Health Beliefs & Behaviour

Question 1

What are health behaviours?

Answer 1

Actions an individual engages in that affect their health +vely OR -vely

Question 2

Examples of +ve health behaviours?

Answer 2

-Eating x5 fruit & veg a day
-Exercising reguarly
-Good sleep routine
-Don’t smoke
-Don’t drink
-Don’t take recreational drugs
-Safe sex

Question 3

Examples of -ve health behaviours?

Answer 3

-Poor/unhealthy diet - high in sat fats
–> obesity
-Sedentary lifestyle
-Bad sleep routine
-Smoking
-Drink to excess
-Take recreational drugs
-Unprotected/unsafe sex

Question 4

Why is it bad for the economy if people engage in -ve health behaviours?

Answer 4

-More aids needed
-More mental health problems
-More Dr appts. needed
-More medications - some wasted - poor adherance?
-More care needed in general to treat issues influenced by these -ve health behs
–> chronic disease, mortality
-More sick leave from work

Question 5

How do behaviorists explain we acquire health behaviours?

Answer 5

By association & observation

Question 6

What are the x3 behavioural theories of learning?

Answer 6

-Classical conditioning
-Operant conditioning
-SLT

Question 7

What is classical conditoning?

Answer 7

-Learning by association
-Pairing unrelated stimuli with a response
–> x2 stimuli paired by repitition
–> x1 neutral stimulus will eventually elicit same response as the unconditioned stimulus
-Can explain phobias/fears

Question 8

Explain classical conditioning - using Pavlov’s dogs.

Answer 8

Before conditioning
US = food
UR = salivation

Before conditioning
NS = bell
No response

During conditioning
US = food
&
NS = bell
UR = salivation

After conditioning - repeated
CS = bell
CR = salivation

Question 9

How can alcoholism be explained by classical conditioning?

Answer 9

Question 10

Explain how classical conditioning can explain fears/phobias - using Little Albert.

Answer 10

-Presented with rat = no response
-Presented with rat & made loud noise = cry
-Presented with rat = cry

Before conditioning
US = Rat
UR = no reponse

During conditioning
US = rat
NS = loud noise
UR = cry

After conditioning
CS = rat
CR = cry

Question 11

If classical conditioning can be used to explain fears/phobias - the what does this say about behaviours?

Answer 11

Behaviours = learnt - so can be unlearnt
= basis for CBT
–> if faulty conditioning had resulted in abnormal behs
–> this process of unlearning an association = is done by modification

Question 11

If classical conditioning can be used to explain fears/phobias - the what does this say about behaviours?

Answer 11

Behaviours = learnt - so can be unlearnt
= basis for CBT
–> if faulty conditioning had resulted in abnormal behs
–> this process of unlearning an association = is done by modification

Question 12

Use chemotherapy injection, vomiting & nurses - to explain a fear of nurses.

Answer 12

Question 13

What is operant conditioning?

Answer 13

-Beh = strengthened by reinforcers (rewards)
OR
-Beh = diminished by punishers (punishments)

–> meaning outcomes of beh influence probability of the beh being repeated or stopped

-Beh = result of interaction between ind (int) & env (ext)

-So this enables behavior change -> by altering contingencies external to the person

-Active beh operates the env

**Stimulus response model to learning

Question 14

Use rat, light & food example to explain operant conditioning.

Answer 14

-Rat pushes lever when light is green = rewarded with food
BUT
-Rat pushes lever when light is red = electric shock

–> so rat eventually learns that to have the +ve outcome of food - to only push lever when light is green
–> as rat’s beh is driven by the food

*Stimulus reponse

(BUT -> could also say hunger is the stimukus triggering declarative memory that pressing lever resulted in food)

Question 15

Why are behaviourist explanations of behaviour - lacking?

Answer 15

-They may be able to explain how behs = acquired & maintained
BUT!
–> they fail to explain why individuals whose env is healthy - engage in -ve health/health harming behs OR why those in adverse envs are able to engage in +ve health/health benefiting behs

-So these models fall short of providing a more holistic view of learning - still provide a fairly mechanistic view of learning

-Doesn’t account for: cognition or beliefs OR determinants of health

==> can lead to victim blaming - if one does not engage in +ve health behs eventhough their env allows it

Question 16

What role does cognitive psychology play in learning?

Answer 16

Cognitive processes enable individuals to interpret env
–> showing beh = result of interaction between ext & int factors
-Ext = stimuli & reinforcers
-Int = perceptions of the ind & their beh in world

==> how a situation influences how you behave

Question 17

What is SLT/observational learning?

Answer 17

-Humans learn behs through obervation of modeled behs & by the reinforcement of these imitated behs

x3 factors influemce SL
-Ind
-Ind’s beh
-Env

*Modeling = process of observation & imitation of a beh

Question 18

What did the Bobo experiment show?

Answer 18

-Children more likely to replicate behs modeled to them if their model was of the same sex to them
-High rates of imitation of aggressive behs
-Later on children still showed signs of reproducing the same aggressive beh - show learning

Question 19

What health behaviours are influenced by modelling?

Answer 19

-Drinking
-Smoking
-Safe sex
-Diet
-Exercise
-Recreational drugs

Question 20

How can social-cognitive models be used to predict behaviour?

Answer 20

Determinants of health = social
Perception, beliefs, attitudes = cognitive
==> factors that influence health beh

Question 21

What is the health belief model & what are the x4 factors?

Answer 21

Used to predict likelihood of someone engaging in health-promoting behs:
1 = perceived susceptibility of contracting a disease/condition
2 = perceived severity of the disease/condition - implication they believe it will have on their life (death, disability, occupation, family time)
3 = perceived benefits of taking action
4 = perceived barriers to taking action (action may be seen as expensive, time-cnsuming, painful)

–> meaning health promoting beh will be initiated when ind experiences cues to action
- which are int & ext events to start the process

Modifying factors = demographic variables - age, sex, race, ethnicity & socio-economic variables - personality, social class

Question 22

Example of osteoporosis - health belief model.

Answer 22

Question 23

Critique of health belief model?

Answer 23

Fails to account for constructs accounting for self-motivation to act or self-efficacy (confidence in one’s ability to take action)

Question 24

Based on the health belief model - what would the cognitive approach be to changing behaviour be?

Answer 24

Altering perception!
-Convince people that they are vulnerable, that the threat is severe & that certain actions are effective preventive measures