Health Psych Final

How does demand and control in a person’s job affect their health? Which

occupation types have the worst effects on people’s health?

Jobs with high demand and low control have high strain. Jobs with high demand and high control are active. Jobs with low control and low job demand are passive. Jobs with high control and low demand are low strain. Jobs like being a waiter are the most stressful.

What was the main finding of the study about giving elderly people in nursing

homes their choice of a plant to take care of?

The main finding from the plant choice study showed that elderly nursing home residents who chose a plant to care for experienced improved health and lived longer compared to those who were simply given a plant, emphasizing the benefits of perceived control.

How does trauma writing affect health?

trauma writing—expressive writing about past traumatic events—has been linked to better physical health, such as fewer doctor visits and improved immune function.

How does inhibiting personal information affect health?

Inhibiting personal information, especially about trauma or emotions, can negatively impact health by increasing physiological stress responses and suppressing immune function.

How does self-affirmation writing affect health?

Self-affirmation writing, where individuals reflect on values important to them, helps buffer stress and is associated with improved physical and mental health.

Know the definitions for pain, suffering, and nociception, and know the meaning of the Venn diagram presented in lecture (i.e., how do these three concepts overlap? check

Pain is the subjective experience of discomfort, suffering is the emotional response to pain, and nociception is the sensory nervous system's response to harmful stimuli. The Venn diagram showed that while these often overlap, they are not always present together. Pain suffering = chronic back pain without detectable injury. nociception and pain = chronic joint pain that isn’t emotionally settling.

What are A-delta fibers and how are they linked to pain?

A-delta fibers are fast-conducting nerve fibers that transmit sharp, immediate pain. Warning alarm to move it.

What are C fibers and how are they linked to pain?

C fibers are slower-conducting and transmit dull, aching pain. Signal injury has occurred

Know how opioids can be used safely to treat pain.

Opioids can be used safely for pain when prescribed carefully, with monitoring for dosage, duration, and signs of misuse.

How does neuroticism affect health?

Neuroticism is linked to worse health outcomes, as it’s associated with higher stress, negative emotions, and poor coping behaviors.

How does conscientiousness affect health?

Conscientiousness is linked to better health because conscientious people are more likely to follow health guidelines and engage in preventive behaviors.

What is Type A personality and what are the health behaviors and outcomes associated with Type A personalities?

Type A personality is characterized by competitiveness, urgency, and hostility, and it's linked to higher risk for heart disease, particularly due to hostility.

How does optimism affect health?

Optimism is linked to better immune function, lower stress, and longer life expectancy.

How do mindsets affect health?

Growth mindset = the belief that human attributes can be cultivated and changed over time

Fixed mindset = the belief that human attributes are relatively static and unchangeable

People with growth mindsets are better at achieving goals

What are the repercussions of men’s health being the standard by which women’s health is evaluated?

• Some illnesses are noticed late in females

• Patterns of health that differ in females are

considered problematic

• Things that are unhealthy in males are assumed to

be unhealthy in females

• Many drugs don’t work as well for females,

because they are tested with males.

How do the different health patterns of males and females vary by age?

Men are generally at higher risk of early mortality, while women experience more chronic conditions and healthcare usage, with patterns diverging by age. Females are sick more often, but with less serious ailments. Males are sick less often, but with more serious ailments

What are the patterns of mortality and morbidity for men versus women?

Females have higher morbidity and males have higher mortality

How is gender linked to utilization of the medical system?

Women are more likely to utilize healthcare services, possibly due to reproductive health needs and greater health awareness. Males are less motivated

How is SES linked to health? What accounts for the SES-health relationship?

SES is closely linked to health; lower SES is associated with higher stress, limited access to care, and riskier environments, which together explain health disparities.

How is acculturation linked to health for immigrants in the United States?

Acculturation = the process of cultural exchange resulting from intercultural contact can harm health in U.S. immigrants; as they adopt Western lifestyles, they often experience worse health outcomes, such as higher obesity and diabetes rates.

What is the best way to assess race?

The best way to assess race is through self-identification, as it reflects personal and cultural identity more accurately than observer classification.

What are the problems associated with generalizing about the health of different racial or ethnic groups?

Confound SES with ethnicity/race

Categories are broad and heterogeneous

Groups differ in the degree of exposure to and identification with main stream american culture

What was the Ancel Key’s semi-starvation study, and what were the interesting findings associated with the study? check

The Ancel Keys semi-starvation study showed that prolonged food restriction caused intense food preoccupation, emotional distress, and physical effects—even in healthy young men.

What are the findings of the study that looks at dieters and non-dieters and whether they had a milkshake preload or not? (hint: look at the different conditions/contextual factors, such as another person being in the room)

The milkshake preload study showed that dieters ate more after consuming a milkshake (especially when they believed they had already "broken" their diet), and that social context (like someone watching) also influenced eating behavior.

Dieters regulate their eating differently than non dieters

Dieting may lead to binge eating

Dieters are an important group for psychologists to study

Invented a new methodology for studying eating

How has the percent of obese people in America varied over time?

The percentage of obese individuals in the U.S. has risen steadily over the past few decades, indicating a public health crisis.

Before recommending that obese people go on diets, what questions should be asked and why?

Is obesity unhealthy, is dieting safe, is dieting effective. These should be asked because in some cases the answer can be no which in case makes dieting unhealthy

Why does stress cause diets to fail?

Stress disrupts self-control and increases cravings for high-fat, high-sugar foods, making diets fail more easily.

How does stress affect sleep? Why does stress affect sleep?

Stress = cue to threat in the environment. Higher stress → need to be more vigilant to threat in the environment → worse sleep

What is the main finding of the longitudinal study presented in lecture about relationship quality, stress exposure, and sleep (slides 18-19)? check

Threats to belonging / social rejection

Later bedtimes

Less hours of seep

Experiencing discrimination

Disrupted sleep via self reports

Sleep deprived people less able to register emotions and rate leaders as less charismatic

Changes in brain

enhanced amygdala activation

Reduced activity in the prefrontal cortex

Rely on automatic processes = less self regulation

What are the physical consequences of sleep deprivation?

Physically, sleep deprivation weakens the immune system, increases blood pressure, and raises risk for chronic illness.

What are the psychological consequences of sleep deprivation?

Worsens mood

Increases stress & anxiety

Decreases self regulation

Reduced mental functioning

Concentration problems

Memory problems

What is sleep hygiene and how can one improve their sleep hygiene?

Sleep hygiene: promotion of good sleep habits and regular sleep

How to improve:

Maintain a regular sleep/wake schedule 7 days a week

Avoiding using media in bed/directly before bed

What kind of doctor-patient communication are patients most satisfied with?

Interactions balanced between instrumental and affective communication

What is medicine’s “dirty little secret”?

Check

Medicine’s “dirty little secret” is that doctors often prescribe treatments they know won’t work because they feel pressured or uncertain.

How can doctors avoid being sued by patients?

Spend longer with patients

Use more statements of what to expect

Use more humor

Laugh more

Solicit patients opinions more

Check that patients understand you more

Little difference in instrumental communication

What kind of doctor-patient communication is most likely to increase compliance with a request?

Communication that is warm, respectful, and enthusiastic

. What are the effective and ineffective strategies for improving your happiness? check

self focused and hostility is ineffective for health while being more loving, forgiving, and such makes you happier

How does happiness work (hint: set levels of happiness and recent events?

Set level of happiness

Fluctuates in response to events

Our system is set up to adapt things

So things that stay the same over long periods of time do not affect our happiness

How does money affect happiness? check this

Money typically doesn’t effective happiness to a certain point as long as you have enough

Which individual differences (e.g., gender, ethnicity) affect happiness?

Happiness is related to age not: gender, sex, ethnicity, and physical appearance.

Adjustment to illness: How does finding meaning affect health?

Finding meaning in illness is associated with better health outcomes. When people can make sense of or find purpose in their experiences, they show improved psychological and physical well-being

Myths about pain

Infants don't feel pain

Children don’t feel pain as intensely as adults

Opioids cannot be used safely to treat pain

Don’t take pain killers until the pain becomes severe

Pain is a normal part of the aging process

Pain without physical cause is a sign of psychological problems

The longer you have pain the more painful the memory

Pain will never kill you

Know the sources of chronic pain and how it can change over time.

Chronic pain can come from an injury, disease, or even unknown causes, and it often worsens over time as pain pathways become sensitized. Opioid system, dopamine system, NK-1 receptor system, calcium ion channels. Changes in brain: alters brain structures that modulate pain.

What are the conditions under which placebos work (e.g., does how the drug taste

Matter?

Placebos work best when the treatment seems more elaborate or potent—such as bigger pills, injections, or strongly flavored medicines—because these enhance expectations.