Cambridge International A Level · Psychology (9990)

Pain: Practice Questions

3 multiple-choice questions marked as you go, and 5 written questions with worked solutions. All on Pain.

8 questions20 marksFree, no account

Question 1

1 mark

Which of the following is categorized as a psychometric measure used for the assessment of pain in clinical settings?

Question 2

1 mark

According to the gate control theory of pain, why might using a TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) machine help to reduce the perception of pain?

Question 3

1 mark

In the study of health psychology, what is the primary objective of mirror treatment when used for patients experiencing phantom limb pain?

Question 4

2 marks

State one difference between acute pain and chronic pain in terms of its duration or biological function.

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Question 5

3 marks

Outline the mechanism of the gate control theory of pain, specifically explaining how the ‘gate’ in the spinal cord can be closed to inhibit pain signals.

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Question 6

5 marks

In the key study by Brudvik et al. (2016) regarding pain assessment in an outpatient setting, explain one specific finding concerning the level of agreement between the ratings provided by physicians and those provided by the children themselves.

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Question 7

3 marks

The Gate Control Theory proposes that a neural mechanism in the dorsal horns of the spinal cord acts as a gate to pain signals.

(a) Describe how the 'gate' functions to allow or inhibit the transmission of pain to the brain.
(b) Identify one physical factor and one emotional factor that could influence whether the gate is open or closed.

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Question 8

4 marks

The study by Brudvik et al. (2016) compared how different groups assess a child's pain in a clinical setting.

(a) Outline two specific findings of this study regarding the agreement of pain ratings between physicians and children.
(b) Using your knowledge of pain measurement, explain one reason why a physician's assessment might differ from a child's self-report.

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