PB0522 INTRODUCTION TO HEALTH
PSYCHOLOGY 2026: COMPLETE EXAM
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS | VERIFIED
SOLUTIONS, DETAILED RATIONALES,
COMPREHENSIVE STUDY GUIDE, FINAL EXAM
PREPARATION
Section 1: Foundations and Definition of Health Psychology
1. The World Health Organization defines health as:
☐ A. The absence of disease or infirmity
B. A state of complete physical, mental, and social wellbeing and not merely the
absence of disease or infirmity
☐ C. The ability to perform daily activities without limitation
,☐ D. A state of optimal functioning of body systems
Elaboration: This definition was adopted by the WHO Constitution in 1948 and remains the
foundational definition for health psychology. It is critically important because it explicitly
moves beyond the biomedical model by incorporating mental and social dimensions.
Option A represents the traditional biomedical definition that health psychology explicitly
rejects. Students most frequently select A, which demonstrates why understanding this
distinction is essential.
2. Which statement BEST describes the primary focus of health psychology?
☐ A. Treating mental disorders using pharmacological interventions
☐ B. Diagnosing and classifying physical illnesses according to DSM criteria
C. Understanding how psychological, behavioral, and social factors influence health,
illness, and healthcare
☐ D. Providing psychotherapy to individuals with chronic physical conditions
Elaboration: Health psychology is the scientific discipline that studies how behavioral,
psychological, and social factors influence health and disease. Option D describes health
psychotherapy, which is a clinical application but not the defining focus of the entire
discipline. Many students confuse health psychology with clinical psychology focused on
medical patients. The key distinction is that health psychology studies the full spectrum
from prevention through treatment across all populations.
3. The term "health psychology" was officially adopted as the name for this discipline at a
conference in:
,☐ A. Geneva, 1948
☐ B. London, 1977
C. Palisades, New York, 1978
☐ D. Amsterdam, 1980
Elaboration: At the APA conference in Palisades, New York in 1978, the term health
psychology was formally adopted as the official name of the new division. This followed
earlier terms including behavioral medicine, which was considered too broad. The
Palisades conference defined health psychology as the aggregate of educational,
scientific, and professional contributions of psychology to health and illness. This historical
fact is tested on virtually every introduction to health psychology examination.
4. The behavioral medicine approach differs from health psychology in that:
☐ A. Behavioral medicine considers only behavioral factors
☐ B. Health psychology is exclusively focused on prevention
C. Behavioral medicine is inherently multidisciplinary, combining psychology with
medicine, while health psychology is a specific discipline within psychology
☐ D. There is no meaningful difference between the two terms
Elaboration: Behavioral medicine emerged in the 1970s as an interdisciplinary field
combining psychology, medicine, nursing, and other health professions. Health psychology
is a specific psychological discipline. The key distinction is scope: behavioral medicine is
inherently interdisciplinary while health psychology is a specific branch of the larger
discipline of psychology. They overlap significantly but are not identical. The most common
incorrect answer is D.
, 5. Which of the following is NOT one of the three core tasks of health psychology as defined
by the European Health Psychology Society (EHPS)?
☐ A. Understanding the etiology of healthrelated behavior
☐ B. Developing and implementing interventions to change health behavior
C. Diagnosing psychiatric comorbidities in hospitalized patients
☐ D. Understanding and influencing health policies and systems
Elaboration: The EHPS identifies three core tasks: understanding health behavior, changing
health behavior, and influencing health systems and policies. Option C describes clinical
assessment, which is a clinical psychology task, not a core health psychology task.
Students frequently select D, mistakenly believing that policy work is outside the scope of
health psychology, when in fact the EHPS explicitly includes systems and policy level work.
6. The historical development of health psychology occurred in the following correct
chronological order:
☐ A. Biomedical model → Biopsychosocial model → Health behavior research → Policy
influence
B. Biomedical model → Biopsychosocial model → Behavioral medicine/Health
psychology → Health promotion and public health
☐ C. Biopsychosocial model → Biomedical model → Health promotion → Behavioral
medicine
☐ D. Health promotion → Biomedical model → Biopsychosocial model → Health psychology
PSYCHOLOGY 2026: COMPLETE EXAM
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS | VERIFIED
SOLUTIONS, DETAILED RATIONALES,
COMPREHENSIVE STUDY GUIDE, FINAL EXAM
PREPARATION
Section 1: Foundations and Definition of Health Psychology
1. The World Health Organization defines health as:
☐ A. The absence of disease or infirmity
B. A state of complete physical, mental, and social wellbeing and not merely the
absence of disease or infirmity
☐ C. The ability to perform daily activities without limitation
,☐ D. A state of optimal functioning of body systems
Elaboration: This definition was adopted by the WHO Constitution in 1948 and remains the
foundational definition for health psychology. It is critically important because it explicitly
moves beyond the biomedical model by incorporating mental and social dimensions.
Option A represents the traditional biomedical definition that health psychology explicitly
rejects. Students most frequently select A, which demonstrates why understanding this
distinction is essential.
2. Which statement BEST describes the primary focus of health psychology?
☐ A. Treating mental disorders using pharmacological interventions
☐ B. Diagnosing and classifying physical illnesses according to DSM criteria
C. Understanding how psychological, behavioral, and social factors influence health,
illness, and healthcare
☐ D. Providing psychotherapy to individuals with chronic physical conditions
Elaboration: Health psychology is the scientific discipline that studies how behavioral,
psychological, and social factors influence health and disease. Option D describes health
psychotherapy, which is a clinical application but not the defining focus of the entire
discipline. Many students confuse health psychology with clinical psychology focused on
medical patients. The key distinction is that health psychology studies the full spectrum
from prevention through treatment across all populations.
3. The term "health psychology" was officially adopted as the name for this discipline at a
conference in:
,☐ A. Geneva, 1948
☐ B. London, 1977
C. Palisades, New York, 1978
☐ D. Amsterdam, 1980
Elaboration: At the APA conference in Palisades, New York in 1978, the term health
psychology was formally adopted as the official name of the new division. This followed
earlier terms including behavioral medicine, which was considered too broad. The
Palisades conference defined health psychology as the aggregate of educational,
scientific, and professional contributions of psychology to health and illness. This historical
fact is tested on virtually every introduction to health psychology examination.
4. The behavioral medicine approach differs from health psychology in that:
☐ A. Behavioral medicine considers only behavioral factors
☐ B. Health psychology is exclusively focused on prevention
C. Behavioral medicine is inherently multidisciplinary, combining psychology with
medicine, while health psychology is a specific discipline within psychology
☐ D. There is no meaningful difference between the two terms
Elaboration: Behavioral medicine emerged in the 1970s as an interdisciplinary field
combining psychology, medicine, nursing, and other health professions. Health psychology
is a specific psychological discipline. The key distinction is scope: behavioral medicine is
inherently interdisciplinary while health psychology is a specific branch of the larger
discipline of psychology. They overlap significantly but are not identical. The most common
incorrect answer is D.
, 5. Which of the following is NOT one of the three core tasks of health psychology as defined
by the European Health Psychology Society (EHPS)?
☐ A. Understanding the etiology of healthrelated behavior
☐ B. Developing and implementing interventions to change health behavior
C. Diagnosing psychiatric comorbidities in hospitalized patients
☐ D. Understanding and influencing health policies and systems
Elaboration: The EHPS identifies three core tasks: understanding health behavior, changing
health behavior, and influencing health systems and policies. Option C describes clinical
assessment, which is a clinical psychology task, not a core health psychology task.
Students frequently select D, mistakenly believing that policy work is outside the scope of
health psychology, when in fact the EHPS explicitly includes systems and policy level work.
6. The historical development of health psychology occurred in the following correct
chronological order:
☐ A. Biomedical model → Biopsychosocial model → Health behavior research → Policy
influence
B. Biomedical model → Biopsychosocial model → Behavioral medicine/Health
psychology → Health promotion and public health
☐ C. Biopsychosocial model → Biomedical model → Health promotion → Behavioral
medicine
☐ D. Health promotion → Biomedical model → Biopsychosocial model → Health psychology
