Health Beliefs

Question 1

Why do we need health beliefs

Answer 1

Need to understand the way in which people think about their behaviour in order to change their health behaviour

Question 2

Kasi and Cobb (1966) defined 3 types of health related behaviours

Answer 2

A health behaviour aims to prevent disease (eating a healthy diet)
An illness behaviour aims to seek remedy (e.g. going to the doctor)
A sick role behaviour aims at getting well (e.g. taking prescribed medication or resting)

Question 3

Types of health behaviours further defined by (Mataarazzo) defined as

Answer 3

Health impairing habits, which he called “behavioural pathogens” (for example smoking, eating a high fat diet), or

Health protective behaviours, which he defined as “behavioural immunogens” (e.g. attending a health check).

Question 4

What are the causes of “preventable ill health”

Answer 4

Obesity
Smoking
Lack of exercise
Dangerous driving
Substance misuse
Alcohol consumption

Question 5

What is the attribution theory

Answer 5

Individuals are motivated to see their social world as predictable and controllable
Attributions of causality - How ordinary people explain the cause of their behaviour

Question 6

Attributions of causality are structured according to the casual schemata

Answer 6

Distinctiveness - cause specific to an individual carrying out the behaviour
Consensus - cause of a behaviour is shared with others
Consistency over time - same attribution of causality made at other time
Consistency over modality - same attribution would be made in different situations

Question 7

Yt video for attribution of causality

Question 8

What are types of attributions of cause

Answer 8

Internal versus external
Stable versus unstable
Controllable versus uncontrollable

Question 9

What is internal versus external attributions of cause

Answer 9

When we succeed we attribute it to ourselves (internal attributions)
When we fail we attribute it t external factors rather than blaming ourselves

Question 10

What is the stable versus unstable attributions of cause

Answer 10

Do the causes of our behaviour change over time

Question 11

What is controllable versus uncontrollable attributions of cause

Answer 11

Are our causes of behaviour controllable or uncontrollable

Question 12

What did Weinstein say about risk perception

Answer 12

He suggested that one reason why people continue unhealthy behaviours is due to inaccurate risk perception of risk and perceptibility
Unrealistic optimism

Question 13

What is unrealistic optimism

Answer 13

When people gave inaccurate perceptions of risk and susceptibility
- people believe they are less likely to get the health problem
- it is one of the reason people continue to practice unhealthy behaviours

Question 14

Four cognitive factors are involved in risk perception

Answer 14

Lack of personal experience of the problem
The belief that the problem is preventable by individual action
The belief that the problem has not yet appeared and it will later in the future
The belief that the problem is infrequent (rare)

Question 15

How to counter unrealistic optimism

Answer 15

Must convince the patients that risk are real and serious e.g. health promotion campaigns uisng shocking graphics

Question 16

What is risk compensation

Answer 16

People believe one set of risk behaviours can be offset by a healthy behaviours
Occurs when there are competing desires, eat cake and stay slim
E.g. i can eat cake and go gym later
May explain why people don’t stick to dietary and exercise programmes

Question 17

Who developed a measure of the health locus of control

Answer 17

Wallston ad Wallston (1982)

Question 18

What does the health locus of control measure

Answer 18

If an individual believes their health is controllable by them
Or
Their health is not controllable by them or in their hands

Question 19

What is the health belief model

Answer 19

Helps to explain and predict health behaviours

Question 20

A person will take a health related action if they think that:

Answer 20

1. By doing so, a health condition will be avoided
2. They believe they can successfully do this health action
3. expect that they can avoid the negative health condition by doing this behaviour

Question 21

A person will take a health-related action based on the following main factors

Answer 21

• the perceived susceptibility of the disease
• the perceived severity of the disease
• the perceived benefits of taking action
• the perceived barriers to performing action - May be embarrassed to go to the gym

Question 22

Reasons of a persons readiness to take health action

Answer 22

Health motivation
Demographic variables
Psychological variables
Cues to action

Question 23

What are the cues to remember to take health related actions

Answer 23

Internal ques to change e.g. symptoms
External cues e.g. health campaigns, advice of Doctor or death of person

Question 24

What are Interventions using health belief model

Answer 24

Using the health belief model to design interventions has provided very effective

•Explore a persons perceived susceptibility, severity, benefits and barriers as well as any cues.

•These perceived perceptions of threat and benefits can be improved through education.

Question 25

What is the theory of planned behaviour

Answer 25

Why do we do what we do
Attitude towards the behaviour: individuals belief that a certain behaviour will make a positive or negative contribution to their life

Subjective norm: the opinion of people around you influence your decision e.g. social networks, cultural norms

Perceived behavioural control: persons belief on how easy or hard it is to display certain behaviours

Question 26

What are the keys to a longer happier life

Answer 26

To maintain a sense of purpose
Positive relationships
Healthy habits including eating healthy
Sufficient exercise
Sufficient sleep

Question 27

A person is more likely to undertake a health related behaviour when they believe that:

Answer 27

Their health is important
They are susceptible to a health threat which could have serious consequences
The proposed action will be effective and doesnt have too many costs
Others approve the action and their approval is important
They can successfully carry out the action

Question 28

What is health psychology

Answer 28

process of using psychology to understand health. Psychology itself is the study of the mind and behaviour. In the past, it was thought that the mind and body were separate entities. Health psychology challenges this notion and explores the role of the mind as well, as the environment, and the individuals in it. It considers the direct and indirect connections between psychology and health.

Question 29

What is the biopsychosocial model (Engel 1977)

Answer 29

Examines the interconnected role of biological, psychological and social factors and how these can help to explain health and illness, providing a more holistic picture of the factors that are involved in developing poor health and maintaining good health.

Question 30

What are the factors of the biopsychosocial model

Answer 30

Biological
Psychological
Social

Question 31

How has health psychology helped improve medicine

Answer 31

Health psychology over the last 10 years has emerged as an important discipline in prevention and treatment of ill health. Understanding the behaviours that influence health can help people recognise and change the behaviours that contribute to illness. Understanding factors involved in the behaviours enables the development of appropriate health interventions.

Question 32

How can psychologists help with managing stress

Answer 32

Stress is an important paradigm in the field of health psychology and there is much evidence that links stress to health problems.

Psychologists can help with techniques to help keep stress to manageable levels, such as breathing exercises, mindfulness, reappraising negative thoughts meditations and biofeedback.

Question 33

How do psychologists play an important role in management of pain

Answer 33

To treat chronic pain, it is often important to address the physical and psychological aspects. People can be helped to cope better with pain and even for the intensity of the pain to be reduced through exploring the thoughts, emotions and behaviours that are follow pain. There are a wide range of strategies that have been effective in helping with pain management including psychological treatments for pain that can alter how the brain processes pain sensations.