Question 1

The number of new cases of diabetes in the United States has been:

Accepted Answer

The number of new cases of diabetes in the United States has been leveling off in recent years, rather than steadily increasing or remaining the same.

Question 2

Identify and discuss in detail some of the specific factors that helped shape health psychology as a viable and legitimate field of research and study. What specific additional factors do you believe will be instrumental in shaping the field's future?

Accepted Answer

not answered

Question 3

Jake and Jack are identical twins who have the same genetic vulnerability to prostate cancer. If Jake develops prostate cancer:

Accepted Answer

While identical twins share the same genetic vulnerability to prostate cancer, the exact cause of cancer development is still not fully understood. Psychosocial factors, health behaviors, and environmental exposures can all play a role in cancer development. Therefore, even if Jake develops prostate cancer, Jack may or may not develop it depending on these factors.

Question 4

In one study of psychosocial factors and health, men and women with low social integration scores:

Accepted Answer

The study found that individuals with low social integration scores had more than twice the risk of dying compared to those with high social integration scores, indicating a strong link between social integration and overall mortality.

Question 5

Considering current trends in research, policy, and practice in the topic areas of illness and aging, what do you predict will be the next major developments in health and policy research over the next 25 years?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Considering current trends in research, policy, and...

Question 6

Which of these is NOT one of health psychology's major future challenges?

Accepted Answer

Restoring a fee-for-service model of health care is not a major future challenge for health psychology. The other three options (increasing the span of healthy life for all people, increasing knowledge of understudied groups, and achieving equal access to preventive health care for all people) are all current challenges that health psychology is actively working to address.

Question 7

The impact of psychosocial factors on the development and progression of disease:

Accepted Answer

Psychosocial factors such as stress, anxiety, depression, and social support have been found to impact the development and progression of various diseases. In fact, research has shown that the impact of these factors can often equal or exceed that of more traditional risk factors such as smoking, high blood pressure, and lack of exercise. Therefore, it is important to consider both traditional risk factors and psychosocial factors when assessing an individual's risk for developing or progressing a disease.

Question 8

State and briefly discuss the five challenges that are facing health psychology in the future, and offer a viable and practical solution to help alleviate the impact of at least two of the five challenges stated in the text.

Accepted Answer

The answer of State and briefly discuss the five challenges...

Question 9

Stress is best understood as a:

Accepted Answer

Stress is not just a stimulus or response but a transaction between a person and an event. It involves the appraisal of the event and the individual's reaction to it. Stress can also result in physiological changes but it is not just a changing physiological state.

Question 10

Which of these conditions is NOT one of the three leading causes of death in the United States?

Accepted Answer

The three leading causes of death in the United States are heart disease, cancer, and stroke. While diabetes can be a risk factor for heart disease and stroke, it is not itself considered one of the top three leading causes of death.

Question 11

In the United States, average life expectancy reached an all-time high of ______ years in 2013..

Accepted Answer

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the United States' average life expectancy reached an all-time high of 78.8 years in 2013.

Question 12

According to Healthy People 2020, how many deaths in the United States each year are preventable?

Accepted Answer

Healthy People 2020 states that approximately 40 percent of deaths in the United States each year are preventable through lifestyle changes and preventive healthcare measures.

Question 13

In the United States, the number of overweight and obese individuals:

Accepted Answer

According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the prevalence of obesity in the United States has been steadily increasing since the 1990s. As of 2018, approximately 42.4% of adults in the U.S. were classified as obese. Therefore, the correct answer is D - the number of overweight and obese individuals is increasing.

Question 14

Regarding lifestyle behaviors and disease, which statement is true?

Accepted Answer

Smoking has been conclusively linked to lung cancer through extensive research and evidence.

Question 15

Stress affects the health of some people by increasing their use of tobacco and alcohol. This is an example of a(n) ______ effect of stress on health.

Accepted Answer

This is an example of an indirect behaviorally mediated effect of stress on health, as stress is not directly causing changes in the body but rather indirectly affecting behavior and therefore health outcomes.

Question 16

Many young people are more heavily influenced by the immediate rewards of unhealthy behaviors than by worries about long-term health consequences. To prevent teens from developing bad habits in the first place, health psychologists increasingly use:

Accepted Answer

Behavioral immunization programs are specifically designed to prevent harmful behaviors such as substance abuse, unprotected sex, and reckless driving. They do this by providing adolescents with the skills and knowledge necessary to resist peer pressure and make healthy choices, as well as creating opportunities for them to practice and reinforce these skills. By inoculating young people against harmful influences, these programs aim to prevent the development of unhealthy behaviors in the first place, rather than simply treating them once they have already emerged.

Question 17

Health psychology is still a relatively new field of study and its contributions to the more established fields of health, health policy, and medicine are still unfolding. Discuss in detail the most important lessons learned from health psychology's first four decades of research.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Health psychology is still a relatively new...

Question 18

Stress affects the health of some people by increasing hormonal activity in their bodies. This is an example of a(n) ______ effect of stress on health.

Accepted Answer

This is a direct physiological effect because stress is directly causing an increase in hormonal activity in the body. It is not an indirect effect through health behaviors or behaviorally mediated.

Question 19

Which of these was NOT suggested as a possible reason that social integration protects against chronic disease?

Accepted Answer

Option D is not a suggested reason for why social integration protects against chronic disease. Options A, B, and C were all discussed as potential explanations.

Question 20

Stress affects the health of some people by decreasing the likelihood that they will seek notice symptoms or seek health care. This is an example of a(n) ______ effect of stress on health.

Accepted Answer

Indirect health behavior refers to the ways in which stress can affect health through changes in health-related behaviors, such as seeking medical care.

Quiz 16: Health Psychology Today and Tomorrow