Health Beliefs & Behaviour Flashcards
What are health behaviours?
Actions an individual engages in that affect their health +vely OR -vely
Examples of +ve health behaviours?
-Eating x5 fruit & veg a day
-Exercising reguarly
-Good sleep routine
-Don’t smoke
-Don’t drink
-Don’t take recreational drugs
-Safe sex
Examples of -ve health behaviours?
-Poor/unhealthy diet - high in sat fats
–> obesity
-Sedentary lifestyle
-Bad sleep routine
-Smoking
-Drink to excess
-Take recreational drugs
-Unprotected/unsafe sex
Why is it bad for the economy if people engage in -ve health behaviours?
-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
How do behaviorists explain we acquire health behaviours?
By association & observation
What are the x3 behavioural theories of learning?
-Classical conditioning
-Operant conditioning
-SLT
What is classical conditoning?
-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
Explain classical conditioning - using Pavlov’s dogs.
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
How can alcoholism be explained by classical conditioning?
Explain how classical conditioning can explain fears/phobias - using Little Albert.
-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
If classical conditioning can be used to explain fears/phobias - the what does this say about behaviours?
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
If classical conditioning can be used to explain fears/phobias - the what does this say about behaviours?
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
Use chemotherapy injection, vomiting & nurses - to explain a fear of nurses.
What is operant conditioning?
-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
Use rat, light & food example to explain operant conditioning.
-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)