Chapter 10-Social psychology of health and illness

Question 1

Behavior change techniques

Answer 1

The observable strategies in interventions that relate to the psychological processes that are involved in psychological and behavioural change. (Teach nurses techniques to apply when trying to motivate a person to quit smoking)

Question 2

Computer-tailored persuasion

Answer 2

Persuasion of an individual through a message that is adjusted by a computer to highlight the important individual characteristics. The message can take into account the person’s (who is being persuaded) name, gender, religion, past behaviour etc.

Question 3

Dual-process models

Answer 3

Some behaviors appear automated and some are consciously used

Question 4

Fear appeal

Answer 4

A persuasive message that stresses the danger of a certain action to induce fear to avert from dangerous behaviors.

Question 5

Illness beliefs

Answer 5

Ideas about an illness, the consequences and the control over an illness.

Question 6

Implementation intentions

Answer 6

Intentions to engage in when a certain unwanted behavior occurs. E.g. If I want chocolate I am going to eat broccoli instead.

Question 7

Message framing

Answer 7

A message that stresses the gains or losses following an action or no action.

Question 8

Regulatory focus theory-Framing messages

Answer 8

1. The gains from a healthy behavior (e.g. more healthy-Quit smoking)
2. The absence of a gain when an unhealthy behavior (e.g. not being more healthy-Continue smoking as before and miss out on being able to breath better)
3. The loss from not behaving healthy (e.g. having worse health-get cancer from smoking)
4. The prevention of loss that comes from healthy behavior (e.g. not having a worse health-you will not get sicker from quitting smoking)

Question 9

Illness in developed countries compared to developing countries

Answer 9

Developed countries: Lifestyle factors are the biggest issues. (E.g. smoking, diet)
Developing countries: Life-expectancy determined by child mortality rate, related to diseases and malnutrition etc.

Question 10

What is motivation caused by? (Bandura)

Answer 10

By the positive outcome expectations
-Benefits
-Avoid physical damage
People use risk perception and social comparison when determining a behavior

Question 11

Self-efficacy expectations

Answer 11

Perception of one’s own abilities

Question 12

The transtheoretical model (TTM)-Five stages

Answer 12

Stage 1-Pre-contemplation: People are not motivated to change their present unhealthy behavior.
Stage 2-Contemplation: Thinking about changing behavior
Stage 3-Preparation: Start to plan and adopt the new behavior
Stage 4-Action: Start the change but have to be aware of the relapse risk
Stage 5-Maintenance: The new behavior is integrated

Question 13

Momentary assessments

Answer 13

Monitoring, using diaries and similar.

Question 14

Tailoring messages and the three ways to do it

Answer 14

The message needs to apply to the person which it tries to persuade

1. Adaptation: Tailoring the content
   - ‘‘Smoking around children is bad’’- Only relevant for people with children
2. Feedback: Providing the person with information
   - ‘‘You think changing is not important-that’s a pity’’
3. Personalization: To tobacco smokers
   - ‘‘Dear Ben…’’, it makes it feel personal

Question 15

Four environmental influences when changing the environment

Answer 15

1. Physical environment: Availability of fatty foods
2. Economic environment: Relative costs of high fat food
3. Political environment: Rules and laws regarding packages of fatty food
4. Sociocultural environment: Cultural beliefs and values in a community

Question 16

What are the most important developments worldwide that indicate the importance of studying human behaviours that influence health and illness?

Answer 16

Life expectancy?

• Unhealthy behaviours such as smoking and a bad diet
• Diseases like HIV/AIDS

Question 17

Explain two main psychological constructs that explain health and illness behaviours.

Answer 17

?

Question 18

What are the four points of information that is needed in computer-tailored persuasion?

Answer 18

1. Input on relevant individual characteristics
2. Decision rules that decide what pieces of information that should be offered
3. A library of different message pieces
4. A programme to show the composed persuasive message.

Question 19

What motivates changing behaviour?

Answer 19

The negative outcomes of the unhealthy behaviour, mostly physical.

Question 20

Physical outcomes are (three things-from slide)

Answer 20

1. Objective
2. Relevant to all health behaviour
3. Most people value health

Question 21

Health risk behaviour change (HRB change)

Answer 21

1. The cognitive estimate of risk: How vulnerable am I compared to others? Can I be treated if I do this behaviour? (i.e. sexual transmitted diseases: people don’t use a condom because people know they can be treated)
2. Applied to self: Fear of negative consequences. (Realization that it’s about my lungs)-A good predictor of actual change-fear is very important in motivating people)
   Self-evaluative emotions are the predictor of change
3. HRB Change

Question 22

What is a self-threat?

Answer 22

Feeling bad about oneself when I’m unhealthy: Self-evaluative emotions. People want to reduce the self-threat-Negative self-evaluation-HRB change.

Question 23

What two processes can affect the self-evaluative emotions?

Answer 23

1. Self-affirmation: ‘‘If I study hard during the week, I can party in the weekend’’. If you help to donate money to a good cause, you feel good about your self.
2. Defensiveness: Deny the information. Most are defensive instead of using self-affirmation.