Depression (AQA A Level Psychology)

A researcher studying depression wanted to see whether or not there was a relationship between level of self-esteem and negative schema score. She constructed two questionnaires and asked ten people who had been diagnosed with depression to complete them.

One questionnaire measured the participant’s level of self-esteem. A low score indicated low self-esteem.

The other questionnaire measured whether the participant showed evidence of negative schema. A low score indicated evidence of negative schema.

The two sets of results for each participant are shown in the table below.

Table 1 Self-esteem score and negative schema score for each patient 

Draw a suitable graphical display to represent the data in Table 1. Label your graph appropriately.

Title: ..........................................................................................

The researcher analysed the data in Table 1 using a Spearman’s rho statistical test.

Estimate the correlation coefficient most likely to result from analysis of the data in Table 1.

The correlation coefficient would be approximately:

With reference to level of measurement, explain why Spearman’s rho is an appropriate statistical test for this data.

Outline two behavioural characteristics of depression.

Patients with depression were asked to keep a daily diary of their experiences as part of their therapy. Two researchers analysed the same extracts from the diaries using content analysis.

The two researchers’ analyses of the diary extracts were found to be quite different.

Explain how the reliability of this content analysis could be improved.

Twenty depressed patients were treated using cognitive behavioural therapy. Over the course of the six-week treatment, each patient’s mood was monitored every week using a self-report mood scale (where a score of 20 = extremely positive mood and a score of 0 = extremely negative mood). Each week they also completed a quality of sleep questionnaire which was scored from 10 = excellent sleep to 0 = very poor sleep.

At the end of the study the researchers correlated each patient’s final mood score with his or her final sleep score.

Explain how this study could be modified by checking the sleep questionnaire for test-retest ability.

Outline cognitive behaviour therapy as a treatment for depression.

A researcher wanted to see whether cognitive behaviour therapy was an effective treatment for depression. Twenty depressed patients who had all recently completed a course of cognitive behaviour therapy were involved in the investigation. From their employment records, the researcher kept a record of the number of absences from work each patient had in the year following their treatment. This was compared with the number of absences from work each patient had in the year prior to their treatment.

Those patients who had fewer absences from work in the year following their treatment than in the year prior to their treatment were classified as ‘improved’ (+).Those patients who had more absences were classified as ‘deteriorated’ (-). Those patients who had the same number of absences were classified as ‘neither’ (0).

The results of the investigation are included in Table 1 below.

The researcher decided to use the sign test to analyse the data.

Explain two factors that the researcher had to take into account when deciding to use the sign test. Refer to the investigation above in your answer.

Calculate the sign test value of s for the data in Table 1 on the previous page. Explain how you reached your answer.

Table 2: Critical values for the sign test

For significance, the value of the less frequent sign is equal to or less than the value of the table.

With reference to the critical values in Table 2, explain whether or not the value of s that you calculated in response to question 6b is significant at the 0.05 level for a two-tailed test.

The investigation above is based on secondary data.

In what ways would the use of primary data have improved this investigation?

Discuss the cognitive approach to treating depression.

Patients with depression were asked to keep a daily diary of their experiences as part of their therapy. Two researchers analysed the same extracts from the diaries using content analysis.

One of the diaries included the following extract:

‘Managed to drag myself out of the house yesterday but wished I hadn’t. Went to the shop but dropped my change at the till. Everybody knew I was useless. Why can I not do anything right? No one else I know does such stupid things.’

Ellis proposed an ABC model of depression. Outline and evaluate the ABC model of depression. Refer to this diary extract in your answer.

A researcher wanted to see whether cognitive behaviour therapy was an effective treatment for depression. Twenty depressed patients who had all recently completed a course of cognitive behaviour therapy were involved in the investigation. From their employment records, the researcher kept a record of the number of absences from work each patient had in the year following their treatment. This was compared with the number of absences from work each patient had in the year prior to their treatment.

Those patients who had fewer absences from work in the year following their treatment than in the year prior to their treatment were classified as ‘improved’ (+).Those patients who had more absences were classified as ‘deteriorated’ (-). Those patients who had the same number of absences were classified as ‘neither’ (0).

Outline the implications of psychological research for the economy. Refer to the investigation above in your answer.