Week 1 - stereotypes and ageing

Question 1

What is health psychology?

Answer 1

The contribution of the discipline of psychology to:

• promotion and maintenance of health
• prevention and treatment of illness
• identification of psychological factors influencing health and illness
• analysis and improvement of the health care system and policy formation

Question 2

Compare the biomedical model with the biopsychosocial model

Answer 2

Biomedical:
- used to be prominent in western medicine
- illness understood in terms of biological and physiological processes
- physical treatment (drugs, surgery) used
Biopsychosocial:
- more prominent in medicine now
- looks at social, psychological and biological factors when examining a patient

Question 3

How can normal human cognitive functions lead to stereotypical thinking?

Answer 3

Knowledge is stored as mental representations which are organised in schemata (groups of related information)
- Environment is predictable so allows for anticipation
- Overlooks diversity
- Saves ‘processing power’
- Avoids information overload
Stereotypes = social schemata (members of a group share some characteristics), prone to an emphasis on negative traits, resistant to change

Question 4

Define stereotypes

Answer 4

Generalisations we make about specific social groups and members of those groups, broadly correct but can have errors

Question 5

Define prejudice

Answer 5

• Attitudes

- Pre-judgement based on negative stereotypes

Question 6

Define discrimination

Answer 6

• Behaving differently with people from different groups because of their group membership
• Acting upon your prejudices

Question 7

When are you more likely to rely on stereotypes?

Answer 7

When fatigued, suffering from information overload or under time pressure

Question 8

How can you avoid reliance on stereotypes?

Answer 8

Reflective practice
Getting to know members of other groups
Groups = a source of self-identity and self-esteem
- Using social comparison can build self-esteem
People are more likely to focus on the positive attributes of people in their own social group and negative attributes of people from other social groups

Question 9

Describe the changes to intelligence observed with ageing

Answer 9

• Gradual linear decline in IQ, accelerates after age 70
• Depends on individuals because everyone has different academic development
• Decline does not occur at the same rate in all skill areas so shouldn’t generalise it as IQ
• Most age sensitive component of intelligence is processing speed
• Crystallised (highly learnt skills and general knowledge) vs fluid (problem solving without prior training or exposure) intelligence = fluid intelligence decreases in old age
• Some aspects of cognitive function do tend to decline with age, but some aspects are very stable over time - some individuals change very little

Question 10

Describe the changes to memory observed with ageing

Answer 10

• Different aspects of memory function may behave differently
• Decline in memory is often due to effects of disease (dementia [disabling], Alzheimer’s, MCI-mild cognitive impairment [reduced cognitive ability but not disabling, usually due to early Alzheimer’s])

Question 11

Describe the relationship between personality and ageing

Answer 11

• May change with old age, but may adapt to fit the social construct of an old person
• Trait model: personality is described in terms of constituent traits
• – Cross-sectional studies: differential distribution of traits at different ages
• – Longitudinal studies: stability of traits within an individual over time

Question 12

What are the different models for successful ageing?

Answer 12

• Disengagement model: disengaging from social involvement as an adaptive mechanism
• Activity model: successful ageing requires maximal engagement in all areas of life
• Continuity model: remaining active and engaged is best for most people