PSYC 356: Health Psychology
Final Exam Review
Adrian J. Bravo, PhD
Department of Psychological Sciences
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William & Mary
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Overview
Test Structure
Topics Covered on Exam
Example Questions
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Test Structure
Timed – 3 hours to complete once begun
Have up to 72 hours to take the exam
Sunday (May 10) at 12:00 pm – Tuesday (May
12) at 12:00 pm
50 questions(50 points total)
Mixture of multiple choice and true/false
Covers both lectures and readings
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Health Behaviors and Societies
Health Behaviors
Definitions of health (habit vs behavior)
Health Behavior Promotion
What promotes health behavior (e.g., age,
locus of control, peer and family influence)
Recipes for good health (e.g., coping with
stress, belonging, sense of purpose)
Teaching health behavior (differing age
groups)
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Health Behaviors and Societies
Models of Health Behavior
Health belief model (health motivation +
perceived personal health threat + perceived
threat reduction)
Theory of planned behavior (behavioral
intentions is key)
Self-determination theory (target autonomous,
intrinsic motivation)
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Health Behaviors and Societies
Changing Health Behaviors
Stages of Change Model
Focuses on the decision-making of the individual
and is a model of intentional change
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Techniques
Coping skills, stimulus control, self-monitoring, etc
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Health Behaviors and Societies
Changing Health Behaviors
Motivational Interviewing
Essential elements - conversation about change;
collaboration; evocative
Foundational Processes (engaging, guiding,
evoking, planning
Change Talk (DARN: desire, ability, reason, need)
Techniques (reflection/validation; pros/cons;
supporting self-efficacy)
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Technology and Health Behavior
Ecological Momentary Assessment
Methods – website/mobile device
Types – event, interval, or signal contingent
Advantages – reduces retrospective bias,
ecologically valid, within-subject design
Behavioral Assessment
Types – Fitbit, sleep diaries, thought records
Behavioral Interventions
Types – Phone, internet, apps
Advantages – accurate assessment, reach
underrepresented populations, increase
generalization
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Substance Use
Drug Use Regulation
Types of Schedules for Drugs
Addiction in America Report
Addiction rates and cost
Windows of vulnerability – adolescence,
transition to adulthood, late middle age
Addiction Symptom Structure
Symptoms and comorbidity
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Substance Use
Genetics and Addiction
Predictive value (50-60%)
Applicability (e.g., pharmacogentics)
Neurobiology of Addiction
Where addiction affects the brain and how
(positive vs negative reinforcement)
Koob Model – components
Preoccupation/anticipation, binge intoxication,
withdrawal/negative affect
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Substance Use
Models of Prevention
Sociocultural – focus on social norms
Proscriptive – focus on prohibition/abstinence
Distribution of consumption – restrict availability
Research on Approaches
Did not work (e.g., scare tactics; promotional
campaigns, punitive measures, etc.)
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Substance Use
Drug Addiction Treatment Summary
Generally starts with problem recognition
No one perfect treatment for everyone
Spontaneous remission
Medication may be needed
Treatment Approaches
Pharmacotherapies (e.g., naltrexone)
Self-help or support groups
Behavioral therapy
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Substance Use
Relapse Prevention
Models (e.g., dynamic model of relapse and
cognitive-behavioral model of relapse)
Determinants of Relapse
Risk factors (e.g., positive expectancies)
Protective factors (e.g., self-efficacy)
Dr. Pearson’s 4/5 Critique
Specific critiques (e.g., monotonicity)
Research findings (e.g., Success in Failure)
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Substance Use - College Students
Alcohol Use & Treatment Approaches
High risk students (e.g., Greek members,
individuals struggling with distress, etc.)
High risk events (transition to college, 21st
birthday, New Years, etc.)
Internalized norms of college and substance
use
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Substance Use - College Students
Alcohol Use & Treatment Approaches
Alcohol Intervention Strategies (College AIM)
BASICS
Aims – harm reduction approach
Target population – young students at highest-risk for
alcohol problems
Components – 2 sessions; identify substance use
patterns; provide feedback
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Substance Use - College Students
Alcohol Use & Treatment Approaches
Personalized normative feedback
Aims – correct misperceptions about norms
Types – descriptive and injunctive norms
Reference groups – friends/parents/college student
Protective behavioral strategies
Alcohol subtypes (manner of drinking,
limiting/stopping drinking, serious harm reduction)
Involvement in other treatments
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Substance Use - College Students
Marijuana Use & Treatment Approaches
Rates (increasing – 43%)
Commonality with alcohol interventions
Stimulant Use & Treatment Approaches
Rates of stimulant misuse (11.1%)
Motives – recreational use, appetite/weight
control, academic and cognitive improvement
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Behavioral Addictions
Defining Behavioral Addictions
Failure to resist an impulse, drive, or temptation
to perform an act that is harmful to the person
or to others
Common Features with Substance Use
Disorders
Natural history – age of onset is early
Phenomenology – urge, craving, reward system
Consequences – functioning in life domains
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Behavioral Addictions
Specific Addictive Behaviors
Gambling (e.g., lost chasing)
Videogame addiction (APA division stances)
Internet addiction (social networking addiction)
Hypersexual disorder (symptoms)
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Eating Behavior and Exercise
Obesity and Health
Diets
Why they don’t work (e.g., body has natural set
range)
Myth of willpower
Government & Industry Policies on Food
Food industry tactics
Government policies (McGovern Report)
Exercising (benefits)
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Sexual Behavior
Risky Sexual Behavior
Types and what is studied (e.g., condom use)
Alcohol and Risky Sexual Behavior
Research findings on the association
Drinking predicts decision to have sex, choosing
riskier partner, fewer conversations about risk
Mixed evidence about decision to use protection
EXPLORE Intervention
Risk factors for sexual risk taking (e.g., lower self-efficacy)
Intervention targets (e.g., role of substance use,
attitudes, beliefs about sereostatus, etc)
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Sleep
Sleep Stages
Shallow sleep, deep/slow wave sleep, rapid
eye movement sleep
90 minute cycle
Sleep and Stressors
Anxiety, depression, unhealthy behaviors
Sleep deprivation effects (e.g., immune
suppression)
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Sleep
CBT for Insomnia
Focus on stimulus control, sleep restriction,
sleep hygiene
First treatment option for insomnia over
medication
Sleep and Marijuana
Perceptions
Works for those with pre-existing sleep problems
who use marijuana medicinally
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Chronic Pain
Types of Chronic Pain
Recurrent acute, chronic benign, chronic
progressive
Types of pain perception (mechanical,
thermal, polymodal)
Biology of Pain
Gate control theory
Endogenous opioids
Internal pain regulation system
Produced in the brain, glands of the body
Can be activated by acute stress
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Chronic Pain
Issues in Pain Assessment
Self-report bias
Subjective/psychologial experience
Does not reliably signal danger/harm
Treatment of Chronic Pain
Pharmacological
Opioid Epidemic – Rise, CBT
Mitigation strategies for Opioid Misuse
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Healthcare Delivery
Treatment-Seeking
Types of illness – acute, chronic, cyclic
Commonsense illness model
Healthcare Utilization
Predictors, group differences
Hypochondriasis – new DSM-V criteria
Misuse of health services
Delay in seeking treatment
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Healthcare Delivery
Issues in Treatment
Medical provider communication
Patient communication
Nonadherence
Health disparities
Racial profiling
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Exam Examples – True/False
1. ________ True or false: Videogame
Addiction is recognized as a mental
health disorder in the DSM-V?
True
False
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Exam Examples – Multiple Choice
1. ________ Which of these is NOT a
stage of sleep?
(a) Shallow sleep
(b) Rapid eye moment sleep
(c) Deep/slow wave sleep
(d) Deep/fast wave sleep