HealthPsych Session 1

Question 1

Why did the biomedical model work in the early 20th century but doesn’t apply today?

Answer 1

Top killers have changed from infectious to chronic diseases

Question 2

What is the biopsychosocial model?

Answer 2

Biological, social and psychological factors all impact on health and illness

Question 3

What biological factors are considered in the biopsychosocial model?

Answer 3

Physiology
Genetics
Pathogens

Question 4

What social factors are considered in the biopsychosocial model?

Answer 4

Social class
Employment
Social support

Question 5

What psychological factors are considered in the biopsychosocial model?

Answer 5

Cognition
Emotion
Behaviour

Question 6

What are stereotypes?

Answer 6

Social schemata about people, roles and relationships with prone to an emphasis on -ve traits

Question 7

What are the advantages and disadvantages of using stereotypes?

Answer 7

A: helpful shortcuts, decrease processing power
D: discount individual differences, can lead to prejudice

Question 8

What are schemata?

Answer 8

Groups of related information used to organise knowledge

Question 9

What is the purpose of organising information in schemata?

Answer 9

Save processing power when faced with a situation similar to one we have encountered before –> environment more predictable, allows anticipation, avoids info overload

Question 10

What does organising information into schemata not reflect?

Answer 10

Diversity

Question 11

Are stereotypes easy to change?

Answer 11

No, they are resistant to change

Question 12

Why do we naturally assign people to categories?

Answer 12

Help us to understand our social environment

Question 13

Why do we adopt the characteristics of the group we identify most with?

Answer 13

Build self-esteem

Question 14

How does the focus of attributes change when considering our own group in comparison to other groups?

Answer 14

Tend to focus on +ve attributes of our group and -ve of others

Question 15

What cognitive and emotive components lead to discrimination?

Answer 15

Stereotypes (cognitive) –> prejudice (emotive) –> discrimination

Question 16

When are we more likely to rely on stereotypes?

Answer 16

Under time pressure
Fatigued
Overstretched

Question 17

What can help to challenge -ve stereotypes?

Answer 17

Getting to know members of groups other than your own

Reflective practice

Question 18

Why do we need to be vigilant when considering our own and other people’s behaviour?

Answer 18

It is influenced by social and cognitive processes we may not be aware of

Question 19

What is the biomedical model?

Answer 19

Illness understood in terms of biological and physiological processes - Dr as mechanic

Question 20

What does examination of depression and dementia in against populations show?

Answer 20

Exponential increase in dementia cases with age

No change in rates of depression

Question 21

Why are stereotypes less effective with increasing age?

Answer 21

Diversity increases with age due to life experiences

Question 22

What is dementia?

Answer 22

Level of cognitive impairment causing disability

Question 23

Which component of intelligence is the most age-sensitive?

Answer 23

Processing speed

Question 24

What is crystallised intelligence?

Answer 24

Highly learnt skills and general knowledge

Question 25

What is fluid intelligence?

Answer 25

Problem solving in new situations

Question 26

Is fluid intelligence or crystallised intelligence more useful for everyday life?

Answer 26

Crystallised

Question 27

What explains ‘terminal drop’?

Answer 27

Increased frailty and physiological problems cause a large decrease in in intelligence in the last year or two of life

Question 28

Do all aspects of memory function behave the same at different ages?

Answer 28

No

Question 29

What can affect different behaviours of memory function other than age?

Answer 29

Disease e.g. Dementia, Alzheimer’s

Question 30

What is Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI)?

Answer 30

A level of cognitive impairment that does not cause disability

Question 31

What can MCI progress to?

Answer 31

Dementia but pts often die before progression

Question 32

What is the activity model in ageing?

Answer 32

Sphere successful ageing requires maximal engagement in all areas of life

Question 33

Do personality traits fluctuate or remain stable with age?

Answer 33

Remain stable

Question 34

What is the disengagement model of ageing?

Answer 34

Successful ageing is achieved when the individual stops seeking social, relationship and intelligence activities

Question 35

What is successful ageing?

Answer 35

Where individual feels well adjusted and contented

Question 36

Is the activity or disengagement model of ageing more common?

Answer 36

Activity

Question 37

How can families adversely affect ageing?

Answer 37

Empty nest –> loss of identity as parent
Grandparenthood –> unfulfilled expectations due to unsatisfactory relationships
Changing patterns of family contact

Question 38

Why might friends be considered as next of kin by elderly pts?

Answer 38

Changing patterns of family contact causing greater importance of friendships

Question 39

Can grandparenthood be beneficial in ageing?

Answer 39

Yes, can create new identity if relationship is satisfactory

Question 40

Which gender is generally better at forming new relationships after losing those at work following retirement?

Answer 40

Females

Question 41

What are the negative impacts of work and retirement on ageing?

Answer 41

Loss of manifest (pension

Question 42

Who usually suffers more in retirement?

Answer 42

People who are emotionally invested in their work

Question 43

What can lead to social rejection in death and bereavement?

Answer 43

Reluctance to acknowledge mortality

Question 44

Is bereavement more common in old age?

Answer 44

No but the probability of it being more significant is higher

Question 45

What result does enforced limitations in housing, mobitility etc have on the diversity of older people?

Answer 45

Increases