Chapter 16 -- Health Psychology Flashcards
What is the theory of reasoned action?
Theoretical model stating that effective change requires individuals to have
- specific intentions about their behaviours
- positive attitudes about a new behaviour
- Believe that their social group looks favourably on the new behaviour as well.
Overall it answers what factors affect healthy changes in behaviour?
What does the theory of planned behaviour add on to the theory of reasoned action?
A person’s perceptions of control over the outcome.
What is a potential limitation of the theory of reasoned action and theory of planned behaviour?
- They view our decision making about health choices to be a rational process
- We may be influenced by strong, autonomic, or emotional reactions rather than facts or social norms
What does the stage of change model describe?
Five stages that lead to individuals giving up bad habits and adopting healthier lifestyles.
- Precontemplation
- Contemplation
- Preparation
- Action
- Maintenance
How can the stages of change model be applied to binge drinking?
- PRECONTEMPLATION
An individual is not ready to think they have a drinking problem that needs change. - CONTEMPLATION
The individual recognizes their drinking problem has affected their grades but hasn’t committed to stopping. - PREPARATION
The individual explores options and thinks about how to recover from binge drinking. - ACTION
The individual commits to stop binge drinking and enacts their plan to reduce their drinking behaviour. - MAINTENANCE
The person refrains from binge drinking for at least 6 months before practicing drinking in moderation/on occasion.
What are implementation intentions?
Specific strategies for dealing with the challenges of making a life change:
- identifying a behaviour that one wants to change
- developing an “if–then” strategy in which one creates a rule such as “If I am in a certain situation, then I will/will not do this specific behaviour.”
What are the 3 benefits of social support?
TANGIBLE ASSISTANCE
- Services in stressful circumstances
INFORMATION
- Plans to help cope with stress
EMOTIONAL SUPPORT
- Reassurance under stress
What are the four relationships spiritual individuals experience?
- Relationship with the belief in the divine
- Relationship with themselves
- Relationship with nature
- Relationship with others in their community
What is General Adaptation Syndrome?
Sele’s term for the common effects of stress on the body,
There are 3 stages:
1. alarm
2. resistance
3. exhaustion.
What body system plays the greatest role in GAS?
hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA axis)
The complex set of interactions among the hypothalamus, the pituitary gland, and the adrenal glands
They regulate various body processes and control reactions to stressful events.
When the brain detects a threat, it signals the hypothalamus to produce CORTICOTROPIN-RELEASING0HORMONE (CRH) which stimulates the pituitary gland to produce another hormone that causes the adrenal glands to release CORTISOL
What happens in the 3 stages of stress in the G.A.S.?
ALARM:
- Temporary shock
- Hormones released to cope with stressors.
- Hormones compromise the functioning of the immune system
RESISTANCE
- glands throughout the body release hormones that protect the individual
- immune system can fight off infection
- hormones that reduce inflammation circulate at high levels.
- endocrine and SNS activity are lower than alarm, but still elevated.
EXHAUSTION
- Individual is worn out
-Vulnerability to disease increases
- Heart attack or death may occur
How does stress affect the immune system?
- The Immune system and CNS both process sensory elements and motor elements which carry out responses
- Both systems rely on CRH
- when you’re stressed the production of lymphocytes is decreased
What is problem-focused coping?
Coping aimed at reducing the
demands of the stressful situation or expanding the
resources available to deal with the stressor (ex: quit job, seek treatment or support, learn new skill)
Person attempts to change the situation
– Try to remove the stressor
– Plan ways of resolving the situation
– Seek advice from others on how to change the situation
What is stress?
A state that impairs our ability to respond to
internal and external demands
– Stress is a psychobiological process
– Stress is a stimulus e.g., catastrophies, life events,
circumstances
– Stress is a response (physiological and
psychological)
– Stress is a process (relationship between person
and environment)
What does Richard Lazzarus’ modern view of stress say?
Stress is a transaction between a person and their environment involving a PRIMARY APPRAISAL (person evaluates situations as benign or stressful) SECONDARY APPRAISAL (person decides how to deal with stress)
Lazarus identifies three types of stress:
– Loss: person loses a loved one or a possession
– Threat: anticipated harm
– Challenge: opportunity for growth (new job)
How does the Sympathetic Adrenal Medullary
system (SAM) work?
- Stress is perceived by cerebral cortex
- Affects hypothalamus which activates the
sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight) - Stimulates the Adrenal Medulla glands which
secrete catecholimines, epinephrine, and
norepinephrine - Raises blood pressure, irregular heart rate,
sweating, constriction of peripheral blood vessels
What is coping?
The process by which people try to manage the
perceived discrepancy between the demands and
resources they appraise in a stressful situation
What is emotional focused coping?
Coping aimed at controlling the emotional response to the stressful situation
1. Behavioral – drugs, distraction, or support
2. Cognitive – denial, optimism, hardy personality
What are two examples of adaptive ways and two examples of maladaptive ways that one could cognitively influence the impact of a stressor?
- Adaptive: do some cognitive restructuring, seek objective views, view stress as a challenge and failure as a learning opportunity, etc…
- Maladaptive: use defense mechanisms like denial or rationalization, catastrophize the situation, overreact, allow irrational thinking
Health Psychology is the educational, research and clinical contribution of Psychology to what three goals?
1) the promotion and maintenance of health
2) the prevention and treatment of illness
3) the analysis and improvement of the health care system and health policy formation
