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Health Psychology: An Introduction to © 2022, 2018, 2014 Cengage Learning, Inc.
Behavior and Health, Tenth Edition
WCN: 02-300
Linda Brannon, John A. Updegraff,
and Jess Feist Unless otherwise noted, all content is © Cengage
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Brief contents
Glossary 448
References 454
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contents
Preface xiii Research and the Placebo 24
IN SUMMARY 29
Real-World Profile of COVID-19 Pandemic 4
Patterns of Disease and Death 6 2-3 Research Methods in Epidemiology 29
Observational Methods 30
Would You BELIEVE...? College is Good for
Your Health 8 Randomized Controlled Trials 30
Escalating Cost of Medical Care 10 Meta-Analysis 32
What is Health? 10 An Example of Epidemiological Research:
The Alameda County Study 32
Would You BELIEVE...? It Takes More Than a
Virus to Give You a Cold 11 Becoming an Informed Reader of
Health-Related Research on the Internet 33
IN SUMMARY 12
IN SUMMARY 34
1-2 Psychology’s Relevance for Health 13
The Contribution of Psychosomatic Medicine 13 2-4 Determining Causation 34
The Emergence of Behavioral Medicine 14 The Risk Factor Approach 34
The Emergence of Health Psychology 15 Cigarettes and Disease: Is There a Causal
Relationship? 35
IN SUMMARY 16
IN SUMMARY 36
1-3 The Profession of Health Psychology 16
2-5 Research Tools 37
The Training of Health Psychologists 16
The Work of Health Psychologists 16 The Role of Theory in Research 37
The Role of Psychometrics in Research 38
Real-World Profile of Angela Bryan 17
IN SUMMARY 39
IN SUMMARY 18
Questions 39
Questions 18
Suggested Readings 40
Suggested Readings 19
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Real-World Profile of Lance Armstrong 45 IN SUMMARY 81
Illness Behavior 46 Stage Theories of Health Behavior 81
The Sick Role 51 IN SUMMARY 85
IN SUMMARY 52 4-4 The Intention–Behavior Gap 85
3-2 Seeking Medical Information from Behavioral Willingness 85
Nonmedical Sources 53 Implementational Intentions 86
The Internet 53 Would You BELIEVE...? Both Real and Online
Lay Referral Network 53 Social Networks Can Influence Health 86
Would You BELIEVE...? There is IN SUMMARY 87
Controversy about Childhood Vaccinations 54
4-5 Improving Adherence 88
3-3 Receiving Medical Care 55
IN SUMMARY 90
Limited Access to Medical Care 55
Choosing a Practitioner 56 BECOMING HEALTHIER 90
Being in the Hospital 58 Questions 91
Would You BELIEVE...? Hospitals May Suggested Readings 92
Be a Leading Cause of Death 59
IN SUMMARY 61
Questions 62 PART 2 Stress, Pain, and
Suggested Readings 63 Coping
4 Adhering to Healthy Behavior 65 5 Defining, Measuring, and
4-1 Issues in Adherence 65 Managing Stress 95
CHAPTER
CHAPTER
Check YOUR BELIEFS Regarding Adhering 5-1 The Nervous System and the
to Healthy Behavior 66 Physiology of Stress 95
What is Adherence? 66
Check HEALTH RISKS Life Events Scale for Students 96
How is Adherence Measured? 66
The Peripheral Nervous System 96
Real-World Profile of Rajiv Kumar 67
Real-World Profile of COVID-19
How Frequent is Nonadherence? 68
Pandemic 97
What are the Barriers to Adherence? 69
The Neuroendocrine System 98
IN SUMMARY 70 Physiology of the Stress Response 101
4-2 What Factors Predict Adherence? 70 IN SUMMARY 103
Disease Severity 70 5-2 Theories of Stress 103
Treatment Characteristics 70
Selye’s View 103
Personal Factors 71
Lazarus’s View 105
Environmental Factors 72
IN SUMMARY 106
Interaction of Factors 74
5-3 Sources of Stress 106
IN SUMMARY 75
Cataclysmic Events 106
4-3 Why and How Do People Adhere
Life Events 108
to Healthy Behaviors? 75
Daily Hassles 108
Continuum Theories of Health Behavior 76
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Would You BELIEVE...? Vacations Relieve 6-3 Does Stress Cause Disease? 140
Work Stress . . . But Not for Long 111 The Diathesis–Stress Model 140
IN SUMMARY 112 Stress and Disease 141
5-4 Measurement of Stress 112 Would You BELIEVE...? Being a
Methods of Measurement 112 Sports Fan May Be a Danger to Your Health 145
Stress and Psychological Disorders 148
IN SUMMARY 114
In Summary 151
5-5 Coping with Stress 114
Personal Resources That Influence Coping 114 BECOMING HEALTHIER 152
IN SUMMARY 162
6-1 Physiology of the Immune System 129 7-2 The Meaning of Pain 162
Real-World Profile of Big City Taxi The Definition of Pain 163
Drivers 130 The Experience of Pain 163
Organs of the Immune System 130
7-3 Theories of Pain 166
Function of the Immune System 131
Immune System Disorders 133 IN SUMMARY 169
7-4 Pain Syndromes 169
In Summary 136
Headache Pain 170
6-2 Psychoneuroimmunology 136
Arthritis Pain 171
History of Psychoneuroimmunology 136
Cancer Pain 172
Research in Psychoneuroimmunology 137
Phantom Limb Pain 172
Would You BELIEVE...? Pictures
of Disease are Enough to Activate the IN SUMMARY 173
Immune System 137 7-5 The Measurement of Pain 174
Physical Mechanisms of Influence 139 Self-Reports 174
In Summary 140 Behavioral Assessments 176
Physiological Measures 176
vi
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IN SUMMARY 177 Alternative Treatments for Pain 206
7-6 Managing Pain 177 Would You BELIEVE...? Humans are Not the
Medical Approaches to Managing Pain 177 Only Ones Who Benefit from Acupuncture 209
Behavioral Techniques for Managing Pain 180 Alternative Treatments for Other Conditions 210
Limitations of Alternative Therapies 215
IN SUMMARY 183
Integrative Medicine 216
Questions 184
IN SUMMARY 217
Suggested Readings 185
Questions 218
8 Considering Alternative Suggested Readings 219
Approaches 187
CHAPTER
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9-4 Reducing Cardiovascular Risks 243 IN SUMMARY 271
Before Diagnosis: Preventing First Heart Questions 272
Attacks 243 Suggested Readings 272
After Diagnosis: Rehabilitating Cardiac Patients 246
BECOMING HEALTHIER 247
11 Living with Chronic Illness 275
11-1 The Impact of Chronic Disease 275
CHAPTER
IN SUMMARY 248
Real-World Profile of Nick Jonas 276
Questions 248
Impact on the Patient 276
Suggested Readings 249 Impact on the Family 278
10 Behavioral Factors in Cancer 251 IN SUMMARY 279
10-1 What is Cancer? 251 11-2 Living with Alzheimer’s Disease 279
CHAPTER
Check Your Health Risks Regarding Cancer 252 Would You BELIEVE...? Using Your Mind May
Help Prevent Losing Your Mind 281
Real-World Profile of Steve Jobs 253
Helping the Patient 282
10-2 The Changing Rates of Cancer Deaths 253
Helping the Family 283
Cancers with Decreasing Death Rates 254
IN SUMMARY 284
Cancers with Increasing Incidence and Mortality
Rates 255 11-3 Adjusting to Diabetes 284
IN SUMMARY 256
The Physiology of Diabetes 284
The Impact of Diabetes 286
10-3 Cancer Risk Factors Beyond
Health Psychology’s Involvement with Diabetes 287
Personal Control 257
Inherent Risk Factors for Cancer 257 IN SUMMARY 288
Environmental Risk Factors for Cancer 258 11-4 The Impact of Asthma 289
IN SUMMARY 259 The Disease of Asthma 289
Managing Asthma 290
10-4 Behavioral Risk Factors for Cancer 259
Smoking 260 IN SUMMARY 291
Diet 262 11-5 Dealing with HIV and AIDS 292
Alcohol 264 Incidence and Mortality Rates for HIV/AIDS 292
Sedentary Lifestyle 264 Symptoms of HIV and AIDS 294
Ultraviolet Light Exposure 264 The Transmission of HIV 295
Would You BELIEVE...? Cancer Prevention Psychologists’ Role in the HIV Epidemic 296
Prevents More Than Cancer 266 BECOMING HEALTHIER 299
Sexual Behavior 266
IN SUMMARY 299
Psychosocial Risk Factors in Cancer 267
11-6 Facing Death 300
IN SUMMARY 267
Adjusting to Terminal Illness 300
10-5 Living with Cancer 268
Grieving 301
Problems with Medical Treatments for Cancer 268
IN SUMMARY 302
Adjusting to a Diagnosis of Cancer 269
Social Support for Cancer Patients 270 Questions 302
Psychological Interventions for Cancer Patients 270 Suggested Readings 303
viii
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PART 4 Behavioral Health 13 Using Alcohol and Other Drugs 335
Alcohol Consumption—Yesterday
CHAPTER
and Today 335
Cigar and Pipe Smoking 321 13-7 Changing Problem Drinking 352
E-cigarettes 321 Change Without Therapy 353
Passive Smoking 322 Treatments Oriented Toward Abstinence 353
Smokeless Tobacco 323 Controlled Drinking 354
The Problem of Relapse 355
IN SUMMARY 323
12-5 Interventions for Reducing IN SUMMARY 355
Smoking Rates 324 13-8 Other Drugs 356
Deterring Smoking 324 Health Effects 356
Quitting Smoking 324 Would You BELIEVE...?
Who Quits and Who Does Not? 326 Brain Damage is Not a Common Risk
Relapse Prevention 327 of Drug Use 357
IN SUMMARY 328 BECOMING HEALTHIER 360
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14 Eating and Weight 367 IN SUMMARY 403
15-3 Physical Activity and
14-1 The Digestive System 367
CHAPTER
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PART 5 Looking Toward the 16-3 Making Health Psychology Personal 442
Understanding Your Risks 442
Future
What Can You Do to Cultivate a Healthy
16 Future Challenges 427 Lifestyle? 445
xi
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Preface
H
ealth is a far different phenomenon today than What’s New?
it was just a century ago. Most serious diseases
The tenth edition reorganizes several chapters to bet-
and disorders now result from people’s behavior.
ter emphasize the theoretical underpinnings of health
People smoke, eat unhealthily, do not exercise, or cope
behavior. For example, Chapter 4 focuses on adherence
ineffectively with the stresses of modern life. As you will
to healthy behavior and presents both classic and con-
learn in this book, psychology—the science of behav-
temporary theories of health behavior, including recent
ior—is increasingly relevant to understanding phys-
research on the “intention–behavior gap.” Readers of
ical health. Health psychology is the scientific study of
the tenth edition will benefit from the most up-to-date
behaviors relating to health enhancement, disease pre-
review of health behavior theories—and their applica-
vention, safety, and rehabilitation.
tions—on the market. They will also be able to hone in
The first edition of this book, published in the
on key concepts and topics highlighted in the Learning
1980s, was one of the first undergraduate texts to cover
Objectives placed at the beginning of each chapter.
the then-emerging field of health psychology. Now, in
The tenth edition also features new boxes on
this tenth edition, Health Psychology: An Introduction to
important and timely topics such as
Behavior and Health remains a preeminent undergradu-
ate textbook in health psychology. • The Covid-19 Pandemic
• Why is there a controversy about childhood
vaccinations?
The Tenth Edition • Do online social networks influence your health?
• How much of your risk for stroke is due to
This tenth edition retains the core aspects that have behavior? (Answer: nearly all)
kept this book a leader throughout the decades: (1) a • Does drug use cause brain damage?
balance between the science and applications of the • Can sleep deprivation lead to obesity?
field of health psychology and (2) a clear and engaging • Can exercise help you learn?
review of classic and cutting-edge research on behavior
Other new or reorganized topics within the
and health.
chapters include:
The tenth edition of Health Psychology: An Intro-
duction to Behavior and Health has five parts. Part • Several Real-World Profiles, including the
1, which includes the first four chapters, lays a solid COVID-19 pandemic, pain patients, T. R. Reid,
foundation in research and theory for understanding Emilia Clarke, and Nick Jonas.
subsequent chapters and approaches the field by con- • Illustration of the evolving nature of health research
sidering the overarching issues involved in seeking in Chapter 2, through examples of studies on the
medical care and adhering to health care regimens. link between diet and colon cancer.
Part 2 deals with stress, pain, and managing these • New research on the role of stigma in influencing
conditions through conventional and alternative people’s decision to seek medical care, in Chapter 3.
medicine. Part 3 discusses heart disease, cancer, and • The role of optimism and positive mood in coping
other chronic diseases. Part 4 includes chapters on with stress, in Chapter 5.
tobacco use, alcohol, eating and weight, and physi- • Mindfulness as a useful technique for managing
cal activity. Part 5 looks toward future challenges in stress (Chapter 5), managing pain (Chapter 7), and
health psychology and addresses how to apply health as a promising therapy for binge eating disorder
knowledge to one’s life to become healthier. (Chapter 14).
xiii
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xiv PREFACE
• Stress and its influence on the length of telomeres, from many opportunities to engage with the material
in Chapter 6. throughout each chapter.
• Marriage as a key factor in predicting survival fol-
lowing cancer diagnosis, in Chapter 10. Check Your Health Risks At the beginning of most
• The use of dignity therapy to address psychosocial chapters, a “Check Your Health Risks” box person-
issues faced by terminal patients, in Chapter 11. alizes material in each chapter. Each box consists of
• The use of smartphone “apps” and fitness trackers several health-related behaviors or attitudes that readers
in promoting physical activity, in Chapter 15. should check before looking at the rest of the chapter.
After checking the items that apply to them and then
becoming familiar with the chapter’s material, readers
What Has Been Retained? will develop a more research-based understanding of
their health risks. A special “Check Your Health Risks”
In this revision, we retained the most popular features
appears inside the front cover of the book. Students
that made this text a leader over the past two dec-
should complete this exercise before they read the
ades. These features include (1) “Real-World Profiles”
book and look for answers as they proceed through the
for each chapter, (2) chapter-opening questions; (3) a
chapters (or check the website for the answers).
“Check Your Health Risks” box in most chapters; (4)
one or more “Would You Believe . . .?” boxes in each Would You Believe . . .? Boxes We keep the popular
chapter; and (5) a “Becoming Healthier” feature in “Would You Believe . . .?” boxes, adding many new ones
many chapters. These features stimulate critical think- and updating those we retained. Each box highlights a
ing, engage readers in the topic, and provide valuable particularly intriguing finding in health research. These
tips to enhance personal well-being. boxes explode preconceived notions, present unusual
findings, and challenge students to take an objective
Real-World Profiles Millions of people—including
look at issues that they may not have evaluated carefully.
celebrities—deal with the issues we describe in this
book. To highlight the human side of health psychology, Becoming Healthier Embedded in most chapters
we open each chapter with a profile of a person in the is a “Becoming Healthier” box with advice on how to
real world. Many of these profiles are of famous peo- use the information in the chapter to enact a healthier
ple, whose health issues may not always be well known. lifestyle. Although some people may not agree with
Their cases provide intriguing examples, such as Barack all these recommendations, each is based on the most
Obama’s attempt to quit smoking, Lance Armstrong’s current research findings. We believe that if you follow
delays in seeking treatment for cancer, Steve Jobs’s fight these guidelines, you will increase your chances of a
with cancer, Halle Berry’s diabetes, Daniel Radcliffe’s long and healthy life.
alcohol abuse, and Ricky Gervais’s efforts to increase
physical activity. We also include a profile of “celebri-
ties” in the world of health psychology, including Dr. Other Changes and Additions
Angela Bryan, Dr. Norman Cousins, and Dr. Rajiv We have made several subtle changes in this edition that
Kumar, to give readers a better sense of the personal we believe make it an even stronger book than its pre-
motivation and activities of those in the health psychol- decessors. More specifically, we
ogy and medical fields. • Replaced old references with more recent ones
Questions and Answers In this text, we adopt a pre- • Reorganized many sections of chapters to improve
view, read, and review method to facilitate student’s the flow of information
learning and recall. Each chapter begins with a series • Added several new tables and figures to aid stu-
of Questions that organize the chapter, preview the dents’ understanding of difficult concepts
material, and enhance active learning. As each chapter • Highlighted the biopsychosocial approach to
unfolds, we reveal the answers through a discussion health psychology, examining issues and data from
of relevant research findings. At the end of each major biological, psychological, and social viewpoints
topic, an In Summary statement recaps the topic. Then, • Drew from the growing body of research from
at the end of the chapter, Answers to the chapter-open- around the world on health to give the book a more
ing questions appear. In this manner, students benefit international perspective
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PREFACE xv
• Recognized and emphasized gender issues when- suggested readings are quite recent, but we also selected
ever appropriate several that have lasting interest. We include only read-
• Retained our emphasis on theories and models ings that are intelligible to the average college student
that strive to explain and predict health-related and that are accessible in most college and university
behaviors libraries.
MindTap® Psychology: We now provide MindTap®
in the tenth edition. MindTap for Health Psychology
Writing Style 10th Edition is the digital learning solution that helps
instructors engage and transform today’s students into
With each edition, we work to improve our connec- critical thinkers. Through paths of dynamic assign-
tion with readers. Although this book explores com- ments and applications that you can personalize, real-
plex issues and difficult topics, we use clear, concise, time course analytics, and an accessible reader, MindTap
and comprehensible language and an informal, lively helps you turn cookie cutter into cutting edge, apathy
writing style. We write this book for an upper-divi- into engagement, and memorizers into higher-level
sion undergraduate audience, and it should be easily thinkers. As an instructor using MindTap you have at
understood by students with a minimal background in your fingertips the right content and unique set of tools
psychology and biology. Health psychology courses typ- curated specifically for your course all in an interface
ically draw students from a variety of college majors, so designed to improve workflow and save time when
some elementary material in our book may be repeti- planning lessons and course structures. The control to
tive for some students. For other students, this material build and personalize your course is all yours, focusing
will fill in the background they need to comprehend the on the most relevant material while also lowering costs
information within the field of health psychology. for your students. Stay connected and informed in your
Technical terms appear in boldface type, and a course through real-time student tracking that provides
definition usually appears at that point in the text. These the opportunity to adjust the course as needed based on
terms also appear in an end-of-the-book glossary. analytics of interactivity in the course.
Online Instructor’s Manual: We provide an online
instructor’s manual, complete with lecture outlines, dis-
Instructional Aids cussion topics, suggested activities, media tools, and
Besides the glossary at the end of the book, we supply video recommendations.
several other features to help both students and instruc- Online PowerPoints: Microsoft PowerPoint® slides
tors. These include stories of people whose behavior are provided to help you make your lectures more
typifies the topic, frequent summaries within each engaging while effectively reaching your visually ori-
chapter, and annotated suggested readings. ented students. The PowerPoint® slides are updated to
reflect the content and organization of the new edition
of the text.
Within-Chapter Summaries Cengage Learning Testing, powered by Cognero®:
Rather than wait until the end of each chapter to pres- Cengage Learning Testing, Powered by Cognero®, is a
ent a lengthy chapter summary, we place shorter sum- flexible online system that allows you to author, edit,
maries at key points within each chapter. In general, and manage test bank content. You can create multiple
these summaries correspond to each major topic in a test versions in an instant and deliver tests from your
chapter. We believe these shorter, frequent summaries LMS in your classroom.
keep readers on track and promote a better understand-
ing of the chapter’s content.
Acknowledgments
Annotated Suggested Readings We would like to thank the people at Cengage for their
At the end of each chapter are three or four annotated assistance: Laura Ross, Product Director, Cazzie Reyes,
suggested readings that students may wish to examine. Product Team Manager, Jessica Witzcak, Product Assis-
We chose these readings for their capacity to shed addi- tant, and Deanna Ettinger, Intellectual Property Man-
tional light on major topics in a chapter. Most of these ager. Special thanks go to Jacqueline Czel our Content
Copyright 2022 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s).
Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
xvi PREFACE
Manager and to Sangeetha Vijayanand who led us He made contributions that helped to shape the book
through the production at Lumina. and provided generous, patient, live-in, expert com-
We are also indebted to several reviewers who read puter consultation and tech support that proved essen-
all or parts of the manuscript for this and earlier edi- tial in the preparation of the manuscript.
tions. We are grateful for the valuable comments of the Linda also acknowledges the huge debt to Jess Feist
following reviewers: and his contributions to this book. Jess was last able to
work on the sixth edition, and he died in February 2015.
Sangeeta Singg, Angelo State University
His work and words remain as a guide and inspiration
Edward Fernandes, Barton College for her and for John; this book would not have existed
Ryan May, Marietta College without him.
Erin Wood, Catawba College John thanks all his past undergraduate students for
making health psychology such a thrill to teach. This
Linda notes that authors typically thank their book is dedicated to them and to the future generation
spouses for being understanding, supportive, and sacri- of health psychology students.
ficing, and her spouse, Barry Humphus, is no exception.
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Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
L
inda Brannon is a pro- interest in personality theory to his authorship of The-
fessor in the Depar t- ories of Personality, coauthored with his son Greg Feist.
ment of Psychology at Linda’s interest in gender and gender issues led her to
McNeese State University in publish Gender: Psychological Perspectives, which is in
Lake Charles, Louisiana. Linda its seventh edition.
joined the faculty at McNeese
J
after receiving her doctorate ohn A. Updegraff is a pro-
in human experimental psy- fessor of social and health
chology from the University of psychology in the Depart-
Texas at Austin. ment of Psychological Sciences
at Kent State University in
J
ess Feist was Professor Kent, Ohio. John received his
Emeritus at McNeese State PhD in social psychology at
University. He joined the University of California, Los
faculty after receiving his doc- Angeles, under the mentorship
torate in counseling from the of pioneering health psycholo-
University of Kansas and stayed gist Shelley Taylor. John then
at McNeese until he retired in completed a postdoctoral fellowship at University of
2005. He died in 2015. California, Irvine, prior to joining the faculty at Kent
In the early 1980s, Linda State.
and Jess became interested in John is an expert in the areas of health behavior,
the developing field of health health communication, stress, and coping, and is the
psychology, which led to their coauthoring the first edi- recipient of multiple research grants from the National
tion of this book. They watched the field of health psy- Institutes of Health. His research appears in the field’s
chology emerge and grow, and the subsequent editions top journals.
of the book reflect that growth and development. John stays healthy by running the roads and trails
Their interests converge in health psychology but near his home. John is also known for subjecting stu-
diverge in other areas of psychology. Jess carried his dents and colleagues to his singing and guitar playing
(go ahead, look him up on YouTube).
xvii
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Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
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LEARNING OBJECTIVES
After studying this chapter, you will be able to…
1-1 Recognize how the major causes of 1-4 Trace the expanding role of psychology
death have changed over the last in understanding physical health, from
century its roots in psychosomatic medicine and
behavioral medicine to its current role in
1-2 Understand how factors such as age, the field of health psychology
ethnicity, and income relate now to the
risk of disease and death 1-5 Familiarize yourself with the profession
of health psychology, including how
1-3 Contrast the biomedical model with the health psychologists are trained and the
biopsychosocial model of health varied types of work that they do
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CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER OUTLINE Introducing
Real-World Profile of the COVID-19
Pandemic Health
Psychology
Real-World Profile of Angela Bryan
●● The Changing Field of Health
“W
3. What type of training do health e are now living well enough and long enough
psychologists receive, and what to slowly fall apart” (Sapolsky, 1998, p. 2).
kinds of work do they do? The field of health psychology developed
relatively recently—the 1970s, to be exact—to address the chal-
lenges presented by the changing field of health and health care.
A century ago, the average life expectancy in the United States
was approximately 50 years of age, far shorter than it is now.
When people in the United States died, they died largely from
infectious diseases such as pneumonia, tuberculosis, diarrhea,
and enteritis (see Figure 1.1). These conditions resulted from
contact with impure drinking water, contaminated foods, or
sick people. People might seek medical care only after they
became ill, but medicine had few cures to offer. The duration
of most diseases—such as typhoid fever, pneumonia, and diph-
theria—was short; a person either died or got well in a matter of
weeks. People felt limited responsibility for contracting a conta-
gious disease because such a disease was not controllable.
Life and death are now dramatically different than they
were a century ago. Life expectancy in the United States is
nearly 80 years of age, with more Americans now than ever liv-
ing past their 100th birthday. Over 30 countries boast even lon-
ger life expectancies than the United States, with Japan boasting
the longest at 84 years of age. Public sanitation for most citizens
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4 PART 1 ■ Foundations of Health Psychology
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CHAPTER 1 ■ Introducing Health Psychology 5
Pneumonia 11.8%
Tuberculosis 11.3%
Diarrhea and
8.3%
enteritis
Heart disease 6.2%
Injuries 4.2%
Cancer 3.7%
Senility 2.9%
Diphtheria 2.3%
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45
1900 Percentage of deaths
Cancer 21.3%
Unintentional
injuries 6.0%
Chronic lower
5.7%
respiratory disease
Stroke 5.2%
Alzheimer’s
disease 4.3%
Suicide 1.7%
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45
2017 Percentage of deaths
FIGURE 1.1 Leading causes of death, United States, 1900 and 2013.
Source: Healthy people, 2010, 2000, by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, DC: U.S. Government
Printing Office; “Deaths: Final Data for 2017,” 2019, by Heron, M., National Vital Statistics Reports, 68(6), Table C.
of industrialized nations is vastly better than it was a cen- United States and account for a greater proportion of
tury ago. Vaccines and treatments exist for many infec- deaths than infectious diseases ever did. Chronic diseases
tious diseases. However, improvements in the prevention develop and then persist or recur, affecting people over
and treatment of infectious diseases allowed for a differ- long periods of time. Every year, over 2 million people in
ent class of disease to emerge as today’s killers: chronic the United States die from chronic diseases, but over 130
diseases. Heart disease, cancer, and stroke—all chronic million people—almost one out of every two adults—live
diseases—are now the leading causes of mortality in the with at least one chronic disease.
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6 PART 1 ■ Foundations of Health Psychology
Furthermore, most deaths today are attributable kidney disease, septicemia (blood infection), liver dis-
to diseases associated with lifestyle and behavior. Heart ease, hypertension, and Parkinson’s disease. For many
disease, cancer, stroke, chronic lower respiratory dis- of these recently increasing causes, behavior is a less
eases (including emphysema and chronic bronchitis), important component than for those causes that have
unintentional injuries, and diabetes are all due in part decreased. However, the rising death rates due to Alzhei-
to cigarette smoking, alcohol abuse, unhealthy eating, mer’s and Parkinson’s reflect another important trend in
stress, and a sedentary lifestyle. Because today’s major health and health care: an increasingly older population.
killers arise in part due to lifestyle and behavior, peo-
ple have a great deal more control over their health than Age Obviously, older people are more likely to die than
they did in the past. However, many people do not exer- younger ones, but the causes of death vary among age
cise this control, so unhealthy behavior is an important groups. Thus, the ranking of causes of death for the entire
public health problem. Indeed, unhealthy behavior con- population may not reflect any specific age group and
tributes to the escalating costs of health care. may lead people to misperceive the risk for some ages. For
In this chapter, we describe the changing patterns of example, cardiovascular disease (which includes heart
disease and disability and the increasing costs of health disease and stroke) and cancer account for over 50% of
care. We also discuss how these trends change the very all deaths in the United States, but they are not the leading
definition of health and require a broader view of health cause of death for young people. For individuals between
than in the past. This broad view of health is the biopsy- 1 and 24 years of age, unintentional injuries are the lead-
chosocial model, a view adopted by health psychologists. ing cause of death, and violent deaths from suicide and
homicide rank high on the list as well (National Center
for Health Statistics [NCHS], 2018). Taken together,
Patterns of Disease and Death injuries, suicides, and homicide account for over half of
The 20th century brought about major changes in the deaths during these younger years. As Figure 1.2 reveals,
patterns of disease and death in the United States, includ- other causes of death account for much smaller percent-
ing a shift in the leading causes of death. Infectious dis- ages of deaths among adolescents and young adults than
eases were the leading causes of death in 1900, but over unintentional injuries, homicide, and suicide.
the next several decades, chronic diseases—such as heart For adults 45 and older, the picture is quite dif-
disease, cancer, and stroke—became the leading killers. ferent. Cardiovascular disease and cancer become the
Only with the COVID-19 pandemic beginning in 2020 leading causes of death, accounting for nearly half of
has an infectious disease been a leading cause of death deaths. As people age, they become more likely to die,
in this century. In 2020, COVID-19 was the third most so the causes of death for older people dominate the
common cause of death in the United States, after heart overall figures. However, younger people show very dif-
disease and cancer. When the COVID-19 pandemic sub- ferent patterns of mortality.
sides, chronic diseases will remain as the leading causes
of mortality in the United States. Ethnicity, Income, and Disease Question 2 from the
During the first few years of the 21st century, deaths quiz inside the front cover asks if the United States is
from some chronic diseases—those related to unhealthy among the top 10 nations in the world in terms of life
lifestyles and behaviors—began to decrease. These include expectancy. It is not even close. It ranks 34th among all
heart disease, cancer, and stroke, which all were respon- nations (World Health Organization [WHO], 2018c).
sible for a smaller proportion of deaths in 2010 than in Within the United States, ethnicity is also a factor in life
1990. Why have deaths from these diseases decreased in expectancy, and the leading causes of death also vary
the last few decades? We will discuss this in greater detail among ethnic groups. Table 1.1 shows the ranking of
in Chapter 9, but one major reason is that fewer people the leading causes of death for four ethnic groups in the
in the United States now smoke cigarettes than in the United States. No two groups have identical profiles of
past. This change in behavior contributed to some of the causes, and some causes do not appear on the list for
decline in deaths due to heart disease; improvements in each group, highlighting the influence of ethnicity on
health care also contributed to this decline. mortality.
Death rates due to unintentional injuries, suicide, If African Americans and European Americans
and homicide have increased in recent years. Signif- in the United States were considered to be different
icant increases also occurred in Alzheimer’s disease, nations, European America would rank higher in life
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CHAPTER 1 ■ Introducing Health Psychology 7
25.1%
Ages 65 and over 20.7%
2.7%
20.8% Unintentional
28.4% injury (accident)
45–64 years old
3.1% Suicide
8.8% Homicide
10.1% Cancer
10.4%
Heart disease
25–44 years old 6.3%
10.9%
34.6%
2.9%
5.1%
10–24 years old 14.4%
19.2%
40.6%
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50
Percentage of deaths
FIGURE 1.2 Leading causes of death among individuals aged 10–24, 25–44,
45–64, and 65+, United States, 2017.
Source: “Deaths: Final Data for 2017,” 2019, by Heron, M., National Vital Statistics Reports, 68(6), Figure 2.
TABLE 1.1 Leading Causes of Death for Four Ethnic Groups in the United States, 2017
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8 PART 1 ■ Foundations of Health Psychology
expectancy than African America—38th place and 80th The association between income level and health
place, respectively (NCHS, 2021; WHO, 2018c). Thus, is so strong that it appears not only at the poverty level
European Americans have a longer life expectancy than but also at higher income levels. That is, very wealthy
African Americans, but neither should expect to live as people have better health than people who are just,
long as people in Japan, Canada, Iceland, Australia, the well, wealthy. Why should very wealthy people be
United Kingdom, Italy, France, Hong Kong, Israel, and healthier than other wealthy people? One possibil-
many other countries. ity comes from the relation of income to educational
Hispanics have socioeconomic disadvantages level, which, in turn, relates to occupation, social class,
like those of African Americans (U.S. Census Bureau and ethnicity. The higher the educational level, the less
[USCB], 2011), including poverty and low educational likely people are to engage in unhealthy behaviors such
level. About 10% of European Americans live below the as smoking, eating high-fat foods, and maintaining a
poverty level, whereas 32% of African Americans and sedentary lifestyle (see Would You Believe . . .? box).
26% of Hispanic Americans do (USCB, 2011). Euro- Another possibility is the perception of social status.
pean Americans also have educational advantages: 86% People’s perception of their social standing may differ
receive high school diplomas, compared with only 81% from their status as indexed by educational, occupa-
of African Americans and 59% of Hispanic Ameri- tional, and income level; remarkably, this perception
cans. These socioeconomic disadvantages translate into relates to health status more strongly than objective
health disadvantages (Crimmins et al., 2007; Smith & measures (Operario, Adler, & Williams, 2004). Thus,
Bradshaw, 2006). That is, poverty and low educational the relationships between health and ethnicity are
level both relate to health problems and lower life intertwined with the relationships between health,
expectancies. Thus, some of the ethnic differences in income, education, and social class.
health are due to socioeconomic differences.
Access to health insurance and medical care is not Changes in Life Expectancy During the 20th century,
the only factor that makes poverty a health risk. Indeed, life expectancy rose dramatically in the United States
the health risks associated with poverty begin before birth. and other industrialized nations. In 1900, life expec-
Even with the expansion of prenatal care by Medicaid, tancy was 47.3 years, whereas today it is almost 78 years
poor mothers, especially teen mothers, are more likely to (NCHS, 2021). In other words, infants born today can
deliver low-birth-weight babies, who are more likely than expect, on average, to live more than a generation longer
normal-birth-weight infants to die (NCHS, 2021). Also, than their great-great-grandparents born at the begin-
pregnant women living below the poverty line are more ning of the 20th century.
likely than other pregnant women to be physically abused What accounts for the 30-year increase in life expec-
and to deliver babies who suffer the consequences of pre- tancy during the 20th century? Question 3 from the quiz
natal child abuse (Zelenko et al., 2000). inside the front cover asks if advances in medical care
Would You
College Is Good for Your Health
BELIEVE...?
Would you believe that attend- have been to college have lower death to college offers much more protec-
ing college could be good for your rates than those who have not. This tion. For example, people with less
health? You may find that difficult advantage applies to both women and than a high school education die at
to believe, as college seems to add men and to infectious diseases, chronic a rate of 575 per 100,000; those with
stress, exposure to alcohol or drugs, diseases, and unintentional injuries a high school degree die at a rate
and demands that make it difficult to (NCHS, 2015). Better-educated people of 509 per 100,000; but people who
maintain a healthy diet, exercise, and report fewer daily symptoms and less attend college have a death rate of
sleep. How could going to college stress than less educated people (Grzy- only 214 per 100,000 (Miniño et al.,
possibly be healthy? wacz et al., 2004). 2011). The benefits of education for
The health benefits of college Even a high school education health and longevity apply to peo-
appear after graduation. People who provides health benefits; but going ple around the world. For example,
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CHAPTER 1 ■ Introducing Health Psychology 9
a study of older people in Japan with similar education, providing good health and long life. For exam-
(Fujino et al., 2005) found that low an environment with good health- ple, people with a college education
educational level increased the risk related knowledge and attitudes are less likely than others to smoke
of dying. A large-scale study of the (Øystein, 2008). Income and occu- or use illicit drugs (Johnston et al.,
Dutch population (Hoeymans, van pation may also contribute (Batty 2007), and they are more likely to eat
Lindert, & Westert, 2005) also found et al., 2008); people who attend col- a low-fat diet and to exercise.
that education was related to a lege, especially those who graduate, Thus, people who attend col-
wide range of health measures and have better jobs and higher average lege acquire many resources that are
health-related behaviors. incomes than those who do not and reflected in their lower death rate—
What factors contribute to this thus are more likely to have better income potential, health knowledge,
health advantage for people with access to health care. In addition, more health-conscious spouses and
more education? Part of that advan- educated people are more likely to friends, attitudes about the impor-
tage may be intelligence, which be informed consumers of health tance of health, and positive health
predicts both health and longevity care, gathering information on their habits. This strong link between edu-
(Gottfredson & Deary, 2004). In addi- diseases and potential treatments. cation and health is one clear exam-
tion, people who are well educated Education is also associated with a ple of how good health is more than
tend to live with and around people variety of habits that contribute to simply a matter of biology.
were responsible for this increase. The answer is “False”; birthday, these deaths lower the population’s average life
other factors have been more important than medical expectancy much more than do the deaths of middle-
care of sick people. The single most important contrib- aged or older people. As Figure 1.3 shows, infant death
utor to the increase in life expectancy is the lowering rates declined dramatically between 1900 and 1990, but
of infant mortality. When infants die before their first little decrease has occurred since that time.
170
160 162
150
140
Infant mortality (deaths per 1000)
130 132
120
110
100
90 92
80
70 69
60
55
50
40 33
30 26
20
20 12.6 9.2
10 6.9 6.15 5.79
0
1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2017
Year
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Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
10 PART 1 ■ Foundations of Health Psychology
The prevention of disease also contributes to the condition, and they account for 86% of the dollars spent
recent increase in life expectancy. Widespread vaccination on health care (Gerteis et al., 2014). People with chronic
and safer drinking water and milk supplies all reduce infec- conditions account for 88% of prescriptions written,
tious disease, which increases life expectancy. A healthier 72% of physician visits, and 76% of hospital stays. Even
lifestyle also contributes to increased life expectancy, as though today’s aging population is experiencing better
does more efficient disposal of sewage and better nutrition. health than past generations, their increasing numbers
In contrast, advances in medical care—such as antibiotics will continue to increase medical costs.
and new surgical technology, efficient paramedic teams, One strategy for curbing mounting medical costs is
and more skilled intensive care personnel—play a surpris- to limit services, but another approach requires a greater
ingly minor role in increasing adults’ life expectancy. emphasis on the early detection of disease, changes to a
healthier lifestyle, and behaviors that help prevent disease.
For example, early detection of high blood pressure, high
Escalating Cost of Medical Care serum cholesterol, and other precursors of heart disease
The second major change within the field of health is allow these conditions to be controlled, thereby decreas-
the escalating cost of medical care. In the United States, ing the risk of serious disease or death. Screening peo-
medical costs have increased at a much faster rate than ple for risks is preferable to remedial treatment because
inflation, and currently the United States spends the most chronic diseases are quite difficult to cure and living with
of all countries on health care. Between 1960 and 2008, chronic disease decreases quality of life. Avoiding disease
medical costs in the United States represented an increas- by adopting a healthy lifestyle is even more preferable to
ingly larger proportion of the gross domestic product treating diseases or screening for risks. Staying healthy is
(GDP). Since 1995, the increases have slowed, but med- typically less costly than becoming sick and then getting
ical care costs as a percentage of the GDP are over 16% well. Thus, preventing diseases through a healthy lifestyle,
(Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Develop- detecting symptoms early, and reducing health risks are
ment [OECD], 2019). Considered on a per person basis, all part of a changing philosophy within the health care
the total yearly cost of health care in the United States field. As you will learn in this book, health psychologists
increased from $1,067 per person in 1970 to $9,105 in contribute to each of these aims.
2017 (NCHS, 2019), which is a jump of more than 850%!
These costs, of course, have some relationship to
increased life expectancy: As people live to middle and What is Health?
old age, they tend to develop chronic diseases that require “Once again, the patient as a human being with worries,
extended (and often expensive) medical treatment. fears, hopes, and despairs, as an indivisible whole and
Nearly half of people in the United States have a chronic not merely the bearer of organs—of a diseased liver or
kali9/E+/Getty Images
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CHAPTER 1 ■ Introducing Health Psychology 11
stomach—is becoming the legitimate object of medical biopsychosocial model has at least two advantages over
interest,” says Franz Alexander (1950, p. 17), one of the the older biomedical model. First, it incorporates not
founders of the field of psychosomatic medicine. only biological conditions but also psychological and
What does it mean to be “healthy”? Question 1 from social factors. Second, it views health as a positive con-
the quiz at the beginning of the book asks if health is dition. The biopsychosocial model can also account for
merely the absence of disease. But is health more complex? some surprising findings about who gets sick and who
Is health the presence of some positive condition rather stays healthy (see the Would You Believe . . .? box). Thus,
than merely the absence of a negative one? Is health simply the biopsychosocial model has not only all the power of
a state of the physical body, or should health also consider the older biomedical model but also the ability to address
one’s beliefs, environment, and behaviors as well? problems that the biomedical model has failed to solve.
The biomedical model, which defines health as the According to the biopsychosocial view, health is
absence of disease, has been the traditional view of West- much more than the absence of disease. A person who
ern medicine (Papas, Belar, & Rozensky, 2004). This view has no disease condition is not sick; but this person may
conceptualizes disease solely as a biological process that not be healthy either. A person may have unhealthy
is a result of exposure to a specific pathogen, a disease- lifestyle habits or poor social support, cope poorly with
causing organism. This view spurred the development of high amounts of stress, or avoid medical care when it is
drugs and medical technology oriented toward removing warranted; all of these factors increase the risk of future
the pathogens and curing disease. The focus is on dis- disease. Because health is multidimensional, all aspects
ease, which is traceable to a specific agent. Removing the of living—biological, psychological, and social—must
pathogen restores health. be considered. This view diverges from the traditional
The biomedical model of disease is compatible with Western conceptualization, but as Table 1.2 shows,
infectious diseases that were the leading causes of death other cultures have held different views.
100 years ago. Throughout the 20th century, adherence Consistent with this broader view, the World Health
to the biomedical model allowed medicine to conquer or Organization (WHO) wrote into the preamble of its con-
control many of the diseases that once ravaged humanity. stitution a modern, Western definition: “Health is a state
However, when chronic illnesses began to replace infec- of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, and
tious diseases as the leading causes of death, the biomedi- not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” This defi-
cal model became insufficient (Stone, 1987). nition clearly affirms that health is a positive state and
An alternative model of health exists now, one that not just the absence of pathogens. Feeling good is differ-
advocates a more comprehensive approach to medicine. ent from not feeling bad, and research in neuroscience
This alternative model is the biopsychosocial model, has confirmed the difference (Zautra, 2003). The human
which includes biological, psychological, and social brain responds in distinctly different patterns to positive
influences. This model holds that many diseases result feelings and negative feelings. Furthermore, this broader
from a combination of factors such as genetics, physiol- definition of health can account for the importance of
ogy, social support, personal control, stress, compliance, preventive behavior in physical health. For example, a
personality, poverty, ethnic background, and cultural healthy person is not merely somebody without a disease
beliefs. We discuss each of these factors in subsequent or a disability but also somebody who behaves in a way
chapters. For now, it is important to recognize that the that is likely to maintain that state in the future.
Would You
It Takes More Than a Virus to Give You a Cold
BELIEVE...?
One of the dirtiest jobs that an aspir- search of used, mucous-filled tissues. to rummage for snot—they want an
ing health psychologist could have When such tissues are found, the objective measure of how severely
is as a research assistant in Sheldon assistants unfold them, locate the their participants caught the com-
Cohen’s laboratory at Carnegie Mel- gooey treasures within, and pains- mon cold.
lon University. Cohen’s assistants sift takingly weigh their discoveries. Sheldon Cohen and his research
through study participants’ trash in These assistants have good reason team investigate the psychological
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Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
12 PART 1 ■ Foundations of Health Psychology
and social factors that predict the to predict who gets the cold and who experiences (Cohen, Tyrrell, & Smith,
likelihood that a person will suc- remains healthy. 1991), have better sleep habits (Cohen
cumb to infection. Healthy partic- Cohen’s findings expose the inad- et al., 2009), typically experience more
ipants in Cohen’s studies receive a equacy of the biomedical approach to positive emotion (Cohen et al., 2006),
virus through a nasal squirt and are understanding infection. Even though are more sociable (Cohen et al., 2003),
then quarantined in a “cold research everybody in his studies gets exposed and have more diverse social net-
laboratory”—actually, a hotel room— to the same pathogen in exactly the works (Cohen et al., 1997).
for one week. Participants also answer same manner, only some participants Thus, it takes more than just
several questionnaires about psy- get sick. Importantly, the people who exposure to a virus to succumb to
chological and social factors such resist infection share similar psycho- a cold or flu bug; exposure to the
as recent stress, typical positive and logical and social characteristics. Com- pathogen interacts with psycholog-
negative emotions, and the size and pared with people who get sick, those ical and social factors to produce ill-
quality of their social networks. Cohen who remain healthy are less likely ness. Only the biopsychosocial model
and his team use these questionnaires to have dealt with recent stressful can account for these influences.
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Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
CHAPTER 1 ■ Introducing Health Psychology 13
Costs for medical care steadily increased from 1970 It took many years, however, for psychology to gain
to 2013. Much of this cost increase is due to a grow- acceptance by the medical field. In 1911, the American
ing elderly population, innovative but expensive Psychological Association (APA) recommended that
medical technology, and inflation. psychology be part of the medical school curriculum,
A third trend is the changing definition of but most medical schools did not follow this recom-
health. Many people continue to view health as the mendation. During the 1940s, the medical specialty
absence of disease, but a growing number of health of psychiatry incorporated the study of psychologi-
care professionals view health as a state of positive cal factors related to disease into its training, but only
well-being. To accept this definition of health, one a few psychologists were involved in health research
must reconsider the biomedical model that has (Matarazzo, 1994). During the 1960s, psychology’s role
dominated the health care field. in medicine began to expand with the creation of new
The fourth trend, the emergence of the biopsy- medical schools; the number of psychologists who held
chosocial model of health, relates to the changing academic appointments on medical school faculties
definition of health. Rather than define “disease” as nearly tripled from 1969 to 1993 (Matarazzo, 1994).
simply the presence of pathogens, the biopsycho- In the past several decades, psychologists have
social model emphasizes positive health and sees gained greater acceptance by the medical profession
disease, particularly chronic disease, as resulting (Pingitore et al., 2001). In 2002, the American Medical
from the interaction of biological, psychological, Association (AMA) accepted several new categories
and social conditions. for health and behavior that permit psychologists to
bill for services to patients with physical diseases. Also,
Medicare’s Graduate Medical Education program now
Apply What You’ve Learned accepts psychology internships, and the APA worked
with the WHO to formulate a diagnostic system for bio-
1. Consider an illness that you have learned about from psychosocial disorders, the International Classification
the media or your own personal experiences. What is of Functioning, Disability, and Health (Reed & Schelde-
the biological basis of the illness? What are some of
man, 2004). Thus, the role of psychologists in medical
the behaviors, beliefs, and aspects of a person’s social
and cultural environment that you believe contribute settings has expanded beyond traditional mental health
to risk for the illness? Does the biopsychosocial model problems to include programs to help people stop
help broaden your understanding of the condition, smoking, eat a healthy diet, exercise, adhere to medical
compared to the biomedical model? advice, reduce stress, control pain, live with chronic dis-
ease, and avoid unintentional injuries.
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14 PART 1 ■ Foundations of Health Psychology
responses, which people exhibit as part of their person- The Emergence of Behavioral
alities, could relate to specific diseases. In other words,
Dunbar hypothesized a relationship between person- Medicine
ality type and disease. A little later, Franz Alexander From the psychosomatic medicine movement, two
(1950), a onetime follower of Freud, began to see emo- interrelated disciplines emerged: behavioral medicine
tional conflicts as a precursor to certain diseases. and health psychology.
These views led others to see a range of specific Behavioral medicine is “the interdisciplinary
illnesses as “psychosomatic.” These illnesses included field concerned with the development and integra-
such disorders as peptic ulcer, rheumatoid arthritis, tion of behavioral and biomedical science knowledge
hypertension, asthma, hyperthyroidism, and ulcerative and techniques relevant to health and illness and the
colitis. However, the widespread belief at the time in the application of this knowledge and these techniques to
separation of mind and body—a belief that originated prevention, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation”
with Descartes (Papas et al., 2004)—led many laypeople (Schwartz & Weiss, 1978, p. 250). A key component of
to regard these psychosomatic disorders as not being this definition is the integration of biomedical science
“real,” but rather “all in the head.” Thus, psychosomatic with behavioral sciences, especially psychology. The
medicine exerted a mixed impact on the acceptance of goals of behavioral medicine are like those in other
psychology within medicine; it benefited by connect- areas of health care: improved prevention, diagnosis,
ing emotional and physical conditions, but it may have treatment, and rehabilitation. Behavioral medicine,
harmed by belittling the psychological components however, attempts to use psychology and the behav-
of illness. Psychosomatic medicine, however, laid the ioral sciences in conjunction with medicine to achieve
foundation for the transition to the biopsychosocial these goals. Chapters 3 through 11 cover topics in
model of health and disease (Novack et al., 2007). behavioral medicine.
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CHAPTER 1 ■ Introducing Health Psychology 15
Psychology Sociology
Personality Poverty
Self-efficacy Biology Ethnic background
Personal control Cultural beliefs
Genetics
Optimistic bias Racism
Physiology
Social support Living with chronic
Gender
Stress illness
Age
Coping skills
Vulnerability
Diet to stress
Risky behaviors Immune system
Adherence to Nutrition
medical advice
Medications
Outcomes
Health Disease
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16 PART 1 ■ Foundations of Health Psychology
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CHAPTER 1 ■ Introducing Health Psychology 17
for her work, including recognition that one of her interventions is among the
few that work in reducing risky sexual behavior among adolescents (“Safe on the
Outs”; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2011b).
As an adolescent, Angela thought of herself as a “rebel” (Aiken, 2006), perhaps
an unlikely start for someone who now develops ways to help people to maintain
a healthy lifestyle. It was not until college that Angela discovered her passion for health psychology. She took
a course in social psychology that explored how people judge others. Angela quickly saw the relevance for
understanding safe sex behavior. At this time, the HIV/AIDS epidemic was peaking in the United States, and
condom use was one action people could take to prevent the spread of HIV. Yet people often resisted propos-
ing condoms to a partner due to concerns such as, “What will a partner think of me if I say that a condom is
needed?” Angela sought out a professor to supervise a research project on perceptions of condom use in an
initial sexual encounter.
Angela continued this work as a PhD student and developed a program to promote condom use among
college women. In this program, Angela taught women skills for proposing and using condoms. This work
was not always easy. She recalls, “I would walk through the residence halls on my way to deliver my interven-
tion, with a basket of condoms in one arm and a basket of zucchinis in the other. I can’t imagine what others
thought I was doing!”
Later, she expanded her work to populations at greater risk for HIV, including incarcerated adolescents,
intravenous drug users, HIV+ individuals, and truck drivers in India. She also developed an interest in promoting
physical activity.
In all her work, Angela uses the biopsychosocial model, which you will learn about in this chapter. Spe-
cifically, she identifies the biological, psychological, and social factors that influence health behaviors such as
condom use. Angela’s interventions address each of these factors.
Angela’s work is both challenging and rewarding; she works daily with community agencies, clinical psy-
chologists, neuroscientists, and exercise physiologists. She uses solid research methods to evaluate the success
of her interventions. More recently, she has started to examine the genetic factors that determine whether a
person will respond to a physical activity intervention.
Although she views many aspects of her work as rewarding, one aspect is especially worthwhile: “When
the interventions work!” she says. “If we can get one kid to use a condom or one person with a chronic illness to
exercise, that is meaningful.”
In this book, you will learn about the theories, methods, and discoveries of health psychologists such as
Angela Bryan. As you read, keep in mind this piece of advice from Angela: “Think broadly and optimistically
about health. A health psychologist’s work is difficult, but it can make a difference.”
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18 PART 1 ■ Foundations of Health Psychology
is collaborative in nature; health psychologists engaged menus. Thus, the health psychologists contribute to the
in either research or practice may work with a team of promotion of health in a wide variety of manners.
health professionals, including physicians, nurses, phys-
ical therapists, and counselors.
The services provided by health psychologists work-
IN SUMMARY
ing in clinics and hospitals fit into several categories. One To maximize their contributions to health care,
type of service offers alternatives to pharmacological health psychologists must be both broadly trained
treatment; for example, biofeedback might be an alter- in the science of psychology and specifically trained
native to painkillers for headache patients. Another type in the knowledge and skills of areas such as neurol-
of service is providing behavioral interventions to treat ogy, endocrinology, immunology, epidemiology,
physical disorders such as chronic pain and some gas- and other medical subspecialties. Health psycholo-
trointestinal problems or to improve the rate of patient gists work in a variety of settings, including univer-
compliance with medical regimens. Other clinical health sities, hospitals, clinics, private practice, and HMOs.
psychologists may provide assessments using psycho- They typically collaborate with other health care
logical and neuropsychological tests or provide psycho- professionals in providing services for physical dis-
logical treatment for patients coping with disease. Those orders rather than for traditional areas of mental
who concentrate on prevention and behavior changes are health care. Research in health psychology is also
more likely to be employed in HMOs, school-based pre- likely to be a collaborative effort that may include
vention programs, or worksite wellness programs. the professions of medicine, epidemiology, nursing,
Like Angela Bryan, many health psychologists pharmacology, nutrition, and exercise physiology.
engage in both teaching and research. Those who work
exclusively in service-delivery settings are much less
likely to teach and do research and are more likely to Apply What You’ve Learned
spend time providing diagnoses and interventions for
people with health problems. Some health psychology 1. The Society for Health Psychology is the division
students go into allied health profession fields, such as of the American Psychological Association (APA)
social work, occupational therapy, dietetics, or pub- that represents the field of health psychology.
lic health. Those who go into public health often work Their website (societyforhealthpsychology.org) is
an excellent resource and includes short profiles of
in academic settings or government agencies and may health psychologists who have made outstanding
monitor trends in health issues or develop and evalu- contributions to the field. Read through some of
ate educational interventions and health awareness these profiles and answer these questions:
campaigns. Health psychologists also contribute to the (1) Where did they get their training, and do they
development and evaluation of widescale public health work in a university or hospital? (2) What health
decisions, including taxes and warning labels placed issues do they focus on and what are some of their
upon healthy products such as cigarettes, and the inclu- major discoveries? (3) How do you see their work
utilizing the biopsychosocial model of health?
sion of nutrition information on food products and
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CHAPTER 1 ■ Introducing Health Psychology 19
2. How did psychology become involved in health organizations. Clinical health psychologists
provide services, often as part of a health care
care?
Psychology has been involved in health almost team. Health psychologists who are research-
from the beginning of the 20th century. During ers typically collaborate with others, sometimes
those early years, however, only a few psycholo- as part of a multidisciplinary team, to conduct
gists worked in medical settings, and most were not research on behaviors related to the development
considered full partners with physicians. Psychoso- of disease or to evaluate the effectiveness of new
matic medicine highlighted psychological explana- treatments.
tions of certain somatic diseases, emphasizing the
role of emotions in the development of disease. By
the early 1970s, psychology and other behavioral Suggested Readings
sciences began to play a role in the prevention and
Baum, A., Perry, N. W., Jr., & Tarbell, S. (2004). The
treatment of chronic diseases and in the promotion
development of psychology as a health science.
of positive health, giving rise to two new fields:
In R. G. Frank, A. Baum, & J. L. Wallander
behavioral medicine and health psychology.
(Eds.), Handbook of clinical health psychology
Behavioral medicine is an interdisciplinary
(Vol. 3, pp. 9–28). Washington, DC: American
field concerned with applying the knowledge and
Psychological Association. This recent review of
techniques of behavioral science to the mainte-
the development of health psychology describes
nance of physical health and to prevention, diag-
the background and current status of the field of
nosis, treatment, and rehabilitation. Behavioral
health psychology.
medicine, which is not a branch of psychology,
Belar, C. D. (2008). Clinical health psychology: A
overlaps with health psychology, a division within
health care specialty in professional psychology.
the field of psychology. Health psychology uses
Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 39,
the science of psychology to enhance health, pre-
229–233. Clinical health psychology is the applied
vent and treat disease, identify risk factors, improve
branch of health psychology. Cynthia Belar traces
the health care system, and shape public opinion
the development of this field from the beginning,
regarding health.
pointing out the widespread influence of health
3. What type of training do health psychologists psychology on research and practice in clinical
receive, and what kinds of work do they do? psychology.
Health psychologists receive doctoral-level training Leventhal, H., Weinman, J., Leventhal, E. A., & Phil-
in psychology and often receive at least two years lips, L. A. (2008). Health psychology: The search
of postdoctoral work in a specialized area of health for pathways between behavior and health. Annual
psychology. Review of Psychology, 59, 477–505. This article
Health psychologists are employed in a vari- details how psychological theory and research can
ety of settings, including universities, hospitals, improve the effectiveness of interventions for man-
clinics, private practice, and health maintenance aging chronic illness.
Copyright 2022 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s).
Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
iStock.com/gorodenkoff
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
After studying this chapter, you will be able to…
2-1 Understand the placebo effect and how 2-5 Identify the strengths and limitations
it demonstrates a role of psychological of observational methods, randomized
beliefs in health controlled trials, and meta-analyses
2-2 Contrast single-blind and double-blind 2-6 Understand the difference between
research designs in their ability to con- absolute risk and relative risk
trol for placebo effects 2-7 Identify the seven criteria that can help
2-3 Identify the strengths and limitations of researchers infer a causal relationship
correlational, cross-sectional, longitu- from non-experimental studies
dinal, experimental, and ex post facto 2-8 Recognize the important role of theory
research designs in guiding health research
2-4 Understand the difference between dis- 2-9 Understand how reliability and validity
ease prevalence and disease incidence improve measurement in health research
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CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER OUTLINE Conducting
Real-World Profile of Sylvester
Colligan
The Placebo in Treatment and
Health Research
W
Research
hy did Sylvester Colligan get better? Was Moseley
●● Treatment and the Placebo
negligent in performing a fake surgery on Colligan?
●● Research and the Placebo
Surprisingly, many people do not view Moseley’s
Research Methods in Psychology treatment as negligent. Moseley and his colleagues (2002)
●● Correlational Studies were conducting a study of the effectiveness of arthroscopic
●● Cross-Sectional and knee surgery. This type of procedure is widely performed, but
Longitudinal Studies it is very expensive, and Moseley had doubts about its effec-
●● Experimental Designs tiveness (Talbot, 2000). So Moseley decided to perform an
●● Ex Post Facto Designs experimental study that included a placebo as well as a real
Research Methods in Epidemiology arthroscopic surgery. A placebo is an inactive substance or
●● Observational Methods condition that has the appearance of an active treatment and
●● Randomized Controlled Trials that may cause participants to improve or change because of
●● Meta-Analysis
their belief in the placebo’s efficacy.
Moseley suspected that this type of belief, and not the
●● An Example of Epidemiological
surgery, was producing improvements, so he designed a
Research: The Alameda County study in which half of the participants received sham—that is,
Study fake—knee surgery. Participants in this condition received an-
Determining Causation esthesia and surgical lesions to the knee, but no further treat-
●● The Risk Factor Approach ment. The other half of the participants received standard
●● Cigarettes and Disease: Is There arthroscopic knee surgery. The participants agreed to be in
a Causal Relationship? either group, knowing that they might receive sham surgery.
Research Tools The participants, including Colligan, did not know for several
●● The Role of Theory in Research years whether they were in the placebo or the arthroscopic
●● The Role of Psychometrics in surgery group. Moseley discovered, contrary to widespread
Research belief, that arthroscopic knee surgery provided no real ben-
efits beyond a placebo effect. Those who received the sham
QUESTIONS surgery reported the same level of knee pain and functioning
as those who received the real surgical treatment.
This chapter focuses on five basic Moseley’s results suggested that it was the patients’ beliefs
questions: about the surgery, rather than the surgery itself, that provided
such benefits. The placebo effect is a fascinating demonstra-
1. What are placebos, and how
tion of the effect of an individual’s beliefs on their physical
do they affect research and
health. However, the placebo effect presents a problem for re-
treatment? searchers like Moseley who want to determine which effects
2. How does psychology research are due to treatment and which are due to beliefs about the
contribute to health knowledge? treatment.
3. How has epidemiology
contributed to health knowledge?
4. How can scientists determine if
a behavior causes a disease?
5. How do theory and
measurement contribute to
health psychology?
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22 PART 1 ■ Foundations of Health Psychology
This chapter looks at the way health psychologists As we described in Chapter 1, health psychology in-
conduct research, emphasizing psychology from the be- volves the application of psychological principles to the
havioral sciences and epidemiology from the biomedi- understanding and improvement of physical health.
cal sciences. These two disciplines share some methods The placebo effect represents one of the clearest ex-
for investigating health-related behaviors, but they also amples of the link between people’s beliefs and their
have their own unique contributions to scientific meth- physical health. Like many people receiving treatment,
odology. Before we begin examining the methods that Colligan benefited from his positive expectations; he
psychologists and epidemiologists use in their research, improved, even though he received a treatment that
let’s consider the situation that Colligan experienced— technically should not have led to improvement.
improvement due to the placebo effect. Most physicians are aware of the placebo effect,
and many may even prescribe placebos when no other
effective treatments are available (Linde et al., 2018; Til-
2-1 The Placebo in burt et al., 2008). However, strong placebo effects can
pose a problem for scientists trying to evaluate if a new
Treatment and Research treatment is effective. Thus, the placebo effect may help
individuals who receive treatment but complicate the
job of researchers—that is, it can have treatment bene-
Learning OBJECTIVES fits but research drawbacks.
2-1 Understand the placebo effect and how
it demonstrates a role of psychological Treatment and the Placebo
beliefs in health The power of placebo effects was nothing new to Mose-
2-2 Contrast single-blind and double-blind ley, as the potency of “sugar pills” had been recognized
research designs in their ability to control for years. Henry Beecher (1955) observed the effects
for placebo effects of placebos on a variety of conditions ranging from
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CHAPTER 2 ■ Conducting Health Research 23
headache to the common cold. Beecher concluded that than tablets, and placebos labeled with brand names
the therapeutic effect of the placebo was substantial— work better than generic placebos. Two doses provoke
about 35% of patients showed improvement! Hundreds a larger placebo response than one dose. An injection is
of studies have since examined placebo effects. A recent more powerful than a pill, and surgery tends to prompt
review of this research confirms that placebos can lead an even larger placebo response than an injection does.
to noticeable improvements in health outcomes, espe- Even cost matters; more expensive placebo pills work
cially in the context of pain and nausea (Hróbjartsson better than cheaper pills (Waber et al., 2008)!
& Gøtzsche, 2010). For example, a meta-analysis of mi- Both physician and patient expectations also
graine headache prevention (Macedo, Baños, & Farré, strengthen placebo effects. Physicians who appear
2008) shows a placebo effect of 21%. A more recent re- positive and hopeful about treatment prompt stronger
view (Cepeda et al., 2012) reveals that anywhere from responses in their patients (Moerman, 2003). Placebo
7% to 43% of patients in pain improve after receiving a responses also relate to the practitioner’s other
placebo, with the likelihood of improvement largely at- characteristics, such as their reputation, attention,
tributable to the type of pain experienced. interest, concern, and the confidence they project that a
Placebo effects occur in many other health condi- treatment will be effective (Moerman & Jonas, 2002).
tions. For example, some researchers (Fournier et al., Placebos can also produce adverse effects, called the
2010) argue that the placebo effect is responsible for nocebo effect (Scott et al., 2008; Turner et al., 1994). Nearly
much of the effectiveness of antidepressant drugs, espe- 20% of healthy volunteers given a placebo in a double-blind
cially among people with mild to moderate symptoms. study experienced some negative effect because of the
Furthermore, the strength of the placebo effect asso- nocebo effect. Sometimes, these negative effects appear as
ciated with antipsychotic drugs has steadily increased side effects, which show the same symptoms as other drug
over the past 50 years, suggesting that the effectiveness side effects, such as headaches, nausea and other digestive
of these drugs may be in part due to increases in people’s problems, dry mouth, and sleep disturbances (Amanzio et
beliefs regarding their efficacy (Agid et al., 2013; Ru- al., 2009). When participants are led to believe that a treat-
therford et al., 2014). However, some conditions, such ment might worsen symptoms, the nocebo effect can be
as broken bones, do not respond to placebos (Kaptchuk, as strong as the placebo effect (Petersen et al., 2014). The
Eisenberg, & Komaroff, 2002). presence of negative effects demonstrates that the placebo
The more a placebo resembles an effective treat- effect is not merely improvement; it also includes any
ment, the stronger the placebo effect will be. Big pills change resulting from an inert treatment.
are more effective than little ones, and colored pills How and why do the placebo and nocebo
work better than white tablets. Capsules work better effects occur? Although many people assume that
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24 PART 1 ■ Foundations of Health Psychology
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CHAPTER 2 ■ Conducting Health Research 25
expectancy is not as complete as in double-blind designs; particular treatment provides benefits beyond placebo
creating equal expectancies for participants, however, is effects, health researchers also investigate a variety of
usually the more important control feature. Although other questions with several other research designs,
health researchers often want to know whether a which we will describe in the next section.
Would You
Prescribing Placebos May Be Considered Ethical
BELIEVE...?
Cebocap, a capsule available only by ethically permissible to study the procedure, k nown as informed
prescription, may be a wonder drug. effects of placebos on IBS symptoms. consent, stipulates that participants
The ingredients in Cebocap can be In one experimental condition must be informed of factors in the
remarkably effective in relieving many of this study, researchers told patients research that may influence their
health problems with few serious side to take placebo pills twice daily, willingness to participate before they
effects. Yet, many people would be describing them as “made of an inert consent to participate.
upset to learn that their doctor pre- substance, like sugar pills, that have When participants in a clinical
scribed them with Cebocap. been shown in clinical studies to trial agree to take part in the study,
Cebocap is a placebo pill made produce significant improvement in they receive information about the
by Forest Pharmaceuticals. Why IBS symptoms through mind-body possibility of getting a placebo rather
would a physician prescribe Cebocap, self-healing processes” (Kaptchuk et than a treatment. Those participants
and could it ever be ethical to do so? al., 2010, p. el5591). Patients in the who find the chances of receiving a
Although it is unclear how often control condition did not receive any placebo unacceptable may refuse to
physicians prescribe placebos such treatment at all. Indeed, the placebo participate in the study. Colligan, who
as Cebocap, many doctors already re- treatment—even when prescribed in participated in the study with arthro-
port prescribing treatments that they this completely transparent manner— scopic knee surgery, knew that he
consider to be placebos, such as vita- led to fewer symptoms, greater might be included in a sham surgery
mins or antibiotics for a viral infection improvement, and better quality of group, and he consented ( Talbot,
(Tilburt et al., 2008). However, nearly life compared with no treatment. 2000). However, 44% of those inter-
three-quarters of doctors who admit Thus, placebos can be both ethically viewed about that study declined to
to prescribing a placebo describe it prescribed and effective in treatment. participate (Moseley et al., 2002).
simply as “[m]edicine not typically Can placebos be ethically used in Despite the value of placebo
used for your condition but might research? Typically, clinical researchers controls in clinical research, some
benefit you” (Tilburt et al., 2008, p. 3). do not seek to show that placebos physicians and medical ethicists con-
This is truthful and preserves the ac- can work. Rather, they seek to show sider the use of ineffective treatment
tive ingredient of placebos: positive that another treatment performs bet- to be ethically unacceptable because
expectations. However, critics of this ter than using a placebo. Thus, clinical the welfare of patients is not the
practice argue that the physician is researchers may have to assign pa- primary concern. This is a valid con-
deceiving the patient by withholding tients to an experimental condition cern if a patient-participant receives
the fact that the treatment has no in- that they know constitutes an effec- a placebo instead of the accepted
herent medical benefit. tive treatment. How do researchers standard of care (Kottow, 2007).
Could a placebo still be effective reconcile this ethical difficulty? These critics contend that control
if the provider fully informed the pa- Par t of the answer to that groups should receive the standard
tient that the treatment was merely question lies in the rules governing treatment rather than a placebo, and
a placebo? One team of researchers research with human participants that placebo treatment is acceptable
set out to answer this question, by (American Psychological Association only if no treatment exists for the
prescribing placebo pills to patients [ A PA ] , 2 0 0 2 ; W o r l d M e d i c a l condition. Thus, opinion regarding
with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) Association, 2004). Providing an the ethical acceptability of placebo
(Kaptchuk et al., 2010). IBS is a chronic ineffective treatment—or any other treatment is divided, with some find-
gastrointestinal disorder, character- treatment—may be considered ing it acceptable and necessary for
ized by recurrent abdominal pain. ethical if participants understand the research and others objecting to the
With few other effective treatments risks fully and still agree to participate failure to provide an adequate stand-
available for IBS, many view it as in the study. This element of research ard of treatment.
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26 PART 1 ■ Foundations of Health Psychology
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CHAPTER 2 ■ Conducting Health Research 27
and are, therefore, a type of descriptive research design. correlation of over 0.80, showing that countries with
Although scientists cannot use a single descriptive study high meat consumption had significantly higher rates
to determine a causal relationship—such as whether of colon cancer than countries with low meat consump-
diet causes cancer—the degree of relationship between tion. However, simply knowing this correlation did
two factors may be exactly what a researcher wants to not allow the researchers to know whether red meat or
know. some other aspect of diet caused cancer. High red meat
To assess the degree of relationship between two consumption is generally related to other practices,
variables (such as diet and cancer), the researcher meas- such as low consumption of fiber, fruits, and vegetables,
ures each of these variables in a group of participants and could be related to environmental factors as well.
and then calculates the correlation coefficient between Thus, this correlational study suggested a link between
these measures. The calculation yields a number var- diet and cancer risk but could not answer questions of
ying between −1.00 and +1.00. Positive correlations causality directly. Nevertheless, it pointed to a strong
occur when the two variables increase or decrease to- association between diet and colon cancer, which fue-
gether. For example, physical activity and longevity are led the public’s interest in consuming foods that might
positively correlated. Negative correlations occur when prevent cancer. This finding, together with Dr. Burkitt’s
one of the variables increases as the other decreases, highly publicized focus on dietary fiber, led to a wide-
as is the case with the relationship between smoking spread public perception of a causal link between fiber
and longevity. Correlations that are closer to 1.00 (ei- intake and colon cancer.
ther positive or negative) indicate stronger relation-
ships than correlations that are closer to 0.00. Small
correlations—those less than 0.10—can be statistically
Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal
significant if they are based on a large number of obser- Studies
vations, as in a study with many participants. However, When health researchers seek to understand how health
such small correlations, though not random, offer the problems develop over time, they use cross-sectional
researcher very little ability to predict scores on one var- or longitudinal studies. Cross-sectional studies are
iable from knowledge of scores on the other variable. those conducted at only one point in time, whereas
In one of the first examinations of the link between longitudinal studies follow participants over an ex-
diet and cancer, Armstrong and Doll (1975) utilized a tended period. In a cross-sectional design, the inves-
correlational design. These researchers examined the tigator studies a group of people from at least two
correlation between over 20 countries’ average meat different age groups to determine the possible differ-
consumption and the countries’ incidence of colorectal ences between the groups on some measure.
cancer. Indeed, the study noted a large and positive Longitudinal studies can yield information that
cross-sectional studies cannot because they assess the
same people over time, which allows researchers to
identify developmental trends and patterns. However,
longitudinal studies have one obvious drawback: They
take time. Thus, longitudinal studies are costlier than
cross-sectional studies, and they frequently require a
large team of researchers.
Cross-sectional studies have the advantage of
speed, but they have a disadvantage as well. Cross-
sectional studies compare two or more separate groups
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[1425] Meanes. 1575, 78. N.
[1426] God didst suffer so. 1575, 78. N.
[1427] Heady. 1563.
[1428] For that they are neare to. 1575, 78. N.
[1429] Hyghest. 1563, 71, 75, 78. N.
[1430] Laughed. 1563, 71, 75, 78. N.
[1431] The excesse. 1563, 71, 75, 78. N.
[1432] Hane. 1587.
[1433] Foule, misprint. 1587.
[1434]
[1682] Th’intent. N.
[1683] Is godly. 1563.
[1684] From. N.
[1685] Doubtfull. 1563, 71, 75, 78.
[1686] Well may. 1578.
[1687] Which rymed that whych made full many mourne.
1563.
[1688] The kynge himselfe of. 1563.
[1689] His faultors faultes. 1563.
[1690] Was. 1571, 75, 78.
[1691] The chyefe was Catesby whom. 1563.
[1692] Whom I did call. N.
[1693] Tyll he vsurped the crowne, he. 1563.
[1694] So many thousandes as they have destroyed. 1563.
[1695] Laweles dealynges al men dyd. 1563.
[1696] Pessima. 1571, 75, 78.
[1697] Quis vetat? None, save clymers stil in ferum, 1563.
[1698] Satyr. 1563.
[1699] Who rudely named were. 1563.
[1700] Me wyth most haynous traytrous cryme. 1563.
[1701] And strangled fyrst in. 1563. And strangled then in. N.
[1702] Ore. N.
[1703] And so sore. 1578.
[1704]