Health Psychology

“AIDS, a disease of the immune system, is directly affected by stress, which may promote the deadly progression of the disease.” What does this illustrate?

psychological factors influencing biological processes

A controlled research study investigating the effects of a cognitive-behavioral treatment for chronic fatigue syndrome resulted in improvement on which of the following?

both measures of fatigue and measures of illness belief

According to Holroyd et al., (1984) biofeedback may decrease pain because it does which of the following?

instills a sense of control over the pain

According to Selye, what is the nonspecific physiological response of an individual to a significant environmental effect called?

stress

According to the text, comprehensive pain management programs usually include which of the following?

meditation and relaxation

According to the text, endogenous opioids have been implicated in which of the following disorders?

eating disorders

According to the text, some of the major contributing factors to illness and death in the United States are currently which of the following?

behavioral and psychological

Ader and Cohen (1975) demonstrated that the immune system can be conditioned using which of the following paradigms?

classical conditioning

After several years of headaches that had become increasingly debilitating and frequent, Coby sought treatment at a pain clinic. Coby’s treatment involves learning to tense and relax certain muscles and alter blood flow, a process that is aided by physiological monitoring. What kind of treatment is Coby receiving?

biofeedback

Biofeedback involves helping the client become aware of which of the following?

physiological functions

Clinical studies indicate that combining which of the following with biofeedback can be particularly effective in reducing pain?

relaxation procedures

Cognitive therapy is used in stress management programs to help clients learn to do which of the following?

develop more realistic appraisals and attitudes

Colds and other respiratory illnesses often increase during the winter, when people are spending more time indoors, in close proximity. Considering what you know about factors related to immune functioning, who among the following is most likely to remain healthy this winter?

Karen, a very sociable woman who has many good friends

Comprehensive stress management begins with which of the following?

identification of stressors

Continuous secretion of the stress hormone cortisol by the adrenal glands can lead to which of the following?

hippocampal degeneration

Dr. King is a health psychologist who works at a major university’s medical center. Dr. King’s research activities are most likely to focus on which of the following?

interventions intended to promote healthier lifestyles

Essential hypertension refers to which of the following?

hypertension with no identifiable physical cause

For coping with chronic pain, chronic fatigue syndrome, and hypertension, which of the following is considered to be the most effective?

a stress management program

Group psychotherapy for people with cancer tends to do which of the following?

increase survival times

Health psychology is which of the following?

the oldest subfield of psychology

How does early life stress contribute to cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and cancer?

increases platelets

How is health psychology related to behavioral medicine?

Health psychology is a subfield of behavioral medicine

If a health promotion director wants to address the number one cause of preventable disease in the United States, which of the following will they address?

smoking

In regard to setting up behavioral change programs that address the HIV/AIDS epidemic, which of the following is an accurate statement?

Women and men need different types of programs because their risk factors are different

In the past, chronic fatigue was believed to result from which of the following?

infection with XMRV 

In which of the following ways do psychological and social factors influence health?

They affect both basic biological processes and risk factors for disease.

Injury prevention programs for children focus on which of the following?

changing behavior

Khali freely admits having a Type A personality and, in fact seems rather proud of it. Research suggests that which aspect of the Type A personality is related to increased cardiovascular risk?

time urgency or impatience

Laken was just diagnosed with cancer but is in denial about the seriousness of the situation. What does research suggest about the use of denial as a coping mechanism in this situation?

Initial denial may give Laken time to develop a more effective coping mechanisms later.

Oakley has chronic pain and often complains to others about it, grimacing and shifting in an attempt to relieve the pain. What is this pattern of behavior called?

pain behavior

Psychoneuroimmunology focuses on the study of which of the following?

psychology, neurological responses, and immune function

Regarding the age ranges for the highest risk of HIV/AIDS, which of the following statements is accurate?

For women, the highest risk is between 15 and 25

Robert Sapolsky and his colleagues found that stress killed cells in which brain structure, leading to a decreased ability to turn off the stress response?

hippocampus

Since heart disease is the number one cause of death in the United States, it would be very important, in terms of prevention, to determine which of the following?

if changes in behavior, lifestyle, and attitude can prevent heart attacks

Smoking is the leading preventable cause of death in the Unites States and lowers the overall national life expectancy most directly because of which of the following?

premature death

Some of the HIV/AIDS risk factors are the same for men and women while others are different. Which of these is a risk factor that occurs more often in women than in men?

becoming prostitutes in response to economic deprivation

Stress affects immune function in which way?

even if the stressful event lasts as little as 2 hours

The “natural” opioids called endorphins or enkephalins act like neurotransmitters to do which of the following?

shut down the sensation of pain

The development of chronic fatigue syndrome is associated with which of the following?

an extremely stressful environment

The effects of stressful life events like job loss or relationship difficulty on immune functioning tend to be which of the following?

rapid

The experience of pain may be associated with which of the following?

decreased natural killer (NK) cells

The leading preventable cause of death is which of the following?

smoking

The only effective prevention strategy currently available for reducing the spread of AIDS appears to which of the following?

changing high-risk behavior

What field uses knowledge derived from the behavioral sciences in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of medical problems?

behavioral medicine

When pain is induced after people are given a placebo, why do they feel less pain?

The endogenous opioid system is activated.

Which of the following accurately represents the circumstances regarding women and HIV/AIDS?

Women frequently do not consider themselves at risk.

Which of the following factors is most closely related to how well you think you can cope with a threat or challenge?

sense of control

Which of the following has been shown as the MOST effective to reduce the number of headaches someone has?

general stress reduction techniques

Which of the following is a correct match of medical condition and its definition?

myocardial infarction: death of heart tissue due to a completely clogged artery

Which of the following is a psychological factor that may explain individual variations in blood pressure?

coping skills

Which of the following is associated with a stronger immune system?

optimism

Which of the following issues would a health psychologist have been most likely to focus on during the COVID-19 pandemic?

how to persuade people to take preventative steps

Which of the following statements about AIDS is TRUE?

The death rates from AIDS from 2002 to 2010 declined by at least 50% in the United States.

Which theory of pain accounts for both physical and psychological factors?

gate control

Why do clinicians use physiological monitoring equipment in biofeedback?

so clients will be aware of their physiological processes