Chapter 4. Basics of Behavioral Change and Health Psychology

Question 1

Health Psychology

Answer 1

A field of psychology that examines the causes of illness and studies ways to promote and maintain health, prevent and treat illness, and improve the healthcare system.

Question 2

Health Belief Model

Answer 2

A model to explain health related behaviors that suggests that an individual’s decision to adopt healthy behaviors is based largely upon their perception of susceptibility to an illness and the probably severity of the illness. The person’s view of the benefits and costs of the change are also considered.

Question 3

Cues to Action

Answer 3

Events, either bodily or environmentally that motivate people to make a change. The more people are reminded about a potential health problem, the more likely they are to take action and engage in a health behavior.

Question 4

Six Sources of Self-efficacy Information

Answer 4

1. Past Performance Experience
2. Vicarious Experience
3. Verbal Persuasion
4. Physiological State Appraisals
5. Emotional State and Mood Appraisals
6. Imaginal Experiences

Question 5

Past Performance Experience

Answer 5

The most influential source of self-efficacy information. Personal trainers should ask clients about their previous experiences with exercise, fitness facilities, and personal trainers. These previous experiences will strongly influence their current self-efficacy levels.

Question 6

Sedentary

Answer 6

Doing or requiring much sitting; minimal activity.

Question 7

Hypertension

Answer 7

High blood pressure, or the elevation of resting blood pressure above 140/90 mmHg.

Question 8

Six Sources of Self-efficacy Information

Answer 8

1. Past Performance Experience
2. Vicarious Experience
3. Verbal Persuasion
4. Physiological State Appraisals
5. Emotional State and Mood Appraisals
6. Imaginal Experiences

Question 9

Emotional State and Mood Appraisals

Answer 9

Negative mood states and emotional beliefs associated with exercise, such as fear , anxiety, anger, and frustration, are related to reduced levels of self-efficacy and lower levels of participation. On the other hand, positive mood states and emotional beliefs, including mastery, are related to higher levels of self-efficacy.

Question 10

Imaginal Experiences

Answer 10

Refer to the imagined experiences (positive or negative) of exercise participation. It is important to understand a client’s preconceived notion of what exercise will be like, as this information will influence actual self-efficacy levels.

Question 11

Transtheoretical Model of Behavioral Change (TTM) or Stages-of-change Model (Four Components)

Answer 11

1. Stages of Change
2. Processes of Change
3. Self-efficacy
4. Decisional Balance

Question 12

Five Stages of Behavioral Change (TTM)

Answer 12

1. Pre-contemplation
2. Contemplation
3. Preparation
4. Action
5. Maintenance

Question 13

Pre-contemplation

Answer 13

Goal: To make inactivity a relevant issue and to start thinking about being active.

Interventions:

• Provide information about the risks of being inactive and the benefits of being active.
• Provide information from multiple sources (news, posters, pamphlets, and general health-promotion material). Information is more effective from multimedia sources than from family and friends.
• Make inactivity a relevant issue.

Question 14

Contemplation

Answer 14

Goal: To get involved in a some type of activity.

Interventions:

• Provide opportunities to ask a lot of questions and to express apprehensions.
• Provide information about exercise in general.
• Provide information about different types of activity options, fitness facilities, programs, and classes.
• Provide cues for actions, such as passes to nearby facilities and invitations to facility open houses, tours, or information sessions.

Question 15

Preparation

Answer 15

Goal: Regular physical activity participation.

Interventions:

• Provide opportunity to be active.
• Provide a lot of support, feedback, and reinforcement.
• Provide opportunity to express their concerns and triumphs.
• Introduce different types of exercise activities to find something they enjoy.
• Help create support groups of similar people who are also adopting exercise programs.

Question 16

Action

Answer 16

Goal: Maintain regular physical activity.

Interventions:

• Provide continued support and feedback.
• Identify things and events that are potential barriers to adherence.
• Identify high-risk individuals and situations.
• Educate clients about the likelihood of relapse and things that may trigger relapse.
• Teach physical and psychological skills to deal with potential barriers.
• Provide continuous opportunities to be active and a plan to maintain activity in the changing seasons, during vacations, and through schedule changes.

Question 17

Maintenance

Answer 17

Goal: Prevent relapse and maintain continued activity.

Interventions:

• Maintain social support from family and friends from within the exercise environment.
• Provide continued education about barrier identification.
• Keep the exercise environment enjoyable and switch it up to fight boredom.
• Create reward systems for continued adherence.
• Identify early signs of staleness to prevent burnout.

Question 18

Relapse

Answer 18

In behavior change, the return of an original problem after many relapses (slips, mistakes) have occurred.

Question 19

Operant Conditioning

Answer 19

A learning approach that considers the manner in which behaviors are influenced by their consequences.

Question 20

Consequences

Answer 20

Variables that occur following a target behavior, such as exercise, that influence a person’s future behavior-change decisions and efforts.

Question 21

Antecedents

Answer 21

Variables or factors that precede and influence a client’s exercise participation, including the decision to not exercise as planned.

Question 22

Behavior Chains

Answer 22

A sequence of events in which variables both preceding and following a target behavior help to explain and reinforce the target behavior, such as participation in an exercise session.

Question 23

Stimulus Control

Answer 23

A means to break the connection between events or other stimuli and a behavior; in behavioral science, sometimes called “cue extinction.”

Question 24

Positive Reinforcement

Answer 24

The presentation of a positive stimulus following a desired behavior. This increases the likelihood that the behavior will occur again.

Question 25

Negative Reinforcement

Answer 25

The removal or absence of aversive stimuli following an undesired behavior. This increases the likelihood that the behavior will occur again.

Question 26

Cognitive Behavioral Techniques

Answer 26

• Goal Setting
• Feedback
• Decision Making
• Self-monitoring

Question 27

SMART Goal

Answer 27

A properly designed goal; SMART stands for specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound.

Question 28

Extinction

Answer 28

The removal of a positive stimulus that has in the past followed a behavior.

Question 29

Punishment

Answer 29

The presentation of aversive stimuli following an undesired behavior. Decreases the likelihood that the behavior will occur again.

Question 30

Shaping

Answer 30

Designing a new behavior chain, including antecedents and rewards, to encourage a certain behavior, such as regular physical activity.

Question 31

Cognitions

Answer 31

Current thoughts or feelings that can function as antecedents or consequences for overt behaviors.