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CAIE A-Level Psychology Stress Question Bank

Practise stress sources and GAS, questionnaire or cortisol measurement and management through biofeedback, stress inoculation, relaxation and imagery evidence.

Syllabus
2028–2030
Course
Psychology 9990
Level
A2

Exam points

  • apply alarm, resistance and exhaustion stages of GAS to the physical symptoms in a case
  • compare Type A, life-event and salivary-cortisol measures for objectivity, validity and practicality
  • apply biofeedback, stress inoculation or relaxation-imagery procedures and evaluate study evidence

Covered syllabus points

3.4.1—Sources of stress3.4.2—Measures of stress3.4.3—Preventing and managing stress

3.4 Stress question 1

[Maximum number: 8]

Stress can be measured using sample tests for salivary cortisol, e.g. in the study by Evans and Wener (2007).

Question (a)

(a)

Outline the procedure of one study that measured stress using salivary cortisol.

[ 2 ]

Question (b)

(b)

Collecting saliva to test from some groups of participants, such as children, can be difficult.

Suggest how salivary cortisol tests could be conducted with children. Your suggestion must be ethical.

[ 2 ]

Question (c)

(c)

Explain two strengths of using a biological measure, such as salivary cortisol, to measure stress.

[ 4 ]

3.4 Stress question 2

[Maximum number: 2]

In the key study by Bridge et al. (1988), the 'profile of mood states' questionnaire was used to assess the effectiveness of their relaxation and imagery treatment programme on stress.

Compare the results for total mood disturbance for any two groups.

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