ASPPB Health Psychology & Behavioral Medicine 2

Question 1

In behavioral medicine, the operant conditioning approach to chronic pain management focuses on:

Accepted Answer

Increasing well behaviors and decreasing pain behaviors through reinforcement contingencies

Answer

Fordyce's operant approach targets observable pain behaviors (e.g., grimacing, resting, requesting medication) by modifying reinforcement contingencies—reducing social reinforcement of pain behaviors and rewarding well behaviors regardless of pain level.

Question 2

Which of the following accurately describes secondary prevention in the context of health psychology?

Accepted Answer

Early detection and prompt treatment to halt disease progression

Answer

Secondary prevention involves screening for and detecting disease at an early stage to prevent it from progressing, such as mammograms for early breast cancer detection or blood pressure screening to catch hypertension before organ damage occurs.

Question 3

Biofeedback is most accurately described as a technique in which:

Accepted Answer

Physiological information is converted into signals that help patients learn to voluntarily control bodily functions

Answer

Biofeedback provides real-time information about physiological processes (e.g., muscle tension, heart rate, skin temperature) through auditory or visual signals, enabling patients to gain voluntary control over typically involuntary functions.

Question 4

The concept of adherence (previously called compliance) in health psychology refers to:

Accepted Answer

The degree to which patient behavior matches healthcare provider recommendations

Answer

Adherence refers to the extent to which a patient's health behaviors—taking medications, following diets, executing lifestyle changes—correspond with agreed-upon recommendations, with the modern term emphasizing patient collaboration over passive compliance.

Question 5

The relaxation response, described by Herbert Benson, involves physiological changes that are the opposite of the stress response, including:

Accepted Answer

Decreased heart rate, reduced oxygen consumption, and lowered blood pressure

Answer

Benson's relaxation response is characterized by decreased metabolic rate, reduced heart rate, lower blood pressure, slower respiration, and diminished oxygen consumption—essentially the physiological counterpart to the fight-or-flight stress response.

(ASPPB) Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards Practice Test

(ASPPB) Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards Practice Test

ASPPB Health Psychology & Behavioral Medicine 2