Comprehensive Introduction to Health Psychology and Behavior Change Theories

What is health psychology?

An interdisciplinary field based in psychology that aims to identify causes of health, promote health, prevent illness, and improve health care systems.

What are the four goals of health psychology?

1. Identify causes and diagnostic correlates of health and illness. 2. Promote and maintain health. 3. Prevent and treat illness. 4. Analyze and improve health care systems.

When did health psychology emerge as a field?

It emerged in the 1980s and expanded rapidly in the 2000s.

What qualifications are needed to become a health psychologist?

A doctoral degree in psychology and concentrated training in health, illness, and medical care.

What is the illness/wellness continuum?

A model showing different health statuses, where the left side represents increasing illness and the right side represents increasing wellness.

What is the role of lifestyle factors in health according to health psychology?

Lifestyle factors significantly contribute to health problems and can influence the onset of chronic conditions.

What is the biomedical model of health?

A model that focuses on biological factors and excludes psychological, environmental, and social influences.

What is the biopsychosocial model of health?

A model that considers biological, psychological, and social factors in understanding health and illness.

What are some common questions health psychologists ask?

1. What does stress do to your health? 2. What psychological factors cause unhealthy behaviors? 3. How do friends affect health?

What does it mean to look 'upstream' in health care?

It means addressing the root causes of health issues by considering living conditions and lifestyle factors rather than just treating symptoms.

What is the significance of chronic conditions in health psychology?

Chronic conditions are becoming more prevalent as people live longer, leading to a greater psychological cost and need for behavioral change.

How does health psychology contribute to health care policy?

Health psychologists can inform policy by educating health care providers and advocating for patient needs.

What is the difference between objective signs and subjective symptoms of health?

Objective signs are measurable indicators of health issues, while subjective symptoms rely on the patient's personal experience and perception.

What is a common misconception about defining health?

Defining health solely as the absence of illness ignores the complexity of health and well-being.

What is the psychological cost of chronic illnesses?

Chronic illnesses can lead to increased psychological distress and require significant behavioral adjustments.

What role do health psychologists play in hospitals?

They provide therapy for adjustment to health problems, help with behavior change, conduct research, and educate health care providers.

What is an example of a lifestyle factor that can affect health?

Smoking is a lifestyle factor that can lead to various health issues, indicating underlying problems.

What is the importance of understanding sociocultural factors in health?

Sociocultural factors, gender, and status can significantly influence health outcomes and access to care.

What is the role of community health workers in health psychology?

They help address social determinants of health and connect patients with resources to improve their living conditions.

What is the impact of rising medical costs on health psychology?

Rising medical costs emphasize the need for a holistic approach to health that addresses lifestyle and prevention rather than just treatment.

How can health psychologists help patients in pain?

They can provide strategies to manage pain without leading to addiction to painkillers.

What is the significance of the term 'vital rescuers' in health care?

Vital rescuers refer to immediate medical responders, such as surgeons, who address acute health issues.

What does the term 'upstreamists' refer to in health psychology?

Upstreamists are health professionals who focus on the broader determinants of health, such as living conditions and community factors.

What is the relationship between health psychology and behavioral change?

Health psychology studies how to facilitate behavioral changes that promote better health and prevent illness.

What is a key challenge in changing health behaviors?

Changing health behaviors can be difficult due to psychological and social factors that influence individual choices.

What does health encompass beyond the absence of disease?

Health encompasses a state of physical, mental, and social well-being.

How can healthy lifestyles influence the illness/wellness continuum?

Healthy lifestyles can help individuals move from a state of illness towards optimal wellness on the continuum.

What organization defined health in 1948?

World Health Organization (WHO)

What are the three historical models of health?

Biomedical model, Biopsychosocial model, Historical viewpoints

What were early cultures' beliefs about the cause of disease?

Sorcery, object intrusion, supernatural possession, losing one's soul

What treatment was commonly used in early cultures for disease?

Magical rituals and trephination

Who is considered the father of medicine?

Hippocrates

What is the humoral theory of illness?

Illness occurs when the body's humors (blood, black bile, phlegm, yellow bile) are out of balance.

What treatments were recommended by Hippocrates?

Blood letting, good diet, and avoiding excesses

What concept did Plato introduce regarding health?

The distinction between body and mind

What did Galen contribute to the understanding of health?

Localized illness and the effects of different diseases

What was a significant change in the Middle Ages regarding medical knowledge?

Advancement of knowledge slowed due to religious prohibitions on dissection.

What were the perceived causes of disease during the Middle Ages?

Demons and God's punishment

What was St. Thomas Aquinas's view on the mind/body problem?

He rejected the separation and saw them as interrelated.

What was the impact of the Renaissance on health and medicine?

A shift away from church influence and advancement in scientific understanding.

What did Rene Descartes believe about the mind and body?

They are separate entities but can communicate through the pineal gland.

What is the predominant view of health in today's society?

The biomedical model

What does the biomedical model assume about health?

Health is the absence of disease and disease is a physical affliction.

What is a limitation of the biomedical model?

It does not adequately address chronic illnesses and psychological factors.

What does the biopsychosocial model include?

Biological, psychological, and social factors affecting health.

What role do biological factors play in health?

Genetic material and physiological processes inherited from parents.

What psychological factors impact health?

Cognition, emotion, and motivation.

What are sociocultural factors?

Social and cultural factors such as ethnicity, culture, or nationality.

What are health disparities?

Inequalities in health or healthcare between different groups.

How is culture defined in the context of health?

Characteristics and knowledge of a group sharing a similar context.

What does ethnicity refer to?

Identification based on shared nation, culture, language, or history.

How is race defined?

A socially constructed label based on physical characteristics.

What are the three formally recognized indigenous groups in Canada?

First Nations, Inuit, and Métis.

What model of health do Indigenous populations in Canada tend to align with?

The biopsychosocial model of health.

What is the biological classification of individuals as male or female based on physical characteristics present at birth?

Sex.

What term describes individuals born with reproductive or sexual anatomy that doesn't fit typical definitions of male or female?

Intersex.

What is the social construct associated with attitudes, feelings, and behaviors linked to a person's biological sex?

Gender.

What is sexual orientation?

One's sexual and emotional attraction to others based on their sex and/or gender.

What is gender identity?

A person's deeply felt sense of being female or male, man or woman, or neither.

What is stigma in the context of social status?

Negative feelings and attitudes about individuals based on specific qualities or characteristics they possess.

What does minority status refer to?

When a group of people is singled out to receive differential or unequal treatment by those in power.

What does socioeconomic status describe?

Differences in people's resources, prestige, and power within a society.

What is a theory in the context of health psychology research?

A tentative explanation or prediction of why and under what circumstances certain things occur.

What is a variable in health psychology research?

A measure of a characteristic, object, or event that can change or vary.

What is an independent variable?

A variable that can influence another variable.

What is a dependent variable?

A variable that can be changed by the independent variable.

What is the difference between mortality and morbidity?

Mortality refers to death, while morbidity refers to illness, injury, or disability.

What does prevalence mean in health statistics?

The number of cases of a disease in a population at a given time.

What is an epidemic?

An incidence of disease that has increased rapidly.

What is a pandemic?

An epidemic that has increased to international proportions.

What is an experiment in health psychology research?

A controlled study where researchers manipulate an independent variable to study its effect on a dependent variable.

What is a placebo?

An inactive substance or procedure that is given to a control group to assess the placebo effect.

What is the placebo effect?

The influence of a placebo on the dependent variable.

What is a double-blind procedure?

A method where both the participant and the researcher are unaware of who receives the active treatment and who receives the placebo.

What criteria must be met to make a causal statement in research?

Covariance, temporal precedence, and internal validity.

What distinguishes correlational studies from experimental studies?

Correlational studies do not manipulate the independent variable and do not provide causal evidence.

What does the correlation coefficient (r) indicate?

The degree and direction of the statistical association between two variables.

What is a positive correlation?

A relationship where both variables move in the same direction.

What is the relationship between sleep quality and happiness?

Increase in happiness is associated with increases in sleep quality, while decrease in happiness is associated with decreases in sleep quality.

What does a negative correlation (r values below 0) indicate?

It indicates that the variables are moving in opposite directions.

How is the strength of correlation interpreted?

The strength is interpreted by the magnitude of the r values, ignoring the sign; for example, .57 is stronger than .21.

What characterizes quasi-experimental studies?

They look like experiments but lack random assignment to groups, making their conclusions correlation-based.

What is an example of a quasi-experimental study?

Investigating whether people who smoked last year are at greater risk for lung disease than those who did not.

What do twin studies focus on?

They study hereditary factors by comparing differences between monozygotic (identical) and dizygotic (fraternal) twins.

What is the purpose of adoption studies?

To compare traits of adopted children with their biological and adoptive parents, distinguishing environmental and genetic contributions.

What is epigenetics?

It is the process by which chemical structures within and around DNA govern gene expression, influenced by environmental factors.

What are the three levels of prevention in health?

Primary prevention (avoiding disease), secondary prevention (early identification and treatment), and tertiary prevention (managing existing illness).

What factors can impact health behaviors?

Individual factors (perception, habits), interpersonal factors (partner behaviors), and community factors (funding and access).

What promotes health behaviors?

Beliefs and attitudes regarding threat, importance, ability, and social norms.

What is the Health Belief Model?

A model that suggests the likelihood of taking preventive action is influenced by perceived threat and perceived benefits versus barriers.

What are the three factors influencing perceived threat?

Perceived susceptibility, perceived seriousness (severity), and cues to action.

What does the benefits to barriers ratio represent?

It weighs the pros and cons of taking action, calculated as (benefits - barriers).

What individual characteristics modify the Health Belief Model variables?

Age, sex, social class, and knowledge about the health problem/behavior.

What is a significant problem with the Health Belief Model?

It does not account for habitual behaviors and lacks a standard way of measuring its components.

What percentage of Americans maintain their New Year's health resolutions after 6 months?

Only 40-50% make resolutions, with about 60% maintaining them after 6 months.

What is the role of community factors in health behavior?

Community factors, such as funding, can affect access to health resources and influence perceptions of health.

What is the impact of perceived barriers on health behavior change?

Barriers often outweigh other components, such as time constraints when considering exercise.

What is the significance of cues to action in the Health Belief Model?

They serve as reminders or alerts about potential health problems, influencing the likelihood of preventive action.

What is the primary goal of health behavior change?

To encourage individuals to engage in activities that maintain or improve their health.

What is a common roadblock to engaging in health behaviors?

Barriers such as lack of time, motivation, or resources can prevent individuals from adopting healthy behaviors.