Doctors Revision

Medical Psychology Examination — Clinical Medicine Year 1
End of Semester Examination

Medical Psychology

Clinical Medicine • Year 1 • Semester 1, 2025

Contact Hours: 60  |  Credit Units: 4

2 HrsDuration
100Total Marks
A · B · CSections
Intro & Theories Growth & Development Mental Processes Learning Theories Attitude & Motivation Personality & Defense Stress & Counselling

Instructions to Candidates

  • Answer ALL questions in Section A (Objectives & Fill-ins).
  • Answer any THREE questions from Section B.
  • Answer any TWO questions from Section C.
  • Write clearly and legibly, using appropriate psychological terminology.
  • Do not write anything in the margins.

Section A

40 MARKS

Part I — Objectives (20 Marks). Answer ALL questions. Choose the most appropriate answer.

1. Medical psychology is best defined as the branch of psychology concerned primarily with:

A. Animal behaviour in laboratory settingsB. The application of psychological principles to health, illness, and clinical care C. The study of abnormal statisticsD. Educational assessment only
Answer: B. Medical psychology applies psychological knowledge, attitudes, and skills to understanding and managing patients within clinical medicine and community health.

2. Which school of thought focused on breaking down the mind into its most basic components through introspection?

A. FunctionalismB. Structuralism C. BehaviourismD. Gestalt theory
Answer: B. Structuralism — Associated with Wilhelm Wundt and Titchener; analyzed consciousness into basic elements.

3. "The whole is greater than the sum of its parts" is the guiding principle of which theory?

A. Psychoanalytic theoryB. Gestalt theory C. BehaviourismD. Biological theory
Answer: B. Gestalt theory — Emphasizes that perception and mental processes are organized as unified wholes, not isolated parts.

4. According to Sigmund Freud's psychosexual stages, fixation during the anal stage may later manifest as:

A. Excessive dependencyB. Obsessive orderliness or stubbornness C. Poor identity formationD. Oral aggression
Answer: B. Obsessive orderliness or stubbornness — Reflects an "anal-retentive" personality resulting from fixation at this stage.

5. Erik Erikson's psychosocial stage occurring during adolescence centers on the conflict of:

A. Trust vs. MistrustB. Industry vs. Inferiority C. Identity vs. Role ConfusionD. Generativity vs. Stagnation
Answer: C. Identity vs. Role Confusion — The adolescent must establish a coherent sense of self and personal identity.

6. A child who understands that a ball of clay flattened into a pancake still has the same amount of clay has achieved:

A. Object permanenceB. Conservation C. EgocentrismD. Abstract reasoning
Answer: B. Conservation — A hallmark of Piaget's Concrete Operational stage (approx. 7-11 years).

7. The stage of sleep associated with vivid dreaming and rapid eye movement is:

A. Stage 1 NREMB. Stage 3 NREM (Slow-wave sleep) C. REM sleepD. Hypnagogic state
Answer: C. REM sleep — Characterized by rapid eye movement, muscle atonia, and heightened brain activity resembling wakefulness.

8. Pavlov's experiment with dogs salivating to the sound of a bell is a classic demonstration of:

A. Operant conditioningB. Classical conditioning C. Observational learningD. Insight learning
Answer: B. Classical conditioning — A previously neutral stimulus (bell) becomes associated with an unconditioned stimulus (food) to elicit a conditioned response.

9. Rewarding a child with praise every time they take their medication without complaint is an example of:

A. Negative reinforcementB. Positive reinforcement C. PunishmentD. Extinction
Answer: B. Positive reinforcement — Adding a desirable stimulus (praise) to increase the likelihood of a behaviour recurring.

10. Bandura's Bobo doll experiment is the foundational study for which learning theory?

A. Classical conditioningB. Operant conditioning C. Social (observational) learningD. Cognitive dissonance theory
Answer: C. Social (observational) learning — Demonstrated that children learn aggressive behaviour by observing and imitating models.

11. Festinger's theory describing the mental discomfort felt when holding two contradictory beliefs is:

A. Cognitive dissonance theoryB. Drive reduction theory C. Attribution theoryD. Social comparison theory
Answer: A. Cognitive dissonance theory — Often used to explain why patients rationalize unhealthy behaviours despite knowing the risks.

12. Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs places which of the following at the base of the pyramid?

A. Self-actualizationB. Esteem needs C. Physiological needsD. Belongingness and love
Answer: C. Physiological needs — Basic survival needs (food, water, sleep) must be met before higher-order needs can be pursued.

13. Hippocrates' classification of temperament based on bodily fluids (humours) is called the:

A. Trait theoryB. Humoral theory C. Type theory (Sheldon)D. Psychoanalytic theory
Answer: B. Humoral theory — Proposed four temperaments: sanguine, choleric, melancholic, and phlegmatic, based on bodily humours.

14. A patient who has just been diagnosed with a terminal illness insists "the lab must have mixed up my results." This is an example of the defense mechanism known as:

A. ProjectionB. Denial C. RepressionD. Sublimation
Answer: B. Denial — Refusal to accept a painful reality, common in the initial stage of coping with bad news.

15. A husband who is angry at his boss but comes home and shouts at his wife instead is demonstrating:

A. DisplacementB. Reaction formation C. RationalizationD. Regression
Answer: A. Displacement — Redirecting emotional impulses from the original (threatening) target to a safer substitute.

16. Which of the following is classified as an eustress rather than a distress?

A. BereavementB. Chronic illness C. Getting marriedD. Job loss
Answer: C. Getting married — Eustress is positive stress arising from a pleasant event, still requiring adaptation.

17. Which stage of Hans Selye's General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS) involves depletion of the body's resources and increased vulnerability to illness?

A. Alarm reactionB. Resistance C. ExhaustionD. Recovery
Answer: C. Exhaustion — Prolonged stress depletes adaptive energy, leading to burnout and increased susceptibility to disease.

18. One of the most essential qualities of an effective counsellor is:

A. Giving direct advice quicklyB. Unconditional positive regard and empathy C. Maintaining emotional distance at all timesD. Speaking more than listening
Answer: B. Unconditional positive regard and empathy — Core conditions described by Carl Rogers as essential to a therapeutic relationship.

19. Counselling offered immediately after a sudden traumatic event, such as a road accident, is best classified as:

A. Group counsellingB. Crisis counselling C. Vocational counsellingD. Marital counselling
Answer: B. Crisis counselling — Short-term, immediate intervention aimed at stabilizing a person after a traumatic or emergency event.

20. A significant barrier to effective counselling in a clinical setting is:

A. Active listeningB. Cultural and language differences C. Open-ended questioningD. Confidentiality
Answer: B. Cultural and language differences — Can hinder rapport, mutual understanding, and disclosure between counsellor and client.

Part II — Fill in the Blanks (20 Marks). Answer ALL questions in this part.

21.The branch of medical psychology that studies mental disorders and their treatment is known as click to reveal.
22.According to Piaget, the stage in which infants develop object permanence is the click to reveal.
23.Kohlberg's highest level of moral development, where morality is guided by self-chosen ethical principles, is called the click to reveal.
24.The mental process of selectively focusing on one stimulus while ignoring others is called click to reveal.
25.In operant conditioning, the removal of an unpleasant stimulus to increase a behaviour is called click to reveal.
26.An attitude has three components: cognitive, affective, and click to reveal.
27.Herzberg's Two-Factor theory distinguishes between hygiene factors and click to reveal.
28.Sheldon's constitutional theory of personality classifies body types into endomorph, mesomorph, and click to reveal.
29.Attributing one's own unacceptable thoughts or feelings to another person is the defense mechanism called click to reveal.
30.The first stage of Hans Selye's General Adaptation Syndrome, involving the "fight or flight" response, is called the click to reveal.

Section B

30 MARKS

Answer any THREE questions from this section.

  1. Discuss the aims and objectives of teaching medical psychology to clinical medicine students, giving practical examples of its application in patient care.
  2. Describe Erik Erikson's stages of psychosocial development, outlining the central conflict at each stage from infancy to old age.
  3. Explain the principles of classical conditioning and discuss two ways it can be applied in a clinical healthcare setting.
  4. Discuss the concept of attitude formation and change, with reference to persuasion theory and cognitive dissonance theory.
  5. Describe five common mental defense mechanisms, giving a clinical example of each and explaining their implications for patient health.

Section C

30 MARKS

Answer any TWO questions from this section.

  1. Compare and contrast Sigmund Freud's psychosexual theory and Erik Erikson's psychosocial theory of human development, discussing their relevance to understanding patient behaviour across the lifespan.
  2. Discuss the concept of stress in medical psychology, including its predisposing factors, types, and the pharmacological, psychological, and social approaches to its management.
  3. Describe the process and methods of guidance and counselling in a clinical setting. Discuss the qualities of an effective counsellor and the common barriers that may limit successful counselling.
— END OF EXAMINATION PAPER —
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