Session 1 - Introduction to Psychology

Question 1

What is Psychology?

Answer 1

The science of how people think, feel and behave

Question 2

What is health psychology designed to do?

Answer 2

Promotion and maintenance of health

Prevention and treatment of illness

Question 3

What is the biomedical model of health?

Answer 3

Illness understood in terms of biological and physiology

Question 4

What is the problem with the biomedical model?

Answer 4

Does not take into account psychological and social factors

Question 5

Give two of the top causes of death at the beginning of the 20th century

Answer 5

• TB
• Pneumonia
• Measles
• Diptheria

Question 6

Give two of the top causes of death at the end of the 20th century

Answer 6

• Heart disease
• Cancer
• Stroke
- Accidents

Question 7

What is the biopsychosocial model?

Answer 7

Psychology (cognition, emotion and behaviour), Biology (Physiology, genetics and pathogens) and Social (social class, employment and social support) all contribute to health and illness

Question 8

Why is human diversity relevant?

Answer 8

Have different health problems
Different lifestyles
Want different types of health service

Question 9

What is the duty of good medical practice?

Answer 9

• You must treat patients fairly and with respect, whatever their life choices and beliefs.
• HOWEVER, if you have a conscientious objection, you must refer a patient on to a doctor who will provide care

Question 10

What is a stereotype?

Answer 10

generalisations we make about specific social groups, and members of those groups

Question 11

What is the basis of stereotypes?

Answer 11

• Stereotypes arise from the way in which store memories and organise knowledge
• Knowledge is stored as schemata, groups of related information

Question 12

What is the function in terms of schemata?

Answer 12

• Social schemata, which gives you an idea about a typical group
• Prone to focusing on negative traits
• resistant to change

Question 13

What is the purpose of a group?

Answer 13

• Source of identity and self esteem

* Helps to understand social environment

Question 14

How can people treat groups different from their own?

Answer 14

• People are more likely to focus on negative traits of other groups

Question 15

What does negative bias in stereotypes lead to?

Answer 15

• Prejudice, which leads to discrimination

Question 16

What is prejudice?

Answer 16

• Evaluative and affective component

* Essentially the attitudes we hold towards other

Question 17

What is discrimination?

Answer 17

• Behavioural

* Behaving differently with from different groups due to their group membership

Question 18

When are we more like to rely on stereotypes?

Answer 18

• Under time pressure
• Fatigued
- Suffering information overload

Question 19

Why do we resort to stereotypes?

Answer 19

• Provide helpful shortcuts

Question 20

How can we avoid using stereotypes

Answer 20

• Getting to know members of other groups

* Reflective practice

Question 21

How have the demographics of age changed?

Answer 21

• More “young old”
• Higher life expectancy
• Expectations and ideas of old age have changed

Question 22

Does depression get more common as age increases?

Answer 22

Nope

Question 23

Give three common stereotypes about elderly people

Answer 23

• Intellectual deterioration is the norm
• Old age is a period of personal stagnation
• Old people are introverted

Sarah Scott

Question 24

What is dementia?

Answer 24

• A state of acquired cognitive impairment, often due to Alzheimer’s disease

Question 25

e common stereotypes about elderly people

Answer 25

• A diagnosis of dementia overrides a diagnosis of depression, so cohort for possible identification of depressive mood disorders decreases in size

Question 26

At what point does IQ begin to decline?

Answer 26

• Gradual linear decline in IQ throughout adult life, which accelerates after age 70

Question 27

Outline methodological issues in studying intellectual function over human lifespan

Answer 27

• Differences between ages
• Changes over time - used to exams/psychometric tests
• A 90 year old will struggle more with certain technology than a 20 year old

Question 28

What is a better method than a cross sectional study to assess IQ over time?

Answer 28

• Longitudinal study - follow a group over time
• Shaie and Willis - Seattle study
• Found decline does not occur in all areas at same rate

Question 29

What is the most age-sensitive component of intelligence?

Answer 29

• Processing speed

Question 30

What is crystallised intelligence?

Answer 30

• Highly learnt skills and general knowledge

Question 31

What is fluid intelligence?

Answer 31

Problem solving without prior training or exposure

Question 32

What is terminal drop?

Answer 32

Loss of mental function in less 12 months of life

Question 33

Does memory get worse with age?

Answer 33

• Different aspects of memory function decline at different rates (Semantic vs functional memory)
• Disease also has an effect

Question 34

Why is it inaccurate to label elderly people with stereotypes?

Answer 34

• Actually a more heterogeneous groups than those in younger age brackets

Question 35

What are the three models of social adjustment and successful ageing?

Answer 35

• Disengagement model
○ Disengagement from social involvement as adaptive mechanism
• Activity model
○ Successful ageing requires maximal engagement in all areas of life
• Continuity model
○ Combination of activity and disengagement

Question 36

How does loss of work have an affect?

Answer 36

• Loss of manifest (tangible, monetary) and latent (self-esteem) rewards

Question 37

What is the big issue in western culture concerning ageing?

Answer 37

• A fear of mortality leads to social rejection of the elderly

Question 38

Why is stereotyping of the elderly unhelpful?

Answer 38

• Older people are notable for their diversity
• Later life is not a period of stagnation, but a time of great and often unanticipated change during which adaptation is a fundamental necessity