dependence, so tolerance must be present
    • Their experience is impossible because craving always requires physical withdrawal
    • Their experience may reflect psychological dependence, which can occur without physical signs
    • Their experience proves that addiction is entirely genetic

  14. Which definition best describes withdrawal as used in drug misuse research?

    • The process of avoiding all contact with others who use the drug
    • A period of abstinence chosen for religious reasons
    • The set of symptoms experienced when a drug is reduced or stopped after the body has become dependent on it
    • A process in which the body gradually becomes more sensitive to a drug over many years

  15. Two people take the same dose of alcohol. One has developed tolerance and the other has not. Which outcome is most likely?

    • Both will show identical effects because tolerance does not change behaviour
    • Neither will show any effect at all
    • The tolerant person will show a stronger effect than the non-tolerant person
    • The tolerant person will show a weaker effect than the non-tolerant person

  16. A study measures the number of drinks per week in a sample and also how often participants report cravings. Which type of data does the craving measure most likely produce?

    • Secondary data from hospital records
    • Covert observational data
    • Only qualitative data, because cravings cannot be counted
    • Quantitative data, if it uses a scale of frequency or intensity

  17. Which statement best explains why addiction is often described as a relapsing condition?

    • People in recovery often return to drug use due to cravings, cues and stress, even after a period of abstinence
    • Relapse only happens to people who have never been treated
    • Once addiction starts it can never be resolved in any circumstance
    • Relapse is caused only by the drug's chemical structure

  18. A researcher finds that a drug causes a rise in dopamine in the brain and that users report cravings when they see drug-related cues. Which explanation integrates these two findings?

    • Dopamine has no role in drug use
    • Cravings are random and unrelated to brain activity
    • Biological reward pathways and learned associations may interact to produce craving
    • Cues have no effect on drug use

  19. Which is the best definition of tolerance and withdrawal as a pair of linked processes?

    • Tolerance means no dependence, and withdrawal means no craving
    • Tolerance means feeling better after stopping, and withdrawal means feeling worse while taking the drug
    • Tolerance means needing more of a drug, and withdrawal means symptoms when the drug is reduced, both reflecting adaptation to the drug
    • Tolerance and withdrawal are unrelated processes with no common cause

  20. Which statement best distinguishes tolerance from sensitisation?

    • Tolerance only occurs with alcohol, while sensitisation only occurs with nicotine
    • Tolerance is a reduced response to the same dose, whereas sensitisation is an increased response to the same dose over time
    • Sensitisation means needing more of a drug, while tolerance means needing less
    • Tolerance and sensitisation both describe a reduced response to the same dose

All Pearson Edexcel Psychology quizzes