SAMPLE QUESTIONS FOR HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY 7th ed
Part 1; Multiple Choice Questions
All questions are of equal value in this section. Select only one answer per question.
1.
A.
B.
C.
D.
During prehistory most ancient cultures viewed the mind and the body as
ultimately unknowable.
somewhat interdependent.
separate and autonomous systems.
part of the same system.
2. The idea that health is the absence of disease most closely resembles the
A. biomedical model.
B. biopsychosocial model.
C. psychosomatic model.
D. pathological model.
3. The _______________ nervous system connects the central nervous system with all
internal organs.
A. peripheral
B. automatic
C. autonomic
D. somatic
4. Approximately 55 percent of blood volume is composed of
A. platelets.
B. white blood cells.
C. red blood cells.
D. plasma.
5. Which of the following research methods are designed to investigate the relative
importance of genetic and environmental factors that contribute to developing medical
disorders?
A. studies of identical twins and fraternal twins
B. studies of identical twins reared apart
C. studies of adopted children
D. All of these.
6. Autoimmunity
A. involves the progressive, chronic enlargement of lymphatic tissue.
B. is a viral disorder marked by an unusually large number of monocytes.
C. is acquired through measures such as vaccination.
D. is a condition in which a specific humoral or cell-mediated immune response attacks
the body’s own tissue.
7. Considering the relationship of chronological age to health behaviors, good health
behaviors would be LEAST likely to be observed during
A. early childhood.
B. adolescence and early adulthood.
C. early and middle adulthood.
D. middle and late adulthood.
8. The author of your text concludes that attitudinal approaches to health behavior
change
A. are useful in predicting when people will become motivated to change their health
behavior.
B. effectively explain the maintenance of good health behavior habits over long periods
of time.
C. discriminate between individuals who successfully modify their health behaviors and
those who do not.
D. None of these.
9. The single greatest cause of accidental death is
A. motorcycle and automobile accidents.
B. accidental poisoning or falls.
C. occupational accidents.
D. household accidents.
10. Appetite-suppressing drugs used to reduce appetite and to restrict food consumption
typically
A. are not effective.
B. lead to long-term weight loss.
C. produce substantial weight loss, but weight may be regained quickly.
D. produce substantial weight loss, but weight may be regained slowly.
11. Evaluations of alcohol prevention programs for adolescents suggest that such
programs
A. are expensive and ineffective.
B. enhance participants’ sense of self-efficacy.
C. are effective in changing participants’ attitudes but have little influence on their
ability to resist peer pressure.
D. do not impact the social norms associated with onset of drinking.
12. The antismoking material included in Evans’s (1988) adolescent smoking
intervention program emphasized the negative effects of smoking on
A. long-term health.
B. longevity.
C. immediate health.
D. All of these.
1
D
2
A
3
C
4
D
5
D
Key to MC questions
6
7
8
D
B
A
9
A
10
C
11
B
12
C
PART II: (5 points for the essay)
Write your essay on the 2 lined pages at the end of this exam. Answer only one
of the following questions. Your essay should be no longer than the 2 lined pages
provided. Do not write in the margined area. Read the question carefully, credit will
only be given for responses that answer the question asked. Your grade will be
based on your ability to demonstrate an ability to use specific course concepts
appropriately in answering the question rather than informal or “person on the
street” thoughts. In addressing these questions a specific theory or two may come to
mind immediately but explore a range of concepts from the course. You will be
graded on the overall clarity of your essay as well as content.
Option "A"
Sample essay question
Identify specific ways, presented in lecture and text, in which one’s beliefs about illness and
wellness might impact health. (In grading of this answer I will be looking for diverse specific
theories, concepts and/or research findings.)