MCAT Psych/Sociology, Questions and answers, rated A+/ LATEST EXAM PREDICTIONS UPDATES, APPROVED.

MCAT Psych/Sociology, Questions and answers, rated A+ Biopsychosocial approach to health and illness - -Illness is determined by a variety of influences, rather than a single cause. The causes and effects of illness can be examined at multiple levels in the life of an individual, and no single level provides the whole picture. Collecting info about psychosocial context is key to the understanding of physical health and illness. Biomedical approach to health and illness - -Disease is studied by examining only the biological factors of illness, neglecting contributing factors of psychological life and sociological context. Models - -Provide an approximation (physical/conceptual representation) of a scientific phenomenon that cannot be observed directly Theories - -Provides the conceptual framework for understanding objects of study Social constructionism - -Human actors actively construct their "reality", rather than discovering a reality that has inherent validity, through their social interactions. The beliefs and shared understandings of individuals create social realities. In the context of illness, there is a gap b/t the biological reality of a medical condition and the societally created meaning of the condition. (ex. changing conceptualizations of mental illness results in changes to the DSM). It is a dynamic, ongoing process. Brute facts vs Institutional Facts - --Part of WEAK social constructionism -Brute facts are physical realities that exist outside of hu