Health Psychology Exam 1 Practice Questions Flashcards

Comprehensive set of 350 practice question flashcards covering research methodology, study designs, statistical interpretation, stress models, and physiological pathways in Health Psychology.

In Finn's meditation study (Question 1), what technique should Finn use to strengthen the possibility that meditation, rather than chair comfort differences, causes changes in coping?

Random assignment

In Finn's meditation study (Question 2), how comfortable the chairs were for the treatment and control groups represents what type of variable?

A confound (confounding variable)

In Dr. Hargreeves' physician communication study (Question 3), the age of the physicians was identified as what type of variable?

A moderator (moderating variable)

In Fei's smoking cessation intervention study (Question 4), what type of variable was the length of time participants had been smoking?

A confound (confounding variable)

In Dr. Peabody's study on optimism and exercise (Question 5), social network size was identified as what type of variable?

A third variable

In Chet's study on physician-patient communication (Question 6), optimism about treatment efficacy was identified as what type of variable?

A mediator (mediating variable)

In Dr. Rodo's study on social support and heart disease (Question 7), hostility was identified as what type of variable?

A third variable

In Dr. Rodo's study (Question 8), agreeableness affected the strength of the relation between social support and heart disease. What type of variable was agreeableness?

A moderator (moderating variable)

In Dr. Thibodeau's study on hostility and heart disease (Question 9), cardiovascular reactivity (blood pressure and heart rate) to mild events was identified as what type of variable?

A mediator (mediating variable)

In Dr. Roberts' study on hand-holding during stress (Question 10), extraversion was identified as what type of variable?

A moderator (moderating variable)

In Question 11, attendance at a bereavement support group reduced depression for recently widowed people but not those widowed for a long time. What type of variable is duration of widowhood?

A moderator (moderating variable)

In Question 12, attendance at a bereavement support group reduced depression because it increased feelings of belonging. What type of variable is feelings of belonging?

A mediator (mediating variable)

If exercise is beneficial because it brings people into nature, not because of physical activity (Question 13), which type of validity is in question?

Internal validity

A study that compares the anxiety levels of people who have and have not had surgery (Question 14) is classified as what type of study?

A quasi-experimental study

Asking participants with and without adult-onset diabetes to report stressful life events over the past $5$ years (Question 15) uses which study method?

Retrospective method

Using the Terman data set to associate childhood personality assessed in $1921$ with adult smoking behavior assessed in $1950$ (Question 16) makes the study:

Correlational and prospective (option h: b and e)

A researcher measures helpfulness in children and their quality of social relationships as adults (Question 17). What type of study design is this?

Prospective design

When Arizona says that results of a study on physician empathy are statistically significant (Question 18), what does she mean?

They are unlikely to be due to chance

In Question 19, a study on gratitude and depression reports $r = -.31$ and $p = .04$. What is the correct interpretation of this finding?

This is a meaningful effect that is unlikely to be due to chance

In Sy's handwashing messaging study (Question 20), which set of classifications accurately describes the study design?

i, iv, and v (experimental, longitudinal, and prospective)

Proponents of which model believe that health problems such as ulcers and asthma result from unconscious psychological conflicts (Question 21)?

Psychoanalytic model

Hippocrates theorized that an imbalance of what caused illness (Question 22)?

Bodily fluids

The idea that we have different ideal body temperatures when sleeping versus when active (Question 23) is consistent with which concept?

Allostasis

When a student steps into a hot classroom and begins to perspire (Question 24), this demonstrates which biological process?

Homeostasis

As you think about getting up out of bed, your blood pressure increases prior to movement (Question 25). This demonstrates which physiological concept?

Allostasis

The sympathetic-adrenal-medullary (SAM) system causes the secretion of which substances to stimulate the cardiovascular system (Question 26)?

Epinephrine and norepinephrine (options b and c)

During a long, traffic-ridden commute, cortisol levels become elevated due to activation of which physiological system (Question 27)?

HPA system (Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal system)

Immediately after realizing that you missed a flight, rapid heart rate and blood pressure escalation are due to activation of which system (Question 28)?

SAM system (Sympathetic-Adrenal-Medullary system)

Eleanor feels overwhelmed with school projects and plans to do yoga later to reduce her stress (Question 29). What cognitive appraisal step is she engaging in?

Secondary appraisal

In which model of stress and illness is physical disease NOT present (Question 30)?

Illness behavior model

In Dr. Gellar's study, stress led to heart disease only in participants with high blood pressure (Question 31). Which model of stress and illness is supported?

Diathesis-stress model

Which statements regarding stress and eating behavior are true according to Question 32?

All of the above (majority undereat under stress, high cardiovascular reactivity leads to overeating sweet/fatty foods, and eating sweet/fatty foods reduces physiological stress response)

Marucha et al. (1998) and Cohen et al. (1993) studies provide evidence for which model of stress and illness (Question 33)?

Direct effect model

Which specific study listed in Question 34 provides evidence for the association between stress and wound healing?

Marucha et al.'s (1998) study with dental students and vacation vs. exam times

In Question 35/options, which researcher conducted early stress research in $1936$ involving rats and hormone injections?

Selye (1936)

What is the primary definition of random assignment in research design?

Assigning participants to experimental groups such that each person has an equal chance of being placed in any condition, minimizing baseline differences.

What is the primary definition of random sampling?

Selecting participants from a broader population such that every individual in that population has an equal probability of being chosen for the study.

What is experimental control?

The technique of keeping environmental and procedural conditions identical across groups to isolate the independent variable.

What is a confound in research design?

An unmeasured or uncontrolled variable that varies systematically with the independent variable, offering an alternative explanation for observed changes in the dependent variable.

What is a moderator?

A variable that alters the strength or direction of the relationship between an independent variable and a dependent variable.

What is a mediator?

A variable that lies on the causal pathway and explains the mechanism through which an independent variable affects a dependent variable.

What is a third variable?

An external variable that causes changes in both the presumed independent variable and dependent variable, creating a spurious correlation between them.

What is internal validity?

The extent to which a study can definitively conclude that the independent variable caused the observed changes in the dependent variable without alternative explanations.

What is external validity?

The degree to which experimental findings can be generalized to other populations, settings, and real-world conditions.

What does a prospective study design entail?

Assessing predictor/independent variables at baseline and following participants forward over time to measure outcome/dependent variables.

What does a retrospective study design entail?

Looking back in time to assess past exposures or experiences in participants after their current outcome or disease status is already known.

What defines a cross-sectional study design?

Data collected from participants at a single point in time.

What defines a longitudinal study design?

Data collected repeatedly from the same group of participants over an extended period of time.

What key component distinguishes quasi-experimental studies from experimental studies?

Quasi-experimental studies compare naturally occurring or non-randomly assigned groups rather than using random assignment.

In Finn's study (Question 1), what was the independent variable?

The type of intervention received (hour-long meditation vs. listening to news for an hour).

In Finn's study (Question 1), what was the dependent variable?

Coping with illness among participants with serious illness.

Why is random assignment used rather than random sampling to rule out confounds like chair comfort?

Random assignment balances participant differences across treatment conditions, whereas random sampling ensures sample representativeness of a population.

In Question 3 (Dr. Hargreeves), what was the independent variable?

The intervention group (communication workshop vs. paper on immunizations).

In Question 3 (Dr. Hargreeves), what was the dependent variable?

Effective physician communication with patients (coded from audiotapes).

How was effective physician communication operationalized in Dr. Hargreeves' study?

By having judges code audiotapes of physicians' interactions with patients.

Why was physician age classified as a moderator in Dr. Hargreeves' study?

Because the effectiveness of the communication workshop depended on age (effective for young physicians, less effective for old physicians).

In Fei's study (Question 4), what technique was used in the smoking cessation intervention?

Classical conditioning techniques to make smoking feel unpleasant.

In Fei's study (Question 4), what was the dependent variable?

Quitting rates among heavy smokers.

Why was length of time smoking considered a confound in Fei's study?

Because the control group had been smoking longer than the treatment group, providing an alternative reason why the control group had lower quitting rates.

In Dr. Peabody's study (Question 5), what two variables showed a positive correlation initially?

Optimism and exercise.

Why did social network size act as a third variable in Dr. Peabody's study?

Because large social network size independently caused people to be optimistic and caused them to exercise.

In Chet's study (Question 6), what was the initial independent variable and ultimate dependent variable?

Independent variable: Physician communication warmth and empathy; Dependent variable: Patient adherence.

Explain the causal pathway in Chet's study (Question 6).

Warmth and empathy from physicians $\rightarrow$ increased patient optimism about treatment efficacy $\rightarrow$ increased patient adherence levels.

In Dr. Rodo's study (Question 7), what negative correlation was observed?

A negative correlation between social support and heart disease (higher social support $\rightarrow$ lower heart disease risk).

Why was hostility identified as a third variable in Dr. Rodo's first finding (Question 7)?

Because hostility causes low levels of social support and hostility causes heart disease.

In Dr. Rodo's study (Question 8), how did agreeableness function as a moderator?

The inverse relation between social support and heart disease was stronger among highly agreeable individuals than low agreeable individuals.

In Dr. Thibodeau's study (Question 9), what timeframe was used to assess heart disease onset?

$20$ years later.

What mediated the relationship between hostility and heart disease in Dr. Thibodeau's study?

Cardiovascular reactivity (blood pressure and heart rate increases) to mild events.

In Dr. Roberts' study (Question 10), how was stress experimental induced?

By subjecting all participants to a painful shock.

In Dr. Roberts' study (Question 10), how was social support operationalized?

A research assistant holding the participant's hand during stress induction.

What differential effect did hand-holding have based on extraversion in Dr. Roberts' study?

Hand-holding lowered blood pressure for high extraversion participants, but increased blood pressure for low extraversion participants.

In Question 11, what was the relationship between bereavement support group attendance and depression?

Attendance was associated with reduced depression for recently widowed individuals, but not for those widowed long-term.

In Question 12, what explanatory variable mediated the relationship between bereavement support group attendance and depression?

Feelings of belonging.

What threat to internal validity is present in Question 13?

An unmeasured underlying factor (nature exposure) causing the health benefit rather than the intended independent variable (physical activity).

Why is comparing anxiety levels of surgical vs non-surgical patients (Question 14) quasi-experimental?

Because surgery status cannot be randomly assigned to participants by the researcher.

In Question 15, why is asking adult-onset diabetes patients about past stress considered retrospective?

Participants are asked to recall stressful events from the previous $5$ years after already developing or not developing diabetes.

In Question 16, what were the years of baseline assessment and follow-up in the Terman dataset?

Baseline personality assessed in $1921$; adult smoking behavior assessed in $1950$ ($29$ years later).

Why is the Terman study (Question 16) classified as both correlational and prospective?

It measures non-manipulated variables across time without experimental intervention (correlational) and tracks baseline childhood traits forward into adulthood (prospective).

In Question 17, why is measuring child helpfulness and subsequent adult relationship quality prospective?

It assesses childhood traits at baseline and follows participants forward to observe adult outcome variables.

What is the statistical definition of statistical significance (Question 18)?

The probability that the observed effect occurred purely due to random sampling variability or chance is extremely low (typically $p < .05$).

What does a correlation coefficient of $r = -.31$ indicate?

A moderate negative (inverse) relationship between two variables.

What does $p = .04$ mean in hypothesis testing?

There is a $4\%$ probability that the observed results occurred by chance, which is below the standard $.05$ threshold for statistical significance.

In Sy's handwashing study (Question 20), what was the messaging condition given to the experimental group?

Messages about the importance of handwashing for protecting patients from disease transmission.

In Sy's handwashing study (Question 20), what was the control group messaging condition?

Messages about dining options in the cafeteria.

What timeframe was measured in Sy's handwashing study (Question 20)?

Handwashing rates measured $10$ months later.

Why is Sy's handwashing study (Question 20) experimental?

Because Sy manipulated the independent variable (type of message) given to groups of staff.

Why is Sy's handwashing study (Question 20) longitudinal and prospective?

It tracks staff over time ($10$ months) and measures handwashing behavior forward from intervention baseline.

What historical health model connects health problems like ulcers to unconscious conflicts?

The psychoanalytic model.

According to Hippocrates, what balanced elements determined health and physical disease?

The four bodily fluids (humors): blood, yellow bile, black bile, and phlegm.

How does allostasis differ from homeostasis?

Homeostasis maintains a static, fixed internal set-point (e.g., body temp at 98.6^\n\ncirc\n F), whereas allostasis dynamically adjusts physiological set-points in anticipation of changing environmental demands.

What is an example of homeostasis from the practice questions?

Perspiring upon stepping into a hot classroom to cool the body back down to baseline temperature.

What is an example of allostasis prior to physical activity from the practice questions?

Blood pressure increasing as you think about getting out of bed, anticipating physiological demand.

What is allostatic load?

The cumulative physiological wear and tear on body systems resulting from chronic, repeated stress and ongoing allostatic adjustments.

What physiological structures comprise the SAM system?

Sympathetic Nervous System, Adrenal Medulla, and Catecholamines (Epinephrine & Norepinephrine).

What physiological structures comprise the HPA system?

Hypothalamus, Pituitary Gland, Adrenal Cortex, and Glucocorticoids (Cortisol).

Which neurochemicals released by the SAM system directly stimulate cardiovascular rate and contractility?

Epinephrine and norepinephrine.

What primary hormone is secreted by the adrenal cortex under chronic HPA axis stimulation?

Cortisol.

In Question 27, why does a traffic-ridden commute elevate cortisol via HPA axis rather than SAM?

Sustained, prolonged stress activates the HPA axis releasing cortisol, whereas acute immediate threats trigger SAM catecholamines.

In Question 28, why does realizing a missed flight trigger immediate heart rate escalation via SAM?

The SAM system provides a rapid, instantaneous sympathetic response to acute shock/stressors.

What is primary appraisal according to Lazarus and Folkman?

Evaluating whether an event or stressor is benign, positive, or threatening/harmful.