Psychology 2035A/B Chapter Notes - Chapter 8: Horsepower, Hypochondriasis, Health Belief Model

• School: Western University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: Psychology 2035A/B
• Professor: Doug Hazelwood

Document Summary

Recognition of a symptom: some people maintain normal activities when they have symptoms, others take to their beds. Situational factors: boring situation makes people more attentive to symptoms than an interesting situation. Intense physical activity takes attention away from symptoms, whereas quiescence increases the likelihood of recognition: a(cid:374)(cid:455) situatio(cid:374)al fa(cid:272)to(cid:396) that (cid:373)akes ill(cid:374)ess/s(cid:455)(cid:373)pto(cid:373)s esp. salie(cid:374)t p(cid:396)o(cid:373)otes thei(cid:396) (cid:396)e(cid:272)og(cid:374)itio(cid:374) e(cid:454). (cid:373)edi(cid:272)al stude(cid:374)t(cid:859)s disease. Influences self-appraised health: positive mood = more healthy, fewer illness-related memories and symptoms, when diagnosed w illness, report fewer/less serious symptoms, negative mood = more symptoms, pessimistic, and vulnerable to future illness. Summary: symptom recognition determined by individual differences and by transitory situational factors, when attention directed outward symptoms are less likely to be noticed and vice versa. Interpretation of symptoms: heavily psychological process, understanding contextual factors surrounding symptom can provide valuable clues about how it may be interpreted. Individual, historical, cultural, and social factors all conspire to produce an interpretation.