Chapter_01_Essay
1. What is the basic premise of health psychology?
ANSWER: A good answer to this question will:
- Describe the premise of health psychology to apply psychological principles and research to the
enhancement of health and the treatment and prevention of illness.
- Mention the importance of biological factors, social conditions, and personality traits within the
context of health.
2. The report entitled Healthy People 2020 outlines a number of specific goals to improve access to health
services, eliminate health disparities, reduce chronic diseases, improve health in people of all ages, and prevent
injuries and violence in the United States. Think of one or more of the goals from the textbook and write what
steps you can personally take to work toward this goal. For the same target goal, think of steps your local
community could take. Write a persuasive letter to your mayor about a specific initiative you want to implement
in your city to meet your chosen target goal.
ANSWER: A good answer to this question will:
- Focus on one or more of the target goals from Table 1.1 or Table 1.2.
- Articulate specific examples of personal behavioral changes that align with the target goals.
- Persuasively argue for the implementation of a city-wide initiative that aligns with the target goals.
3. Outline the central historical views of illness and health, with specific examples spanning from the prehistoric
period to the present day, including both key theorists and medical developments.
ANSWER: A good answer to this question will include:
- The points covered in Figure 1.1.
- The beliefs that illness was caused by evil spirits (prehistoric period), was seen as punishment by
the gods or divine forces (ancient Egyptians and Middle Ages), was due to an imbalance of bodily
humors and/or disruption of natural forces (ancient Greeks and Chinese), and the development of
the pathogenic theory of the ancient Romans.
- The concept of disease as a physical condition of the body (Renaissance) and as caused by
microscopic organisms (1800s); and the ideas that health states could be influenced by the mind and
emotions (1920s) as well as the influence of the social environment in health and wellness (twenty-
first century).
- The contributions of theorists and researchers, including Hippocrates, Andreas Vesalius, René
Descartes, John Fothergill, John Hunter, William Morton, Wilhelm Roentgen, Franz Alexander, and
Sigmund Freud.
- Theories that were contributed by and built upon from Chinese, Indian, and Native American
cultures.
4. Explain how Descartes's concept of dualism influenced medical science and current views of health and
wellness in Western and non-Western medical practice and theory.
ANSWER: A good answer to this question will include:
- The development of dualism as a theory that separates the mind and body for treatment.
- The theoretical and disciplinary separation of psychology and medicine as fields of study.
- How treatment of mind and body (psychosomatic medicine) encompasses and encourages a
holistic (multifaceted) approach to health.
- How psychosomatic medical practice ushered in and embraced a view of health and illness as
multifactorial in nature.
5. Compare and contrast the biomedical and biopsychosocial models of health and illness. Discuss the
implications of accepting and adopting one model over the other in regard to understanding health and illness.
,ANSWER: A good answer to this question will address the:
- Basic tenets and assumptions of the biomedical model and the biopsychosocial model of health
and wellness, using appropriate terminology.
- Reductionistic nature of health and wellness and how the models address the limitations of a
reductionistic or mechanistic view of health and wellness.
- Additional benefits of considering the social environment in diagnosis and/or treatment of health
disorders.
6. How did the rise of certain major epidemiological, theoretical, and philosophical trends lead to the emergence
of the first four goals in the field of health psychology?
ANSWER: A good answer to this question will include:
- Information contained in Table 1.3.
- Specific mention of increased life expectancy, the rise in lifestyle disorders, the dramatic increases
in health care costs, and the rethinking of the application of the biomedical model.
- How these trends contributed to the goals of health psychology at its inception—specifically, to
scientifically study the etiology of specific diseases, promote health, prevent and treat illness, and
promote public health policy and the improvement of the health care system.
7. Describe in detail the different contexts considered by health psychologists. Give a specific example for each
context, and ground your example in one particular perspective as mentioned in the text.
ANSWER: A good answer to this question will:
- Describe the biological, psychological, and social contexts that health psychologists consider in
their work.
- Use clear, unambiguous, and appropriate examples that demonstrate a thorough understanding of
each context, with critical consideration of at least one specific perspective (e.g., life-course, gender)
theoretically grounded within the identified context.
8. Describe how the ecological-systems approach emphasizes the mutual influences among the biological,
psychological, and social contexts of health.
ANSWER: A good answer to this question will:
- Describe the ecological-systems approach as based on the idea that our well-being is best
understood as a hierarchy of systems in which each system is composed of smaller subsystems and
simultaneously is part of larger, more encompassing systems.
- Mention how the individual is at the center of concentric rings that represent different interacting
systems.
- Give examples of personal characteristics, biological influences (the endocrine system, the
cardiovascular system, the nervous system, and the immune system), and larger systems (families,
schools and workplaces, neighborhoods, communities, societies, and cultures) and how these relate
to facets of well-being.
9. Your friend Kara is interested in pursuing a career in health psychology. Outline the different educational
trajectories available to Kara. Considering the different fields, what will she learn and what will each degree
enable her to do? Which path would you recommend to her? Why?
ANSWER: A good answer to this question will:
- Mention at least three of the following: the medical or nursing field, clinical or counseling
psychology, nutrition, physical therapy, social work, occupational therapy, and public health.
- Describe the requirements needed to pursue each field, the main tenets of the field, and the
professional role of each.
- Persuasively advocate for one particular occupation or field of study, taking into consideration the
benefits and drawbacks of the available options.
,10. The textbook outlines several specific reasons why attending college is associated with higher levels of
health. Given the information presented in the chapter, consider whether the populations who experience health
disparities are linked with populations who lack access to higher education. Are people healthier because they
have gone to college, or are healthier people more likely to attend college? How can someone who doesn't
attend college reap the same health benefits as someone who does?
ANSWER: A good answer to this question will:
- Analyze the health benefits of attending college, drawing examples from "Your Health Assets" on
page 28 (thinking skills, health literacy, higher income, healthier lifestyle).
- Discuss the many factors that influence health (gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability,
culture, socioeconomic status, genetics, personality traits) and how these are associated with college
attendance and the health disparities mentioned on page 5 of the textbook.
- Provide at least one example that aligns with one of the health benefits associated with attending
college as mentioned on page 28 of the textbook.
, Chapter_01_Multiple_Choice
1. The subfield of psychology that contributes to the prevention and treatment of illness is:
a. medical psychology.
b. behavioral medicine.
c. health psychology.
d. biopsychosocial medicine.
ANSWER: c
2. Health is defined as:
a. the absence of disease.
b. a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being.
c. the ability to meet the demands of everyday living.
d. the perception, whether accurate or not, that one is free of symptoms.
ANSWER: b
3. Which of these is the field of health psychology NOT directly concerned with?
a. the health care system
b. enhancing health
c. preventing and treating illness
d. lowering health care costs
ANSWER: d
4. A health psychologist would agree with all of these statements EXCEPT:
a. health psychologists seek to promote healthy lifestyles.
b. biological, psychological, and social forces act together to determine our health.
c. health disparities are found only in the poorest nations.
d. health psychologists approach the study of health and illness from several overlapping perspectives.
ANSWER: c
5. Health disparities are:
a. differences in the leading types of health problems that various groups experience.
b. preventable differences in the health of socially disadvantaged groups.
c. differences in the health of people living in various parts of the world.
d. unavoidable differences in the health of various groups.
ANSWER: b
6. Who has the best promise of a longer life and better health?
a. Musa, a heterosexual man who lives in a rural village in Sierra Leone
b. Jean, a bisexual woman living on a farm in Iowa
c. Charles, a heterosexual Canadian man living in Vancouver
1. What is the basic premise of health psychology?
ANSWER: A good answer to this question will:
- Describe the premise of health psychology to apply psychological principles and research to the
enhancement of health and the treatment and prevention of illness.
- Mention the importance of biological factors, social conditions, and personality traits within the
context of health.
2. The report entitled Healthy People 2020 outlines a number of specific goals to improve access to health
services, eliminate health disparities, reduce chronic diseases, improve health in people of all ages, and prevent
injuries and violence in the United States. Think of one or more of the goals from the textbook and write what
steps you can personally take to work toward this goal. For the same target goal, think of steps your local
community could take. Write a persuasive letter to your mayor about a specific initiative you want to implement
in your city to meet your chosen target goal.
ANSWER: A good answer to this question will:
- Focus on one or more of the target goals from Table 1.1 or Table 1.2.
- Articulate specific examples of personal behavioral changes that align with the target goals.
- Persuasively argue for the implementation of a city-wide initiative that aligns with the target goals.
3. Outline the central historical views of illness and health, with specific examples spanning from the prehistoric
period to the present day, including both key theorists and medical developments.
ANSWER: A good answer to this question will include:
- The points covered in Figure 1.1.
- The beliefs that illness was caused by evil spirits (prehistoric period), was seen as punishment by
the gods or divine forces (ancient Egyptians and Middle Ages), was due to an imbalance of bodily
humors and/or disruption of natural forces (ancient Greeks and Chinese), and the development of
the pathogenic theory of the ancient Romans.
- The concept of disease as a physical condition of the body (Renaissance) and as caused by
microscopic organisms (1800s); and the ideas that health states could be influenced by the mind and
emotions (1920s) as well as the influence of the social environment in health and wellness (twenty-
first century).
- The contributions of theorists and researchers, including Hippocrates, Andreas Vesalius, René
Descartes, John Fothergill, John Hunter, William Morton, Wilhelm Roentgen, Franz Alexander, and
Sigmund Freud.
- Theories that were contributed by and built upon from Chinese, Indian, and Native American
cultures.
4. Explain how Descartes's concept of dualism influenced medical science and current views of health and
wellness in Western and non-Western medical practice and theory.
ANSWER: A good answer to this question will include:
- The development of dualism as a theory that separates the mind and body for treatment.
- The theoretical and disciplinary separation of psychology and medicine as fields of study.
- How treatment of mind and body (psychosomatic medicine) encompasses and encourages a
holistic (multifaceted) approach to health.
- How psychosomatic medical practice ushered in and embraced a view of health and illness as
multifactorial in nature.
5. Compare and contrast the biomedical and biopsychosocial models of health and illness. Discuss the
implications of accepting and adopting one model over the other in regard to understanding health and illness.
,ANSWER: A good answer to this question will address the:
- Basic tenets and assumptions of the biomedical model and the biopsychosocial model of health
and wellness, using appropriate terminology.
- Reductionistic nature of health and wellness and how the models address the limitations of a
reductionistic or mechanistic view of health and wellness.
- Additional benefits of considering the social environment in diagnosis and/or treatment of health
disorders.
6. How did the rise of certain major epidemiological, theoretical, and philosophical trends lead to the emergence
of the first four goals in the field of health psychology?
ANSWER: A good answer to this question will include:
- Information contained in Table 1.3.
- Specific mention of increased life expectancy, the rise in lifestyle disorders, the dramatic increases
in health care costs, and the rethinking of the application of the biomedical model.
- How these trends contributed to the goals of health psychology at its inception—specifically, to
scientifically study the etiology of specific diseases, promote health, prevent and treat illness, and
promote public health policy and the improvement of the health care system.
7. Describe in detail the different contexts considered by health psychologists. Give a specific example for each
context, and ground your example in one particular perspective as mentioned in the text.
ANSWER: A good answer to this question will:
- Describe the biological, psychological, and social contexts that health psychologists consider in
their work.
- Use clear, unambiguous, and appropriate examples that demonstrate a thorough understanding of
each context, with critical consideration of at least one specific perspective (e.g., life-course, gender)
theoretically grounded within the identified context.
8. Describe how the ecological-systems approach emphasizes the mutual influences among the biological,
psychological, and social contexts of health.
ANSWER: A good answer to this question will:
- Describe the ecological-systems approach as based on the idea that our well-being is best
understood as a hierarchy of systems in which each system is composed of smaller subsystems and
simultaneously is part of larger, more encompassing systems.
- Mention how the individual is at the center of concentric rings that represent different interacting
systems.
- Give examples of personal characteristics, biological influences (the endocrine system, the
cardiovascular system, the nervous system, and the immune system), and larger systems (families,
schools and workplaces, neighborhoods, communities, societies, and cultures) and how these relate
to facets of well-being.
9. Your friend Kara is interested in pursuing a career in health psychology. Outline the different educational
trajectories available to Kara. Considering the different fields, what will she learn and what will each degree
enable her to do? Which path would you recommend to her? Why?
ANSWER: A good answer to this question will:
- Mention at least three of the following: the medical or nursing field, clinical or counseling
psychology, nutrition, physical therapy, social work, occupational therapy, and public health.
- Describe the requirements needed to pursue each field, the main tenets of the field, and the
professional role of each.
- Persuasively advocate for one particular occupation or field of study, taking into consideration the
benefits and drawbacks of the available options.
,10. The textbook outlines several specific reasons why attending college is associated with higher levels of
health. Given the information presented in the chapter, consider whether the populations who experience health
disparities are linked with populations who lack access to higher education. Are people healthier because they
have gone to college, or are healthier people more likely to attend college? How can someone who doesn't
attend college reap the same health benefits as someone who does?
ANSWER: A good answer to this question will:
- Analyze the health benefits of attending college, drawing examples from "Your Health Assets" on
page 28 (thinking skills, health literacy, higher income, healthier lifestyle).
- Discuss the many factors that influence health (gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability,
culture, socioeconomic status, genetics, personality traits) and how these are associated with college
attendance and the health disparities mentioned on page 5 of the textbook.
- Provide at least one example that aligns with one of the health benefits associated with attending
college as mentioned on page 28 of the textbook.
, Chapter_01_Multiple_Choice
1. The subfield of psychology that contributes to the prevention and treatment of illness is:
a. medical psychology.
b. behavioral medicine.
c. health psychology.
d. biopsychosocial medicine.
ANSWER: c
2. Health is defined as:
a. the absence of disease.
b. a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being.
c. the ability to meet the demands of everyday living.
d. the perception, whether accurate or not, that one is free of symptoms.
ANSWER: b
3. Which of these is the field of health psychology NOT directly concerned with?
a. the health care system
b. enhancing health
c. preventing and treating illness
d. lowering health care costs
ANSWER: d
4. A health psychologist would agree with all of these statements EXCEPT:
a. health psychologists seek to promote healthy lifestyles.
b. biological, psychological, and social forces act together to determine our health.
c. health disparities are found only in the poorest nations.
d. health psychologists approach the study of health and illness from several overlapping perspectives.
ANSWER: c
5. Health disparities are:
a. differences in the leading types of health problems that various groups experience.
b. preventable differences in the health of socially disadvantaged groups.
c. differences in the health of people living in various parts of the world.
d. unavoidable differences in the health of various groups.
ANSWER: b
6. Who has the best promise of a longer life and better health?
a. Musa, a heterosexual man who lives in a rural village in Sierra Leone
b. Jean, a bisexual woman living on a farm in Iowa
c. Charles, a heterosexual Canadian man living in Vancouver
