Unit 1: Definition of health psychology

Question 1

psychology definition

Answer 1

psychology is the scientific study of human behavior
psychology = psyche + logia
* psyche = life, soul, etc
* logia = study of

Question 2

behaviour definition

Answer 2

behavior is the interaction of an organism, with a given environment, be that environment public or private

Question 3

what is health psychology

Answer 3

the field that applies the knowledge of psychology to understand and control the variables related to health. it tries to analyze all the behaviors that influence our health in order to improve it or prevent a disease (Control)

Question 4

health psychology major subfields:

Answer 4

1. clinical health psychology
2. social health psychology

Question 5

health psychology major subfields

clinical health psychology

Answer 5

Focuses on problematics where the psychological component is the problem in and by itself
* Ergo, mental disorders, suffering, ‘deviations’ from a standard way of behaving, etc

it usually focuses on an individual or a couple of people for intervention

Question 6

health psychology major subfields

social health psychology

Answer 6

focuses on the social variables that can lead a person to develop a health problematic

in other words it looks at a person’s environment to analyze the variables affecting them

Question 7

science definition

Answer 7

the branch of human knowledge that utilizes observation and experimentation to create knowledge about a specific subject

Question 8

three basic branches of science

Answer 8

1. philosophy
2. research
3. technology

Question 9

3 basic branches of science

philosophy used in science:

Answer 9

• monism
• determinism
• materialism
• ontology

Question 10

3 basic branches of science

the basic methodologys of experimental sciences in reaserch (6)

Answer 10

1. observe
2. hypothesize
3. experiment
4. analyze
5. conclusion
6. hypothesis

Question 11

basic vs applied psychology

Answer 11

basic: subfield of psychology that handles the root of our knowledge in itself

applied: subfield of psychology that handles specific problematics in different contexts using the knowledge of our basic principles