BHS Health Psychology 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: The 'nocebo effect' in health psychology refers to:
- Improvement in symptoms due to expectation of benefit
- Worsening of symptoms due to expectation of harm or side effects (Correct answer)
- Pain amplification from social reinforcement
- Conditioned immune suppression following repeated drug exposure
Correct answer: Worsening of symptoms due to expectation of harm or side effects
The nocebo effect occurs when negative expectations about a treatment cause negative outcomes, mirroring but opposing the placebo effect.
Question 2: Which measure is most commonly used to assess functional health status and quality of life in clinical health psychology research?
- Beck Depression Inventory (BDI)
- SF-36 Health Survey (Correct answer)
- Perceived Stress Scale (PSS)
- General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSE)
Correct answer: SF-36 Health Survey
The SF-36 measures eight domains of physical and mental health functioning and is one of the most widely used patient-reported outcome measures in health research.
Question 3: Type D ('distressed') personality is characterized by the combination of:
- Neuroticism and extroversion
- Negative affectivity and social inhibition (Correct answer)
- Hostility and time urgency
- Anxiety and avoidant attachment
Correct answer: Negative affectivity and social inhibition
Type D personality, identified by Denollet, combines high negative affectivity (tendency to experience negative emotions) and high social inhibition (tendency to suppress emotions in social situations).
Question 4: A researcher finds that social support buffers the negative health effects of stress only when stress levels are high. This is called the:
- Main effect model of social support
- Stress-buffering hypothesis (Correct answer)
- Social comparison theory
- Conservation of Resources model
Correct answer: Stress-buffering hypothesis
The stress-buffering hypothesis proposes that social support protects health by modifying the impact of stressors rather than having a direct universal effect.
Question 5: Internality in locus of control beliefs, when applied to health, predicts:
- Greater reliance on physician directives
- Higher adherence and self-management behaviors (Correct answer)
- Reduced use of preventive services
- Increased health anxiety and hypochondriasis
Correct answer: Higher adherence and self-management behaviors
People with an internal health locus of control believe their own actions influence health outcomes, predicting better self-care, adherence, and preventive behaviors.
Question 6: Which approach describes intervening at the population level by altering environments to make healthy choices the default?
- Motivational interviewing
- Nudge theory (choice architecture) (Correct answer)
- Cognitive behavioral therapy
- Psychoeducation
Correct answer: Nudge theory (choice architecture)
Nudge theory (Thaler & Sunstein) uses choice architecture — designing environments so healthier options are the path of least resistance — without restricting freedom.
Question 7: Which physiological pathway most directly links psychological stress to cardiovascular disease risk?
- Stress → endorphin release → vasodilation → reduced cardiac output
- Stress → HPA axis → cortisol → inflammation, platelet aggregation, hypertension (Correct answer)
- Stress → GABA suppression → parasympathetic dominance → arrhythmia
- Stress → serotonin depletion → endothelial apoptosis → atherosclerosis
Correct answer: Stress → HPA axis → cortisol → inflammation, platelet aggregation, hypertension
Chronic stress activates the HPA axis, elevating cortisol, which promotes systemic inflammation, dyslipidemia, platelet aggregation, and hypertension — all CVD risk factors.
BHS Health Psychology 4
The 'nocebo effect' in health psychology refers to: