Health Psychology & Behavioral Medicine Flashcards

The biopsychosocial model of health, proposed by George Engel, argues that illness is best understood as:

Answer: An interaction among biological, psychological, and social factors

Engel's biopsychosocial model posits that health and illness result from the interplay of biological (genetics, physiology), psychological (thoughts, emotions, behaviors), and social (culture, relationships, socioeconomic status) factors.

Which psychological intervention has the strongest empirical support for managing chronic pain?

Answer: Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) targeting pain cognitions and coping

CBT for chronic pain is the most empirically validated psychological approach, targeting catastrophizing, fear-avoidance beliefs, activity pacing, and coping self-efficacy to reduce pain-related disability.

Psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) primarily investigates the relationship between:

Answer: Psychological states, the nervous system, and immune functioning

PNI examines bidirectional communication between psychological processes (stress, emotions, cognitions), the central nervous system, and the immune system, revealing how mental states can modulate immune responses.

According to the Health Belief Model, a person is most likely to engage in a preventive health behavior when they perceive:

Answer: High severity of the illness and low barriers to taking action

The Health Belief Model predicts preventive action when perceived severity and susceptibility are high, perceived benefits outweigh perceived barriers, and appropriate cues to action are present.

The gate control theory of pain, proposed by Melzack and Wall, explains that pain perception can be modulated by:

Answer: Neural mechanisms in the spinal cord that can open or close to pain signals

Melzack and Wall's gate control theory proposes that a neural 'gate' in the spinal cord's dorsal horn can be opened or closed by large-fiber activity, small-fiber activity, and descending signals from the brain, explaining why psychological factors influence pain.

Which of the following best characterizes the concept of illness behavior?

Answer: The ways in which individuals define, monitor, and respond to bodily symptoms

Illness behavior, introduced by Mechanic, refers to the varying ways people perceive, evaluate, and respond to symptoms—including whether they seek care—which is shaped by psychological, social, and cultural factors.

Research on the Type A behavior pattern has most consistently found that which specific component is most strongly linked to coronary heart disease?

Answer: Hostility and cynical distrust

While the original Type A construct included multiple components, subsequent research identified hostility (especially cynical mistrust and the tendency to express anger) as the toxic core most reliably associated with increased cardiovascular risk.