Health Psychology Exam 1

Health

A combination of many factors and aspects that lead a person to wellbeing; a state of wellbeing.

Biomedical model

A model stating that all illness can be explained by an abnormal somatic process, focusing on physical reasons for illness or injury.

Mechanistic

A characteristic of the biomedical model that focuses on specific parts of the body, sometimes missing connections to other body parts.

Dualistic

A characteristic of the biomedical model that views psychological health separately from physical health, ignoring their interconnection.

Biopsychosocial model

A model explaining health as influenced by biological, psychological, and social factors, offering a more holistic view of health.

Major health problems in the U.S

Shift from infectious diseases to chronic illnesses and psychological issues as primary health concerns.

Health behaviors

Actions such as tobacco use and poor diet that significantly contribute to major health problems in the U.S., accounting for half of the deaths.

Operational definitions

Specific explanations of abstract concepts in research, clarifying how variables are measured.

Survey method

A research method involving asking people about their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors; easy to use but prone to response bias.

Case study

An in-depth study of one person or group, providing unique information but lacking generalizability and causation inference.

Observational method

A research method comparing groups without manipulating data; has high external validity but may be affected by the Hawthorne effect and researcher bias.

Archival methods

Research using existing data sources; efficient but limits the ability to gather additional information.