Biological foundations of BHD readings

Question 1

What is a cross-sectional design in research?

Answer 1

A cross-sectional design examines people of different ages at a single point in time, providing a snapshot of each person at that age.

Question 2

What is a major limitation of cross-sectional designs?

Answer 2

A major limitation is that they do not control for cohort effects, which can occur when groups from different time periods differ due to the era in which they grew up.

Question 3

What is a cohort effect?

Answer 3

A cohort effect is a difference between groups of people from different time periods, affecting their experiences and knowledge based on when they grew up.

Question 4

What is a longitudinal design in research?

Answer 4

A longitudinal design tracks the development of the same group of people over time, providing a series of observations at different ages.

Question 5

Why is a longitudinal design preferable for studying developmental changes?

Answer 5

Longitudinal designs allow researchers to observe true developmental effects and changes over time, as they track the same individuals.

Question 6

What is a potential problem with longitudinal designs?

Answer 6

Longitudinal designs can be costly, time-consuming, and may suffer from attrition, where participants drop out over time.

Question 7

How can cross-sectional studies be useful despite their limitations?

Answer 7

Cross-sectional studies can be useful for research questions with low potential for cohort effects, such as comparing the performance of very young children on a task.

Question 8

Why might longitudinal designs not always be feasible?

Answer 8

They can be impractical due to their length, cost, and the problem of participant attrition. Additionally, most longitudinal studies use observational rather than experimental designs, limiting their ability to infer cause-and-effect relationships.

Question 9

What is the key issue with using a cross-sectional design in research on health?

Answer 9

A cross-sectional design provides a snapshot of different ages at a single point in time and does not account for cohort effects, which can lead to misleading conclusions about changes over time.

Question 10

What is the difference between the mind-body relationship theories in ancient Greece and early Middle Ages?

Answer 10

Ancient Greeks like Hippocrates viewed health as a balance of bodily humours affecting both physical and mental states, while the early Middle Ages attributed illness to spiritual factors and divine punishment.

Question 11

How did René Descartes’ view on mind-body interaction differ from previous theories?

Answer 11

Descartes proposed dualism, where the mind and body were seen as separate entities but capable of interacting, a departure from earlier integrated views of mind and body.

Question 12

What factors are major contributors to improved public health in developed countries?

Answer 12

Major contributors include advancements in education, agriculture, sanitation, and wider social and environmental changes, rather than solely medical treatments.

Question 13

How does behavior impact the prevalence of cancer deaths?

Answer 13

Between a third and half of cancer deaths are attributed to behaviors such as smoking and poor diet.

Question 14

How did views of health change from the 18th century to the mid-20th century?

Answer 14

From an ideal of avoiding illness and living a long life to a focus on fitness to work and medical advances.

Question 15

What is the World Health Organization’s definition of health?

Answer 15

A state of complete physical, mental, and social wellbeing, not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.

Question 16

How did Baumann (1961) categorize people’s responses to what it means to be healthy?

Answer 16

As a general sense of wellbeing, absence of disease symptoms, or the ability to perform activities.

Question 17

What are some cross-cultural differences in views of health?

Answer 17

Western cultures often emphasize individualism and physical health, while other cultures may integrate spiritual and community aspects into their health beliefs.

Question 18

How have views on health behavior evolved over time?

Answer 18

From focusing on avoiding illness to emphasizing behavior-related factors like diet, exercise, and substance use.

Question 19

How can psychological wellbeing be affected by illness and disability across the lifespan?

Answer 19

Psychological wellbeing, social, and emotional health can be affected by illness, disability, and hospitalization at any age. For instance, 12% of children aged 0-14 in Australia had asthma, and 17.5% had mental or behavioral problems.

Question 20

What are the three factors in the developmental process according to developmental theories?

Answer 20

1. Learning: Permanent change in knowledge or skill from experience. 2. Experience: What we do, see, hear, feel, think. 3. Maturation: Growth attributed to a genetically determined sequence of development and aging.

Question 21

What are Piaget’s stages of cognitive development?

Answer 21

1. Sensorimotor (birth-2 years): Understanding through sensations and movement. 2. Pre-operational (2-7 years): Development of symbolic thought, but egocentric. 3. Concrete Operational (7-11 years): Logical thinking and understanding of concrete concepts. 4. Formal Operational (12 years-adulthood): Abstract thinking and deductive reasoning.

Question 22

How do adolescents understand illness according to Bibace and Walsh?

Answer 22

Adolescents understand illness in terms of physiological processes (e.g., germs causing reactions) and psychophysiological interactions (e.g., the role of stress).

Question 23

What were the main findings from the study of 4-5-year-olds regarding health?

Answer 23

Children identified health as affecting body, activity, participation, and environment, showing complex and multifaceted concepts of health even at a young age.