Psych 248 Exam 3

abstinence violation effect

A feeling of loss of control that results when one has violated self-imposed rules, such as not to smoke or drink.

at risk

A state of vulnerability to a particular health problem by virtue of heredity, health practices, or contextual factors.

behavioral assingments

Home practice activities that clients perform on their own as part of an integrated therapeutic intervention for behavior modification.

choice architecture

Organizing the context in which people make decisions.

classical conditioning

The pairing of a stimulus with an unconditioned reflex, such that over time the new stimulus acquires a conditioned response, evoking the same behavior; the process by which an automatic response is conditioned to a new stimulus.

cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)

The use of principles from learning theory to modify the cognitions and behaviors associated with a behavior to be modified; cognitive–behavioral approaches are used to modify poor health habits, such as smoking, poor diet, and alcohol use disorder.

cognitive restructuring

A method of modifying internal monologues in stress-producing situations; clients are trained to monitor what they say to themselves in stress-provoking situations and then to modify their cognitions in adaptive ways.

contingency contracting

A procedure in which an individual forms a contract with another person, such as a therapist, detailing what rewards or punishments are contingent on the performance or nonperformance of a target behavior.

discriminative stimulus

An environmental stimulus that is capable of eliciting a particular behavior; for example, the sight of food may act as a discriminative stimulus for eating.

fear appeals

Efforts to change attitudes by arousing fear to induce the motivation to change behavior; fear appeals are used to try to get people to change poor health habits.

health behaviors

Behaviors undertaken by people to enhance or maintain their health, such as exercise or the consumption of a healthy diet.

health belief model

A theory of health behaviors; the model predicts that whether a person practices a particular health habit can be understood by knowing the degree to which the person perceives a personal health threat and the perception that a particular health practice will be effective in reducing that threat.

health habits

A health-related behavior that is firmly established and often performed automatically, such as buckling a seat belt or brushing one’s teeth.

health locus of control

The perception that one’s health is under personal control; is controlled by powerful others, such as physicians; or is determined by external factors, including chance.

health promotion

A general philosophy maintaining that health is a personal and collective achievement; the process of enabling people to increase control over and improve their health. Health promotion may occur through individual efforts, through interaction with the medical system, and through a concerted health policy effort.

modeling

Learning gained from observing another person performing a target behavior.

operant conditioning

The pairing of a voluntary, nonautomatic behavior with a new stimulus through reinforcement or punishment.

perceived barriers

aspects of one’s life that interfere with practicing good health behaviors

primary prevention

Measures designed to combat risk factors for illness before an illness has a chance to develop.

relapse prevention

A set of techniques designed to keep people from relapsing to prior poor health habits after initial successful behavior modification; includes training in coping skills for high-risk-for-relapse situations and lifestyle rebalancing.

self-determination theory (SDT)

The theory that autonomous motivation and perceived competence are fundamental to behavior change.

self-efficacy

The perception that one is able to perform a particular action.

self-monitoring

Assessing the frequency, antecedents, and consequences of a target behavior to be modified; also known as self-observation.

self-regulation

The conscious and unconscious ways in which people control their own actions, emotions, and thoughts.

self-reinforcement

Systematically rewarding oneself to increase or strengthen a target behavior.

self-talk

Internal monologues; people tell themselves things that may undermine or help them implement appropriate health habits, such as “I can stop smoking” (positive self-talk) or “I’ll never be able to do this” (negative self-talk).

social engineering

Social or lifestyle change through legislation; for example, water purification is done through social engineering rather than by individual efforts.

socialization

The process by which people learn the norms, rules, and beliefs associated with their family and society; parents and social institutions are usually the major agents of socialization.

stimulus-control interventions

Interventions designed to modify behavior that involve the removal of discriminative stimuli that evoke a behavior targeted for change and the substitution of new discriminative stimuli that will evoke a desired behavior.

teachable moment

The idea that certain times are more effective for teaching particular health practices than others; pregnancy constitutes a teachable moment for getting women to stop smoking.

theory of planned behavior

Derived from the theory of reasoned action, a theoretical viewpoint maintaining that a person’s behavioral intentions and behaviors can be understood by knowing the person’s attitudes toward the behavior, subjective norms regarding the behavior, and perceived behavioral control over that action.

transtheoretical model of behavior change

An analysis of the health behavior change process that draws on the stages and processes people go through in order to bring about successful long-term behavior change. The stages include precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, and maintenance. Successful attitude or behavior change at each stage depends on the appropriateness of the intervention. For example, attitude-change materials help move people from precontemplation to contemplation, whereas relapse prevention techniques help move people from action to maintenance.

window of vulnerability

The fact that, at certain times, people are more vulnerable to particular health problems. For example, early adolescence constitutes a window of vulnerability for beginning smoking, drug use, and alcohol abuse.

social support

Information from other people that one is loved and cared for, esteemed and valued, and part of a network of communication and mutual obligation.

tangible assistance

The provision of material support by one person to another, such as services, financial assistance, or goods.

informational support

The provision of information to a person experiencing stress by friends, family, and other people in the individual’s social network; believed to help reduce the distressing and health-compromising effects of stress.

emotional support

Indications from other people that one is loved, valued, and cared for; believed to be an important aspect of social support during times of stress.

invisible support

Support received from another person that is outside the recipient’s awareness.

direct effects hypothesis

The theory that coping resources, such as social support, have beneficial psychological and health effects under conditions of both high stress and low stress.

buffering hypothesis

The hypothesis that coping resources are useful primarily under conditions of high stress and not necessarily under conditions of low stress.

matching hypothesis

The hypothesis that social support is helpful to an individual to the extent that the kind of support offered satisfies the individual’s specific needs.

body image

The perception and evaluation of one’s body, one’s physical functioning, and one’s appearance.

denial

A defense mechanism involving the inability to recognize or deal with external threatening events; believed to be an early reaction to the diagnosis of a chronic or terminal illness.

depression

A mood disorder marked especially by sadness, a lack of interest or pleasure, inactivity, difficulty with thinking and concentration, a significant increase or decrease in appetite and time spent sleeping, feelings of dejection and hopelessness, and sometimes suicidal thoughts or an attempt to commit suicide.

dieticians

Trained and licensed individuals who apply principles of nutrition and food management to meal planning for institutions such as hospitals or for individuals who need help planning and managing special diets.

multimorbidity

Having two or more long-lasting health conditions.

occupational therapists

Trained and licensed individuals who work with emotionally and/or physically disabled people to determine skill levels and to develop a rehabilitation program to build on and expand these skills.

physical rehabilitation

A program of activities for chronically ill or disabled persons geared toward helping them use their bodies as much as possible, sense changes in the environment and in themselves so as to make appropriate physical accommodations, learn new physical and management skills if necessary, pursue a treatment regimen, and learn how to control the expenditure of energy.

physical therapists

Trained and licensed individuals who help people with muscle, nerve, joint, or bone diseases to overcome their disabilities as much as possible.

quality of life

The degree to which a person is able to maximize his or her physical, psychological, vocational, and social functioning; an important indicator of recovery from or adjustment to chronic illness.

self-concept

An integrated set of beliefs about one’s personal qualities and attributes.

social workers

Trained and licensed individuals who help patients and their families deal with problems by providing therapy, making referrals, and engaging in social planning; medical social workers help patients and their families ease transitions between illness and recovery states.

support groups

Groups of individuals who meet regularly and usually have a common problem or concern; support groups are believed to help people cope because they provide opportunities to share concerns and exchange information with similar others.