HLSC 2P49 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Norman Cousins, Biopsychosocial Model, Hindbrain
30 Oct 2016
School
Department
Course
Professor
Health and Behaviour
Review: Studying relations between behaviour/psych states/mind (stress)
and physical health (theories). Theories help us change peoples’ behaviour.
Why study Health and Behaviour?
- Interesting, demonstrated effect of behaviour/mind on health.
- If we are trying to improve a persons’ health, this is an important
aspect to study
- BIOPSYCHOSOCIAL MODEL: mind/body linked: bio, psych/social
important
Mind body health and illness is all intersected between biological and
psychosocial systems
Profs example of important biopsychosocial model is placebos*
Research Strategies
1) Case study: studying single person or a group on a particular subject
matter.
- There is a lot of detail, depth and richness. There are often
multiple techniques (interviews, observer, etc.). The data that
we get is often qualitative; there many case studies in health
and medicine.
- Case studies are very important and often a first way of
examining and looking at something.
- There are often new or rare conditions that we need info on.
Example: Case Study: does laughter reduce illness? (is it a
good medicine)
- Evidence suggests that laughter improves blood pressure,
immune function; laughter can create situations where pain is
perceived in a less harsh way; could it be a pain killer?
- Famous case study of “Norman Cousins” – he found that
laughter helped his illness. He was suffering from painful
collagen disease.
- He found that the best medicine was when he induced himself
to laughter. He also exaggerated his laughter by watching old
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comedy TV shows. He made sure he would laugh –belly
laughter improved health?
- It was very suggestive/controversial – launched other studies.
2) Correlational studies (surveys)
- You typically study a group of people (large groups)
- Do variables “go together” or vary together? (on average if
people score high on one question, they score high on another
question)
- Example: health behaviours (below and Breslow, 1972)
- Surveyed 7000 residents in California county; they defined 7
health habits (sleep 7-8 hours, exercise, no smoking)
- They asked residents list which behaviours they practised
- Given a health habit score…
- Listed number, types of illnesses, have they missed work?
Were also given an illness/health score
- Results: the more the health habits, the higher health score, the
more healthy they were; therefore there was a relationship
between the variables
- Also followed up with group 9 ½ years later (prospective)
- Did health habits correlate with (or predict) mortality?
- Therefore correlations allow us to predict
- Men 28%, Women 48%: mortality rate
- Example: Sexual behaviour and health (Abrahim, 2002)
- 2400 Men in Welsh Town; were sked “how often do you have
sex? 1, 2, 3 or X times per week
- Men followed up for 10 years (prospective study)
- Results… on average More sex = fewer heart attacks
- Example: if you had sex 3x week, ½ likely to have heart attack
- Advantages of the correlation approach?
o Positives; naturalness of situation maintained; in contrast
to experimental approach
o Some variables cannot be experimented upon (ethics) If
you want to do an experiment, you have to be restricted in
what you can manipulate or change
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o Example: Extreme stress, you cannot induce that,
because it may end up hurting the individual;
o Power Failure
o Study of NY in 1965; social scientists studied stranded
people the city (bus terminal)
o Studied perceived level of stress and birth order; they
wanted to know if first born or last born were stressed
o Measured stress and observed interactions with others
o First born were more anxious/stressed; they had to be
more responsible, later born are more relaxed because
parents are more controlling and careful with the first born
o Disadvantages of correlation/surveys…there is no cause
and effect (doesn’t tell what causes what)
o 3 possibilites: maybe one variable causes another one
1) example: the more sex you have – causes better
heart health, exchanges some neuro chemistry and
better blood flow
2) or that if you have good heart health – can
increase good sex – more energy, better stamina
could indicate that you would do more activities
such as such
3) Unknown variable, might cause both. E.g. fun
loving, easy-going personality, social, more people
who like you – increase sex – or you could have
less heart complications
3) Experimentation
- Artificial research strategy; allows you to control, induce, manipulate
a certain study
- Typically studies groups of people
- You create situations to determine cause and effect; unlike correlation
- Change (manipulate) one variable see how it affects another
- Variable varied (potential cause) -> independent variable
- Variable observed (potential effect) -> dependent variable
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Review: studying relations between behaviour/psych states/mind (stress) and physical health (theories). If we are trying to improve a persons" health, this is an important aspect to study. Biopsychosocial model: mind/body linked: bio, psych/social important. Mind body health and illness is all intersected between biological and psychosocial systems. Profs example of important biopsychosocial model is placebos* Research strategies: case study: studying single person or a group on a particular subject matter. There is a lot of detail, depth and richness. There are often multiple techniques (interviews, observer, etc. ). The data that we get is often qualitative; there many case studies in health and medicine. Case studies are very important and often a rst way of examining and looking at something. There are often new or rare conditions that we need info on. Example: case study: does laughter reduce illness? (is it a good medicine) Famous case study of norman cousins he found that laughter helped his illness.
