Unit 3

Question 1

Biomedical Model of Health

Answer 1

Focuses on the physical reasons for illness and health problems.

Treatments come in the form of vaccines, surgery and medicines in order to restore the physical balance in a persons body.

It considers the mind separate and therefore not influential on a persons health. It ignores social and economic factors.

Question 2

Biopsychosocial model of health

Answer 2

Developed due to doubts about the biomedical model—that health is purely physical.

Attempts to interrelate biological, psychological and social as combining factors that effect a persons health. More holistic than the biomedical model.

For example, poor health could be the mixture of a virus (biological), stress (psychological) and a job (social)

Question 3

Classical Conditioning

Answer 3

A learning process that occurs when two stimuli are repeatedly paired: a response which is at first elicited by the second stimulus is eventually elicited by the first stimulus alone.

Question 4

Classical Conditioning Example

Answer 4

The principles of classical conditioning can apply to so many other areas of everyday life. Any individual dish or type of food, if you’ve never eaten it before, is a blank slate for possible associations.

If the first time you eat sushi, you get terrible food poisoning, then it’s possible that almost anything to do with that sushi experience could gain negative associations and give you food aversion. Perhaps just the smell of sushi rice could make you want to gag, or the sight of raw fish could make you feel sick to your stomach.

Question 5

Social Learning Theory

Answer 5

New behaviors can be acquired by observing and imitating others

Question 6

Physiological Addiction

Answer 6

Chemicals in your brain known as neurotransmitters, such as dopamine, are released when we do certain activities that make us feel happy or relaxed.

Therefore we want to do this activity again and again to attain that feeling. This can lead to an addiction.

Question 7

Health Belief Model

Answer 7

The health belief model investigates health behaviour that could be prevented and studies a patients response to treatment provided. It is a decision-making model that suggests the likelihood of an individual taking part in a particular health behaviour e.g., Quitting smoking.

Question 8

Health Belief Model PEE Positive

Answer 8

Point - A Strength of the HBM is that it is
useful.
Example - For example it can help develop treatments that patients will be motivated enough to carry out.
Expand - It has been successfully used to predict cancer screening behaviour in women and can help design health interventions.

Question 9

Health Belief Model PEE Negative

Answer 9

Point – A limitation of the HBM is that it is reductionist in its approach to predicting human behaviour.
Example - For example, each human is different and many of us can make irrational decisions after events occur – e.g., being told we are in the ‘obese’ category for weight.
Expand - Other models can offer alternative explanations to achieve a change in health behaviour. Therefore, we need a more holistic view.

Question 10

Griffiths’ Six Components of Addiction

Answer 10

Physical and psychological dependence
Mood alteration
Tolerance
Withdrawal symptoms
Conflict
Relapse

Question 11

Physical and Psychological Dependence (Griffiths)

Answer 11

Physical dependency refers to the withdrawal symptoms a person may experience when the drug stops, for example pain, irritability, shaking and sweating too. Psychological dependence is when the behaviour or drug becomes the most important thing in that persons life. Even if the person is not taking part in the behaviour, they are thinking about it always.

Question 12

Mood Alteration (Griffiths)

Answer 12

People may experience a buzz or rush when they take heroin. An addict can bring about different mood alterations by changing their activities. For example, someone with a nicotine addiction will smoke in the morning to wake them up, giving them the rush they need to start the day. And in the evening, it can be taken to help them relax; one addiction can therefore result in different mood changes.

Question 13

Tolerance (Griffiths)

Answer 13

Tolerance is an addict’s need to increase the amount of behaviour, for example ten cigarettes a day to fifteen and so on.

Question 14

Withdrawal Symptoms (Griffiths)

Answer 14

These are the negative effects, both psychological and physical, that result when the addict is prevented from taking part in the activity. Some psychological effects may include moodiness, meanwhile physiological effects may include sweating, shaking and so on.

Question 15

Conflict (Griffiths)

Answer 15

Conflict arises between the addict and those around them as a result of their addictive behaviour.

Question 16

Relapse (Griffiths)

Answer 16

This is the return to the behaviour after the addict has attempted to give up. This can occur after months, or even years, in which the addict resumes the full behaviour and pattern of their original addiction.

Question 17

Perceived Susceptibility (HBM)

Answer 17

Individuals assessment of their risk of getting the condition, for example “if I smoke, I have a higher chance of getting lung cancer.”

Question 18

Perceived Severity (HBM)

Answer 18

Individuals assessment of the condition and what the consequences might be, for example “lung cancer is a serious illness.”

Question 19

Perceived Benefit (HBM)

Answer 19

Individuals assessment of the positive outcomes of adopting the behaviour, for example “stopping smoking will help save me money.”

Question 20

Perceived Barriers (HBM)

Answer 20

Individuals assessment of the influences that support or discourage the behaviour being carried out, for example “stopping smoking will make me ill tempered.”

Question 21

Health Belief Model Strengths

Answer 21

The HBM can help develop effective treatments that patients will be motivated enough to carry out. It has been applied to a wide range of populations and health behaviours, for example Murray & McMillan (1993) successfully used the HBM to predict cancer screening behaviour in women.

It has also been applied to health interventions. Williamson & Wardle (2002) employed the HBM when designing an intervention aimed at increasing participation with cancer screenings.

Question 22

Health Belief Model Weaknesses

Answer 22

The HBM structure indicates that humans process information in a rational yet unrealistic manner; often humans are irrational in their decisions after an event has occurred.

Alternative models have been proposed that may offer additional explanation of health behaviours, for example self efficacy theories and the belief in perceived confidence in being able to achieve a particular behaviour change.

Question 23

Meta-Analysis

Answer 23

Involves researchers using studies and results that already exist and drawing overall conclusions from their findings.

Question 24

Locus of Control

Answer 24

The extent to which people believe they have the power over the events in their lives.

Question 25

Internal Locus of Control

Answer 25

Outcomes are within your control—determined by your hard work or decisions.

Question 26

External Locus of Control

Answer 26

Outcomes outside of your control—determined by fate and independent of your hard work or decisions.

Question 27

Theory of Planned Behaviour

Answer 27

A model devised by Ajzen (1985) based in three factors:

Attitude towards behaviour; e.g. I believe exercise is good and I will benefit from it so I will exercise

Subjective norm; norms of my family is that exercise is good and we all do some form of it

Perceived behavioural control; beliefs about factors that may encourage or prevent behaviour e.g. I can lose weight, and so I will.

Question 28

Self-Efficacy Theory

Answer 28

Self-efficacy is your belief in your ability to succeed. It reflects confidence, motivation and high levels of self-efficacy may result in greater drive to change behaviour as people feel they have the confidence to succeed.

Question 29

Four Influencers of Self-Efficacy

Answer 29

Enactive Influences - A persons past experiences of success and failure

Vicarious influences - comparing yourself to others who may have succeeded or failed

Social persuasion influences - Encouragement from family or friends

Emotional influences - An increase in anxiety when a person believes they cannot do something

Question 30

Systematic Desensitisation

Answer 30

Slowly expose a patient to anxiety provoking behaviour paired with relaxation.