PSYC 3170 Midterm: Health Psychology Exam 1 Notes - chapters 1-5.docx
9 Oct 2013
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Health psychology is devoted to understanding psychological influences on how people stay healthy, why they become ill, and how they respond when they do get ill. Health psychologists study such issues and promote interventions. 1948, health organization defined health as a complete state of physical, mental and social well being, and not merely the absence of infirmity. Health psychologists focus on health promotion, maintenance, prevention, and treatment. Etiology origins or causes of illness. Also focus on health care system and formulation of health policy. Used to believe in mind-body relationship (spirits made us sick), currently believe in mind-body relationship (thoughts, emotions, etc. affect health). Greeks believed illness came when four bodily fluids out of balance. Middle ages, swung back to supernatural explanations of illness. Conversion hysteria unconscious conflicts can produce particular physical disturbances: patient converts the conflict into a symptom. Dunbar and alexander linked patterns of personality rather than a single specific conflict to specific illnesses.
