Week 2

Question 1

Placebo effect

Answer 1

Where a patient is led to believe they have been treated leading to an improved health outcome.

Big pills work better than small. Coloured pills work better than white ones. Capsules work better than tablets and placebo’s with brand names are more effective than those without. The more expensive a treatment the more effective.

Question 2

Nocebo Effect

Answer 2

Adverse effects of placebos. When patients are led to believe that there will be side effects they can experience adverse effects as strong as a placebo.

Question 3

Double blind design

Answer 3

An experiment where both the researcher and the participant have no idea who has received the treatment and who has not.

Question 4

Single blind design

Answer 4

An experiment where only the participant is unclear whether they have received a treatment or placebo.

Question 5

Correlation

Answer 5

The relationship between two variables. The correlation co-efficient refers to the strength of the relationship between the two variables.

Question 6

Prevalence

Answer 6

Refers to the proportion of the population that has a particular condition at a given time.

Question 7

Incidence

Answer 7

Measures the frequency of new cases in a specified time period, usually a year.

Question 8

What are the six conditions that determine whether people seek medical advice?

Answer 8

personal factors
gender
age
SES
stigma
symptoms

Question 9

Five components are typically incorporated into the conceptualisation of a disease. What are they?

Answer 9

Identity
Timeline
Cause
Consequences
Controllability of the disease

Question 10

Sick role behaviour

Answer 10

Behaviour which enables one to get well. Relief from regular duties and taking action to feel better/improve.

Question 11

Lay referral network

Answer 11

Family and friends who can offer advice before seeking advice from a clinician.

Question 12

50% of deaths are due to what?

Answer 12

modifiable lifestyle factors and behaviours

Question 13

Health behaviours that enhance or maintain current health are:

Answer 13

reducing harmful activities
taking up new preventative behaviours
increasing frequency of good behaviours

Question 14

The most common studied health behaviours are

Answer 14

compliance with medical regimes i.e. rehab, medications and
attendance at screening programs i.e. breast, skin etc

Question 15

What are some self-directed health behaviours?

Answer 15

Diet
Exercise
Sunscreen use
Supplement intake

Question 16

Alameda 7 Study (1965) features of lifestyle with lower disease incidence

Answer 16

Not smoking
Moderate alcohol intake
Sleeping 7-8 hours each night
Exercise regularly
Maintaining desirable body weight
Avoiding snacks
Eating breakfast regularly

Question 17

The best way to change people health habits?

Answer 17

Initiate new behaviours
Decrease/stop existing behaviours
Need to PREDICT people’s behaviour

Question 18

Health Belief Model (1950’s)

Answer 18

Oldest and most widely used with wide empirical support across diverse health areas

A value-expectancy theory > the desire to avoid illness influences preventative behaviour

Susceptibility +
Severity +
Benefits +
Costs influence behaviours

Perceived barriers and perceived susceptibility were the strongest predictors of health behaviours.

Limitations - vague descriptions/measurements and imprecise relationship between variables i.e. do they affect effect other in a sequential way?

Question 19

Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) (Fishbein, 1967)

Answer 19

Behaviour can be predicted by asking someone their intention to perform/not perform.

Predictive power strongest when testing specific behaviours.

Attitudes + Subjective norms + perceived behaviour control influence INTENTION which leads to BEHAVIOURS.

Intention is a function of attitudes and subjective norms.

Background factors may include:
demographic
economic
personality i.e. optimist/pessimist

Question 20

Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB)

Answer 20

Extension of Theory of Reasoned Action however incorporate control beliefs (sense of self control).

Someone is more likely to change their health behaviours when they have the right attitude, have social pressure to perform and perceived behavioural control.

Best predicts physical activity (24%) and diet (21%). Relies heavily on student samples.

Limitations -
Assumes intention is stable
Narrow theoretical approach
Attitudes alone can influence behaviour

Over time intentions dissipate and external cues take over.

Question 21

Transtheoretical Model

Answer 21

A continuum approach

Some variable influence people’s health behaviours; variables can combine to predict likelihood.

Limitations -
Continuum model only focuses on the outcomes and not processes.

Stages -
Pre-contemplation
Contemplation
Determination
Action
Maintenance

Question 22

Pre-contemplation

Answer 22

No intention of changing behaviour in the near future
No perceived heath problem
Unhealthy behaviour not serious enough to cause action
Lack of knowledge
Repeated past failures to change behaviours
Cost of change outweighs the benefits

Question 23

Contemplation

Answer 23

Admission of problem
May change behaviour within next six months
Accept benefits but aware of costs
Indecisive
Can get stuck for long periods of time

Question 24

Preparation

Answer 24

Getting ready to make change in the next month
Have a plan of action to change behaviours
Possible history of failed attempts
Time to make better strategies

Question 25

Action

Answer 25

Actively engaging in behaviour change
Period of the greatest risk of relapse (6 months)
Solid attempt at changing behaviour

Question 26

Maintenance

Answer 26

Reached 6 months of continuous successful action
Goal is to sustain new behaviour and prevent relapse
Need confidence to cope with challenges
Common to relapse at an early stage and then start again to make progress

Question 27

What are the intermediate variables that can influence the process of change?

Answer 27

decisional balance (pros and cons)
self-efficacy (self control)
temptations (overcome objections)

Question 28

What has the research on the Transtheoretical Model (TTM) revealed?

Answer 28

Four distinct profiles:

not intending to change
intending to change (no action)
intending to change (with action)
maintaining

Limitations -
Not parsimonious
Studies have shown larger effect sizes for studies that did not use the TTM
Interventions for diet and exercise change were largely ineffective

Question 29

Which is the best model for predicting behaviour change?

Answer 29

Not clear which model is the best.
All models are multi-factor theories - different factors applied in each one
Different models may be more useful when predicting specific behaviours
Focuses on cognitions not emotions

Question 30

The Cognitive Social Health Information Processing Model (C-SHIP) (Miller, 1996)

Answer 30

Comprehensive model that incorporates many aspects of other models
Individuals have unique cognitive and emotional responses to health threats
These responses determine health behaviours

Five processes -
encodings (risk perceptions)
expectations and beliefs (benefits and drawbacks)
Values and goals
Disease related affect (emotion)
Self regulatory strategies