PSYC 3170 Chapter Notes - Chapter 8: Cardiology, Insomnia, Hand Washing

• School: York University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYC 3170
• Professor: Robert Muller

Document Summary

Psychological, social and cultural factors are involved in the decision to seek medical care. Health service use involves visits to primary care physicians, alternative health care professionals and related allied health professionals. Recognizing and interpreting symptoms as reflecting an illness are the necessary first steps before decisions to seek medical care can be made. Some maintain normal activities in the face of what would seem to be overwhelming symptoms, whereas others take to their beds the moment they detect any minor bodily disturbance. Some people are consistently more likely to notice a symptom than others; hypochondriac worried that normal bodily symptoms are indicators of illness. Neuroticism also effects the perception of symptoms pervasive dimension of personality marked by negative emotions, self consciousness and a concern with bodily processes. Symptom perception hypothesis - people high in it recognize their symptoms more quickly, report them more quickly or both.