ASPPB Health Psychology & Behavioral Medicine 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: The biopsychosocial model of health, proposed by George Engel, argues that illness is best understood as:
- A purely biological phenomenon caused by pathogens or genetic factors
- An interaction among biological, psychological, and social factors (Correct answer)
- A psychological manifestation of unconscious conflicts
- A social construction with no objective biological basis
Correct answer: An interaction among biological, psychological, and social factors
Engel's biopsychosocial model posits that health and illness result from the interplay of biological (genetics, physiology), psychological (thoughts, emotions, behaviors), and social (culture, relationships, socioeconomic status) factors.
Question 2: Which psychological intervention has the strongest empirical support for managing chronic pain?
- Psychoanalytic therapy focusing on pain as unconscious conflict
- Hypnotherapy as the sole intervention
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) targeting pain cognitions and coping (Correct answer)
- Client-centered therapy emphasizing unconditional positive regard
Correct answer: Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) targeting pain cognitions and coping
CBT for chronic pain is the most empirically validated psychological approach, targeting catastrophizing, fear-avoidance beliefs, activity pacing, and coping self-efficacy to reduce pain-related disability.
Question 3: Psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) primarily investigates the relationship between:
- Psychopathology, neurological disorders, and social isolation
- Psychological states, the nervous system, and immune functioning (Correct answer)
- Personality disorders, neurotransmitter levels, and autoimmune diseases
- Psychiatric medications, neural plasticity, and infection resistance
Correct answer: Psychological states, the nervous system, and immune functioning
PNI examines bidirectional communication between psychological processes (stress, emotions, cognitions), the central nervous system, and the immune system, revealing how mental states can modulate immune responses.
Question 4: According to the Health Belief Model, a person is most likely to engage in a preventive health behavior when they perceive:
- High severity of the illness and low barriers to taking action (Correct answer)
- Low susceptibility to the illness but high benefits of acting
- High susceptibility to the illness and high barriers to taking action
- Equal levels of benefits and barriers with moderate severity
Correct answer: High severity of the illness and low barriers to taking action
The Health Belief Model predicts preventive action when perceived severity and susceptibility are high, perceived benefits outweigh perceived barriers, and appropriate cues to action are present.
Question 5: The gate control theory of pain, proposed by Melzack and Wall, explains that pain perception can be modulated by:
- The number of nociceptors activated in peripheral tissues
- Neural mechanisms in the spinal cord that can open or close to pain signals (Correct answer)
- The strength of the initial injury and the amount of tissue damage
- Endorphin release exclusively from the hypothalamus during stress
Correct answer: Neural mechanisms in the spinal cord that can open or close to pain signals
Melzack and Wall's gate control theory proposes that a neural 'gate' in the spinal cord's dorsal horn can be opened or closed by large-fiber activity, small-fiber activity, and descending signals from the brain, explaining why psychological factors influence pain.
Question 6: Which of the following best characterizes the concept of illness behavior?
- The objective physiological responses the body mounts against pathogens
- The ways in which individuals define, monitor, and respond to bodily symptoms (Correct answer)
- The biological changes that occur when a person contracts a disease
- The process by which viruses and bacteria evade the immune system
Correct answer: The ways in which individuals define, monitor, and respond to bodily symptoms
Illness behavior, introduced by Mechanic, refers to the varying ways people perceive, evaluate, and respond to symptoms—including whether they seek care—which is shaped by psychological, social, and cultural factors.
Question 7: Research on the Type A behavior pattern has most consistently found that which specific component is most strongly linked to coronary heart disease?
- Time urgency and impatience
- Competitive achievement striving
- Hostility and cynical distrust (Correct answer)
- Job involvement and workaholism
Correct answer: Hostility and cynical distrust
While the original Type A construct included multiple components, subsequent research identified hostility (especially cynical mistrust and the tendency to express anger) as the toxic core most reliably associated with increased cardiovascular risk.
ASPPB Health Psychology & Behavioral Medicine 1
The biopsychosocial model of health, proposed by George Engel, argues that illness is best understood as: