The behavioural, emotional and cognitive characteristics of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
OCD causes people to experience unwanted, repetitive thoughts and feel compelled to carry out rituals to relieve the anxiety those thoughts create. Psychologists describe its symptoms across three categories: behavioural, emotional, and cognitive.
Real World
David Beckham has spoken publicly about his OCD, describing compulsions such as arranging fridge items in matching pairs and straight lines, driven by intrusive thoughts that something bad would happen if items were out of order.
Exam Focus
Distinguish obsessions (cognitive) from compulsions (behavioural) — a common exam error is treating them as the same thing.
Evaluation Scaffold
A four-step framework for high-quality evaluation. Use this for 'assess', 'evaluate', and 'to what extent' questions.
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