Lecture 4

Question 1

What is stress?

Answer 1

The inability to cope with a physical or emotional threat

Question 2

What are the 3 stages of stress?

Answer 2

1) Alarm: fight or flight response (nervous and endocrine systems activated for defense against stressor)
2) Resistance: continued high alert (hormones helpful in
alarm stage now become counterproductive increasing
risk for disease)
3) Exhaustion: body no longer able to cope

Question 3

What did Hans Selye prove?

Answer 3

That the brain could, literally, kill the body

Question 4

What is the biopsychosocial model?

Answer 4

An inter-disciplinary model that looks at the interconnection between body, mind, and brain.

Question 5

What is a sign?

Answer 5

‘Objective’ manifestation of a disease process

Question 6

What are some examples of signs?

Answer 6

1) A rash

2) High blood pressure

Question 7

What is a symptom?

Answer 7

‘Subjective’ experiences

Question 8

What are some examples of symptoms?

Answer 8

1) Pain

2) Other forms of distress

Question 9

Healthy individuals develop a new physical symptom every - days. How many are never brought to the
attention of a doctor?

Answer 9

5-7; 95%

Question 10

Why do symptoms lead to medical visits?

Answer 10

1) Intensity
2) Duration
3) Change in presentation
4) Family history
5) Previous experience
6) Unfamiliarity
7) Perceived threat
8) Loss of control

Question 11

What is a disease?

Answer 11

Refers to objective physiological or mental disorders at the organic level and is confined to the individual organism.

Question 12

What is an illness?

Answer 12

A subjective state;

A psychological awareness of dysfunction at the personal level also confined to the individual

Question 13

True or false;

Disease and illness always present together.

Answer 13

False; they present together, but not always.

Question 14

Where did “Sick role” derive its meaning from?

Answer 14

Parson’s concept

Question 15

What does sick role refer to?

Answer 15

A state of social dysfunction, a social role assumed by the individual that is variously specified according to the expectations of a given society.

Question 16

Who does the sick role cover?

Answer 16

It extends beyond the person to include relation with others.

Question 17

What is illness behavior?

Answer 17

The behavior of a person in the sick role.

Question 18

Sick role involves:

Answer 18

1) Exemption from normal social responsibilities and other people are expected to take over duties.
2) Is not expected to get well without being taken care of.
3) Has an obligation to want to get well and seek appropriate medical help.
4) Other people are under obligation to be kind and sympathetic to.

Question 19

Illness behavior involves:

Answer 19

1) Much of it is a result or associated with the recognized disease.
2) Some are generated by the fear of disease or the positive rewards and support provided for a person in the sick role.

3) Sometimes a person may adopt the sick role and illness behavior without having illness or may show illness behavior which is out of proportion to
the degree of illness.

4) Behaving normally in the presence of undiagnosed illness.

Question 20

What is a basic principle in learning theory?

Answer 20

That patterns of behavior which are rewarded tend to increase in frequency.

Question 21

True or false:
Not all who consult doctors with somatic symptoms have objective evidence of disease. Probably these have been trained to do so
under stress since childhood

Answer 21

True.

Question 22

What could be adopted whenever its advantages outweigh those of health?

Answer 22

The sick role.

Question 23

Why do some people adopt the sick role?

Answer 23

Different people adopt the sick role according to their coping ability, or to get a secondary gain.