Symptom Perception, Illness and Behaviour

Question 1

Disease (biomedical) definition

Answer 1

Biological deviance from what currently considered normal= traditionally prime concern of medicine

Question 2

Illness (biopsychosocial) definition

Answer 2

Subjective experience with psychological and social meaning attached to perceived biological deviance (or existing in absence of one) based on symptoms

Question 3

Sensation definition

Answer 3

Detecting a stimulus and converting it into neural activity e.g. vision via rods and cones in eye; nocireception via sensory receptors in skin

Question 4

Perception definition

Answer 4

An active psychological process

Question 5

Perception definition

Answer 5

Organism becomes aware and interprets external stimuli or sensation

Question 6

Perception involves creating “mental model” infleunced by:

Answer 6

Attention to sensation
Processing in light of previous experience
Interpretation depending on context

Question 7

Ones attention depends on what?

Answer 7

Strength vs other internal/external stimuli
Degree of internal focus
Cognitive schema and social models (what expecting to see, directing our attention to that)

Question 8

Illness behaviour definition

Answer 8

Any behavioour by an individual who feels ill, to relieve that experience (also known as coping)

Question 9

What are the two different types of coping? explain?

Answer 9

Avoidance/emotion coping- modifying response to symptoms e.g. managing fear
Approach/problem coping- action to actively do something to relieve symptoms

Question 10

What are some illness-related variables that cause patients to see health care professionals more or less?

Answer 10

Continual and severe symptoms, rapid onset or previous history more likely to go in sooner
Delay if have other comorbidities- think can handle it
Chronic disease go in sooner

Question 11

What are some patient-related variables that cause patients to see healthcare professionals more or less?

Answer 11

Background factors:

older, female, unemployed etc

Psychological factors:

Emotional:personality, mental health, fear, embarassement to go,

Cognitive:mismatch in symptoms, perceived ability to control symptoms

Behaviour factors: Trying to relax, wait for symptoms to go away

Social Factors:
informing family member, being alone, poor social support