Health and illness

Question 1

What is the Biopsychosocial Model?

Answer 1

A model that considers biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors in health and illness.

Question 2

What is Positive Psychology?

Answer 2

A field emphasizing subjective well-being and life satisfaction to promote health.

Question 3

What is the Life Course Perspective?

Answer 3

A focus on age-related aspects of health and illness, considering biological changes and lifestyle differences.

Question 4

What are some research methods used in Health Psychology?

Answer 4

Case studies
Experimental research
Quasi-experiments
Self-report measures
Observations

Question 5

What is the PERMA Model in Positive Psychology?

Answer 5

Positive Emotions
Engagement
Relationships
Meaning
Achievement

Question 6

Why is defining health as the “absence of illness” problematic?

Answer 6

Because it ignores psychological and social factors that contribute to well-being and does not account for preventative health measures.

Question 7

How does the biopsychosocial model challenge the biomedical model?

Answer 7

It incorporates psychological and social influences rather than attributing illness solely to biological factors.

Question 8

What is an example of gene-environment interaction affecting health?

Answer 8

The MAOA gene (linked to aggression) may only express itself in individuals who experience childhood trauma, demonstrating that genes and environment interact.

Question 9

Why is the evolutionary perspective important in health psychology?

Answer 9

It explains how biological traits that were once adaptive (e.g., stress response) may now contribute to chronic health issues in modern environments.

Question 10

Why is cultural sensitivity important in healthcare?

Answer 10

Understanding different cultural views on health and wellness ensures effective communication and treatment adherence.

Question 11

What is the major limitation of correlational studies in health psychology?

Answer 11

They can identify relationships between variables but cannot establish causation.

Question 12

What is the key distinction between experimental and quasi-experimental research?

Answer 12

Experimental studies manipulate variables with random assignment, whereas quasi-experiments use naturally occurring groups, limiting causal conclusions.

Question 13

Why might self-report methods be unreliable in health research?

Answer 13

They are subject to biases like social desirability, memory inaccuracies, and misinterpretation of questions.

Question 14

How does chronic stress biologically impair health?

Answer 14

It leads to prolonged cortisol release, which weakens the immune system, increases inflammation, and contributes to conditions like heart disease and diabetes.

Question 15

Why is the fight-or-flight response maladaptive in modern life?

Answer 15

It evolved for short-term survival threats but now activates in response to everyday stressors, leading to chronic health issues.

Question 16

What is the paradox of positive life changes and stress?

Answer 16

Even positive changes (e.g., getting married, starting a new job) can be stressful due to increased responsibilities and uncertainty.

Question 17

How does avoidance coping differ from approach coping?

Answer 17

Avoidance coping involves disengagement (e.g., denial, substance use), while approach coping focuses on actively managing stress (e.g., problem-solving, seeking support).

Question 18

What psychological traits make a person more resilient to stress?

Answer 18

Optimism, self-efficacy, strong social support, and effective coping strategies.

Question 19

Why is social support one of the strongest protective factors against stress?

Answer 19

It reduces perceived stress, provides emotional validation, and offers practical resources to manage challenges.

Question 20

Why is gratitude considered a powerful tool for mental health?

Answer 20

It shifts focus away from stressors, enhances positive emotions, and strengthens social bonds.

Question 21

Why is sleep essential for stress management?

Answer 21

Lack of sleep impairs cognitive functioning, emotional regulation, and immune response, making stress harder to handle. Is normally the first thing we sacrifice.

Question 22

How does health psychology influence public health initiatives?

Answer 22

It applies psychological principles to design effective interventions for behavior change, such as smoking cessation and vaccination campaigns.

Question 23

How has modern medicine improved life expectancy?

Answer 23

Women in North America live an average of 81 years, and men 77 years, due to advancements in hygiene, healthcare, and disease prevention.

Question 24

3. Why is health more than just the absence of disease?

Answer 24

Complete health includes physical, psychological, and social well-being, not just the lack of illness.

Question 25

4. What was trephination?

Answer 25

A prehistoric surgical practice where holes were drilled into the skull to release "evil spirits" causing illness.

Question 26

What was the Egyptian "Nile Theory" of health?

Answer 26

It compared the body's internal channels (for air, water, and blood) to the flow of the Nile River, believing blockages caused disease.

Question 27

What did Hippocrates contribute to medicine?

Answer 27

He introduced the humoral theory, linking health to the balance of four bodily fluids and advocating for a scientific approach to healing.

Question 28

7. How did the Renaissance change medical science?

Answer 28

It reintroduced scientific inquiry, anatomical studies, and the concept of the body as a machine (proposed by Descartes).

Question 29

9. What is psychosomatic medicine?

Answer 29

A field linking emotional conflicts to physical symptoms, initially promoted by Freud and Franz Alexander.

Question 30

What is epigenetics?

Answer 30

The study of how environmental factors (e.g., stress, diet, toxins) influence gene expression without changing DNA.

Question 31

How does the life-course perspective relate to health?

Answer 31

It examines how age-related factors and early-life experiences (e.g., parental malnutrition) shape lifelong health outcomes.

Question 32

How does the evolutionary perspective explain modern health issues?

Answer 32

Traits like fat storage were beneficial for survival but now contribute to obesity in modern environments with constant food availability.

Question 33

What is the immigrant paradox?

Answer 33

Recent immigrants often have better health than native-born individuals despite lower socioeconomic status, though this advantage fades over generations.

Question 34

Q: What is the key difference between absolute risk, relative risk, and attributable risk in epidemiological studies?

Answer 34

A: Absolute risk measures the incidence of a disease in a population, relative risk quantifies the strength of the association between a risk factor and an outcome, and attributable risk calculates the number of deaths or diseases due to a specific risk factor.

Question 35

How does critical thinking play a role in evaluating health claims, and why is it important?

Answer 35

Critical thinking helps evaluate health claims by encouraging skepticism, questioning evidence, and considering alternative explanations. It prevents harmful decisions based on unscientific or anecdotal evidence.

Question 36

What is the role of meta-analysis in health psychology research, and why is it more reliable than individual studies?

Answer 36

Meta-analysis combines data from multiple studies to increase statistical power and reduce bias, offering a more comprehensive and reliable view of a phenomenon compared to individual studies.

Question 37

Explain the difference between retrospective and prospective studies in epidemiology.

Answer 37

Retrospective studies examine existing cases to identify risk factors, while prospective studies follow healthy participants over time to observe how behaviors or exposures may lead to diseases.

Question 38

What is an "infodemic," and how does it relate to the dangers of unscientific thinking in health psychology?

Answer 38

An "infodemic" refers to the rapid spread of misinformation, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to false health claims, harmful treatments, and discrimination. It underscores the need for science-based decision-making.

Question 39

What are the three main objectives of epidemiological research?

Answer 39

The three main objectives are: 1) Identifying the causes (etiology) of diseases, 2) Evaluating the causes through studies, and 3) Testing the effectiveness of health interventions.

Question 40

Why are Randomized Clinical Trials (RCTs) considered the gold standard in testing interventions?

Answer 40

RCTs are considered the gold standard because they use control groups and random assignment to eliminate bias and provide a rigorous test of the treatment's effectiveness, isolating it from other factors.

Question 41

What is the SAM axis and its role in stress?

Answer 41

The sympatho-adreno-medullary (SAM) axis is the body's first response to stress, increasing blood flow, energy, and mental alertness.

Question 42

What is the role of the HPA axis in stress response?

Answer 42

The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is a slower response to stress that aims to restore homeostasis, but excessive cortisol can impair immunity.

Question 43

What is allostatic load and its effects?

Answer 43

Allostatic load is the cumulative wear and tear from chronic stress, affecting immunity, epinephrine levels, abdominal fat, hippocampal size, and inflammation.

Question 44

What are the stages of the General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)?

Answer 44

GAS includes alarm reaction, resistance, and exhaustion, with persistent stress increasing susceptibility to diseases of adaptation.

Question 45

What is the transactional model of stress?

Answer 45

The transactional model emphasizes cognitive appraisal: primary appraisal (assessing threat) and secondary appraisal (assessing coping resources).

Question 46

What are corticosteroids?

Answer 46

Corticosteroids are hormones released during stress, like cortisol, to help the body cope with stressors.

Question 47

What is cardiovascular reactivity (CVR)?

Answer 47

Cardiovascular reactivity refers to changes in heart rate and blood pressure in response to stress, which can affect health over time.

Question 48

What is the reactivity hypothesis?

Answer 48

The reactivity hypothesis suggests that an individual's physiological response to stress can predict health outcomes.