'Symptom assessment of schizophrenia using virtual reality will one day remove the need for a doctor.' To what extent do you agree with this statement? Use examples of research you have studied to support your answer.

Mark scheme

Marking points from the official mark scheme (May/June 2020). The mark or mark type is shown in brackets.

1. use generic levels of response in table C.
2. Syllabus: Characteristics of schizophrenia: symptom assessment using virtual reality
3. patients sometimes prefer to give more personal details to a computer (e.g. Robinson and West)
4. patients can interact with a computer/VR in a situation and show how they would actually behave rather than try to describe it to a doctor 'The practitioner has no idea of how the patient actually behaves in the real world (or whether they are telling the truth)'
5. patients can be dishonest to a doctor, but may be honest as the VR situation demands
6. in the future computers/VR may be able to interpret symptoms and diagnose also.
7. the doctor will always need to interpret behaviour and diagnose
8. the doctor will always need to prescribe appropriate medication (if deemed most suitable)
9. the doctor has experience and that can never be programmed into a computer
10. the doctor can ask questions as they arise; a computer/VR cannot 'interact'