Adherence to medical advice: past paper questions
Real questions on adherence to medical advice
The newest 20 of 104 written questions. Open one to see it on the real paper.
- 9990/32 · May/June 2026 · Q9[4]
Ken is experiencing headaches every morning. His friends have suggested he go to his doctor, but Ken has delayed seeking treatment. Suggest two reasons why Ken has delayed seeking treatment for his headaches.
See it on the paper → - 9990/33 · May/June 2026 · Q12a[6]
Describe the following: • • a study about improving adherence to medical advice in children contracts and prompts as individual behavioural techniques to improve adherence to medical advice.
See it on the paper → - 9990/33 · May/June 2026 · Q12b[10]
Evaluate the following, including a discussion about reliability: • • a study about improving adherence to medical advice in children contracts and prompts as individual behavioural techniques to improve adherence to medical advice. Evaluation in your answer can include strengths, weaknesses and a discussion of issues...
See it on the paper → - 9990/42 · February/March 2026 · Q5c[4]
Explain two weaknesses of using postal questionnaires to collect data about immunising children.
See it on the paper → - 9990/31 · October/November 2025 · Q9[4]
A university student, Chloe, thinks that she has less chance of becoming ill than other students. She also thinks that she has more chance of living longer than other students. This suggests unrealistic optimism in Chloe’s health beliefs. Suggest two reasons why Chloe may have unrealistic optimism in her health beliefs...
See it on the paper → - 9990/31 · October/November 2025 · Q10b[2]
Explain why one strategy for improving health has a situational explanation.
See it on the paper → - 9990/32 · October/November 2025 · Q9[4]
Dr Jones knows that some of his adult patients do not take their medication every day. He wants to improve daily adherence in his patients. Suggest two ways that Dr Jones could use prompts to improve daily adherence to medication in his patients.
See it on the paper → - 9990/33 · May/June 2025 · Q11a[4]
Suggest two ways Dr Smith could measure whether his patients adhere to his instructions for taking their medication.
See it on the paper → - 9990/33 · May/June 2025 · Q11b[2]
For one of your suggestions in part (a): Explain one problem that Dr Smith might have with this way of measuring whether his patients have adhered to his instructions for taking their medication.
See it on the paper → - 9990/42 · May/June 2025 · Q11a[10]
Plan a study using an online questionnaire to investigate differences between adult males and adult females in rational non-adherence to medical advice. Your plan must include details about: • closed questions • sampling technique.
See it on the paper → - 9990/42 · May/June 2025 · Q11b(i)[4]
Describe this psychological knowledge.
See it on the paper → - 9990/42 · May/June 2025 · Q11b(ii)[4]
Explain how you used two features of this psychological knowledge to plan your study.
See it on the paper → - 9990/42 · May/June 2025 · Q11c(i)[2]
Explain one reason for your choice of closed questions.
See it on the paper → - 9990/42 · May/June 2025 · Q11c(ii)[2]
Explain one weakness of your choice of closed questions.
See it on the paper → - 9990/42 · May/June 2025 · Q11c(iii)[2]
Explain one reason for your choice of sampling technique. Organisational Psychology
See it on the paper → - 9990/32 · February/March 2025 · Q10a[2]
Outline what is meant by the idiographic approach, using an example from non-adherence to medical advice.
See it on the paper → - 9990/32 · February/March 2025 · Q10b[2]
Explain one weakness of taking an idiographic approach to understanding non-adherence to medical advice.
See it on the paper → - 9990/32 · February/March 2025 · Q11a[4]
Suggest how Dr Singh could use contracts to improve the adherence of his patients to regular exercise.
See it on the paper → - 9990/32 · February/March 2025 · Q11b[2]
For your suggestion in part (a): Explain one practical problem with implementing your suggestion.
See it on the paper → - 9990/31 · October/November 2024 · Q12a[6]
Describe explanations of why patients do not adhere to medical advice (rational non-adherence and Health Belief Model).
See it on the paper →
What examiners said
Comprehensive responses • Many candidates included two weaknesses of using postal questionnaires and related their weaknesses to this specific study, for example stating that ‘people may forget to return the questionnaire’ and ‘so data about improving adherence to immunising children would be lost’. Limited responses • Some candidates provided two weaknesses without relating their answer to this...
— Examiner report, February/March 2026, 9990/42 Q5(c) (Cambridge)
Good responses were able to define the idiographic approach and apply it to non-adherence well. The best of these referred to the Laba et al. study. Weaker responses often lacked the link to/example of non-adherence to medical advice for the second mark. Some outlined the nomothetic approach which was not creditworthy.
— Examiner report, February/March 2025, 9990/32 Q10(a) (Cambridge)
There were some good responses to this question with a clear explanation of one weakness of taking an idiographic approach to understanding non-adherence to medical advice. The most common weakness was that an idiographic approach is unable to produce general laws/predictions about human behaviour and the effect this could have on understanding non-adherence such as being unable to have a general...
— Examiner report, February/March 2025, 9990/32 Q10(b) (Cambridge)
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