Deck 3: Health Behaviors

Question 1

According to the demographic factors discussed in the text, which of the following individuals is most likely to practice good health behaviours?

A) Joe, a 45-year-old high school dropout who works two jobs in order to support his family
B) Dan, a 30-year-old high school graduate who works as a file clerk in a small insurance agency who expects to be married next month
C) Bill, a divorced 50-year-old corporate attorney
D) Sam, a 30-year-old assistant professor who has just celebrated his fifth wedding anniversary
E) Barbara, a high school senior in a small farming community

Answer 1

Sam, a 30-year-old assistant professor who has just celebrated his fifth wedding anniversary

Question 2

Social cognition models of health behaviour change suggest that the beliefs that people hold about particular health behaviour motivate their decision to change that behaviour.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Health promotion is defined as helping people at risk for particular health problems by making healthy lifestyle changes.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

Research suggests that most people's perceptions of their own health risks are

A) unrealistically optimistic.
B) unrealistically pessimistic.
C) insensitive to feedback.
D) generally accurate.
E) that their poor health behaviours are distinctive.

Question 5

Research has established that the more fear that a persuasive message elicits, the more effective it is for changing behaviour.

Question 6

Social engineering approaches to health behaviour change are active.

Question 7

Which of the following is considered a "teachable moment"?

A) a child's first dental visit
B) pregnancy
C) an adult with newly diagnosed coronary artery disease
D) a crucial point at which a person is ready to modify a health behaviour
E) All of these answers are correct.

Question 8

Instilling good health habits and changing poor ones is the task of primary prevention.

Question 9

By the age of 11 or 12, most children have fairly stable health beliefs that resemble those of adults.

Question 10

One aspect of health habits that makes them difficult to modify is that

A) the exact point for intervention is seldom clear.
B) they are interdependent-a change in one habit is often reflected in changes in others.
C) factors controlling health behaviour are generally consistent across the life span.
D) unhealthy habits do not develop until adulthood, when they have no apparent effect on health.
E) stable personalities make change difficult.

Question 11

Which of the following is the best definition of health promotion?

A) A general philosophy that good health is a personal and collective achievement.
B) The practice of good health behaviours.
C) The avoidance of health-compromising behaviours.
D) Medical interventions designed to enhance and maximize good health.
E) A collection of behavioural management techniques for good health behaviours.

Question 12

Health habits

A) are highly resistant to change, because they are continually reinforced by specific positive outcomes.
B) are unrelated to health behaviours.
C) require access to the health care delivery system.
D) are often performed without conscious awareness.
E) are something people are consciously aware of but choose to deny.

Question 13

Health risk assessments identify employees' specific risks based on current age, family history, and lifestyle factors.

Question 14

According to the text, cancer deaths could be reduced by more than 50 percent simply by getting people to

A) avoid smoking.
B) increase their physical activity.
C) tell their doctor when their health changes.
D) eat more fruits and vegetables.
E) decrease their alcohol intake.

Question 15

Cognitive-behaviour therapy approaches to health habit modification target behaviour itself, the conditions that elicit and maintain it and the factors that reinforce it.

Question 16

According to the text, changing health behaviours may be beneficial because it

A) may reduce the number of deaths due to diseases related to lifestyle.
B) may increase individual longevity and life expectancy.
C) may delay the onset of chronic disease and enhance quality of life.
D) it will reduce spending on health services.
E) All of these answers are correct.

Question 17

The concept of the window of vulnerability refers to the fact that certain times are better for teaching particular health practices than others.

Question 18

Health message communicators are more persuasive if they are likable and similar to the audience.

Question 19

You are designing a health-promotion program for a retirement community. According to the text, which of the following behaviours would be the most important to target in your intervention?

A) Eliminating smoking.
B) Developing a regular exercise program.
C) Maintaining a healthy diet.
D) Getting regular vaccinations for influenza.
E) Learning meditation and relaxation techniques.

Question 20

Considering the relationship of chronological age to health behaviours, health habits

A) are good in childhood.
B) deteriorate in adolescence and early adulthood.
C) improve among retired adults under 73.
D) deteriorate among adults 73 and older.
E) are relatively stable throughout the lifespan.

Question 21

Rhonda entered into an agreement with her friend, Nancy, in an attempt to establish a regular exercise program. According to their agreement, Nancy pays Rhonda $1 every day that she exercises for at least 30 minutes after work. If she fails to do so, Rhonda must pay Nancy $1. This is an example of

A) shaping.
B) a token economy.
C) a contingency contract.
D) vicarious reinforcement.
E) negative reinforcement.

Question 22

According to the theory of planned behaviour, behavioural intentions are a function of

A) attitude to a specific action, subjective norms, and perceptions of control.
B) general health attitudes, normative beliefs, and perceptions of control.
C) specific health attitudes and normative beliefs.
D) perceptions of vulnerability, magnitude of health threat, and self-efficacy.
E) planning and self-esteem.

Question 23

_______________ focuses on the target behaviour and on the beliefs that people hold about their health habits.

A) Attitudinal therapy
B) Operant conditioning
C) Cognitive-behaviour therapy
D) Modelling
E) Classical conditioning.

Question 24

The use of rewards for weight loss (e.g., money or new clothing) in the treatment of obesity is an example of

A) shaping.
B) modelling.
C) operant conditioning.
D) classical conditioning.
E) conditioned response.

Question 25

Julian has decided that he needs to lose 15 pounds. He is concerned about the amount of fat he consumes and suspects that his cholesterol count is high. He has purchased a popular book on low-fat diets and has decided that he will begin walking three times a week after he buys a new pair of walking shoes next week. According to Prochaska et al.'s (1992) transtheoretical model of behavioural change, Julian is in the _______________ stage of health behaviour change.

A) precontemplation
B) contemplation
C) preparation
D) action
E) maintenance

Question 26

A behavioural response is most resistant to extinction if it is subject to a _______________ schedule of reinforcement.

A) continuous
B) variable
C) random
D) maintenance
E) positive

Question 27

A discriminative stimulus

A) is a central component of therapies based on classical conditioning.
B) becomes reinforcing through pairing with the unconditioned stimulus.
C) serves as a cue that positive reinforcement will occur.
D) involves systematically rewarding the self to increase or decrease the occurrence of a target behaviour.
E) is often associated with shaping behavior.

Question 28

Studies evaluating the effectiveness of Prochaska et al.'s (1992) transtheoretical model of behavioural change indicate that

A) interventions matched to the stage that an individual is in are more successful than those more appropriate for other stages.
B) interventions that teach skills relevant to action and behaviour maintenance have little effect on individual motivation.
C) the media has even less of an effect on an individual's health behaviours than previously thought.
D) its applications have shown mixed success.
E) its applications have been shown to be extremely useful.

Question 29

The use of ex-addicts as peer counsellors in drug treatment programs is an example of

A) shaping.
B) modelling.
C) operant conditioning.
D) classical conditioning.
E) mentoring.

Question 30

_________________ trains individuals to recognize and modify negative internal monologues to promote health behaviour change.

A) Covert self-control
B) Self-efficacy
C) Contingency contracting
D) Assertiveness training
E) Behavioural assignment

Question 31

Fred wants to lose 20 pounds. He places 20 one-pound boxes of lard in the refrigerator. As his weight-loss program proceeds, he removes one box of lard each time he succeeds in losing a pound. In this instance, Fred is using

A) positive self-punishment.
B) negative self-punishment.
C) positive self-reward.
D) negative self-reward.
E) positive self-punishment and negative self-reward.

Question 32

The use of Antabuse in the treatment of alcoholism involves having the client sip his or her favourite drink while ingesting Antabuse. After several pairings, alcohol becomes associated with the Antabuse and elicits a(n) _______________.

A) conditioned response
B) conditioned stimulus
C) unconditioned response
D) unconditioned stimulus
E) extinction response

Question 33

Julia is designing a public service message designed to encourage adults to engage in moderate exercise. To be most effective, her message should address

A) weight gain experienced by sedentary adults as they age.
B) decreased flexibility associated with lack of exercise.
C) positive mood and enhanced well-being associated with aerobic exercise.
D) decreased bone density as they age.
E) the strongest arguments in the middle of her message.

Question 34

The health belief model states that the practice of a particular health behaviour is a function of

A) an individual's beliefs that he or she, rather than powerful others or chance, is in control of his or her own health.
B) an individual's attitudes about a health behaviour, subjective normative beliefs, and self-efficacy.
C) an individual's beliefs in a specific health threat and beliefs that a specific health behaviour can reduce that threat.
D) perceived self-efficacy and perceived invulnerability.
E) the fact that messages that emphasize potential problems should work better for behaviours that have uncertain outcomes.

Question 35

Self-punishment

A) is as effective in changing behaviour as self-reward.
B) is most effective in changing behaviour when it is also coupled with self-reward.
C) is effective in behaviour change even when individuals stop performing the target behaviour.
D) becomes increasingly effective as the punishment becomes increasingly aversive.
E) is not usually recommended due to the lasting emotional problems associated with it.

Question 36

Which of the following is NOT the best example of an implementation intention to increase exercise behaviour?

A) I want to exercise more.
B) I will go buy some new running shoes so that I can start running.
C) I will jog for 30 minutes in my neighbourhood every Tuesday and Thursday evening.
D) I will exercise 2 hours per week for the next 3 months.
E) I will complete three sets of 10 squats every day.

Question 37

Which of the following is the best description of Prospect theory?

A) different presentations of risk information will change people's perspectives and actions.
B) messages that emphasize potential problems should work better for behaviours that have uncertain outcomes.
C) messages that stress benefits may be more persuasive for behaviours with certain low risk outcomes.
D) matching the framing of the message with the health behaviour can impact the effectiveness of the message.
E) messages that emphasize statistics tend to be regarded as most important.

Question 38

Classical conditioning modifies the _______________ of behaviour; operant conditioning modifies the _______________ of behaviour.

A) consequences; consequences
B) consequences; antecedents
C) antecedents; consequences
D) antecedents; antecedents
E) stimuli; responses

Question 39

_______________ is the belief that one is able to control one's practice of a particular behaviour.

A) Health locus-of-control
B) Self-esteem
C) Self-control
D) Self-efficacy
E) Self-confidence

Question 40

Brenda has been trying to lose weight and control her seemingly insatiable sweet tooth. To meet her goal, she has removed all cookies, candy, and ice cream from the kitchen cabinets and refrigerator. She also has begun keeping a bowl of fresh fruit on the kitchen counter from which she may nibble freely. Brenda is practicing

A) vicarious self-control.
B) self-punishment.
C) stimulus control.
D) self-reinforcement.
E) discriminating stimuli.

Question 41

_______________ involves modifying the environment to affect one's ability to practise a particular behaviour.

A) Social engineering
B) Reconstruction
C) Adaptive environmental change
D) Passive retraining
E) Occupational therapy

Question 42

Relapse

A) is more likely to be observed in instances of declining motivation and lack of goals.
B) appears to be unrelated to situational factors; it is almost exclusively an individual problem.
C) has been found to have similar rates and patterns for alcohol and drug addiction, but relapse rates for smokers increase with the passage of time.
D) is unrelated to levels of perceived stress and social support.
E) usually occurs after a three month period of abstinence.

Question 43

Which of the following is NOT an example of social engineering to change health-related behaviours?

A) Legislating smoke-free indoor work environments.
B) Lowering the speed limit.
C) Interventions designed to get parents to reduce accidents in the home.
D) Legislation to eliminate the amount of trans fats allowed in foods.
E) Requiring immunizations for children before school entry.

Question 44

The family physician may be a particularly effective agent in promoting health-related attitudes and behaviour because

A) individuals are more likely to follow a suggested treatment if they pay for professional advice.
B) few social engineering solutions to health problems have been successful.
C) a one-to-one approach is the least expensive and most efficient vehicle for changing health habits.
D) a physician is a highly credible communicator and agent of health-habit change.
E) a physician can reduce the risk status of many people at one time.

Question 45

List three types of venues used for health behaviour change and describe how each deals with health behaviour change. What are the advantages and disadvantages of each venue?

Question 46

The goal of social skills training is to

A) reduce the anxiety associated with social situations.
B) get the client to think through and express some of his or her own reasons for and against change.
C) learn relaxation procedures to cope more effectively with their anxiety.
D) learn to relax all the muscles in the body to discharge tension or stress.
E) increase motivation.

Question 47

Describe the problem of relapse. Explain how relapse prevention might be incorporated into a broad-spectrum cognitive-behaviour therapy treatment plan for (choose one) alcoholism, smoking, or obesity. Be sure to include in your answer specific cognitive-behaviour techniques and their role in the therapeutic plan.

Question 48

Relapse prevention techniques often adopt cue exposure techniques, which

A) extinguish the craving typically evoked by a cue, such as an alcoholic beverage.
B) increase feelings of self-efficacy.
C) reduce positive expectations associated with the addictive behaviour.
D) provides the opportunity to practise coping responses.
E) All of these answers are correct.

Question 49

Motivational interviewing

A) is designed to reduce anxiety that occurs in social situations.
B) is used to train a client in cognitive restructuring
C) helps rid the environment of discriminative stimuli that evoke the problem of health behaviour.
D) is a client-centred counselling style designed to get people to work through ambivalence they may be experiencing about changing their health behaviours.
E) sets the stage for enlisting the patient's joint participation early in the effort to modify health behaviours.

Question 50

Charles is a college student who smokes cigarettes. Use the health belief model and the theory of planned behaviour to explain why Charles continues to smoke even though he is aware of the Surgeon General's warning about the relationship between cigarettes and cancer and heart disease.

Question 51

Explain why the instability of health habits makes them difficult to change.

Question 52

Internal monologues

A) are always positive and adaptive.
B) can function as antecedents and as consequences of target behaviour.
C) are resistant to change through standard techniques of reinforcement.
D) can function as antecedents but not as consequences of target behaviour.
E) are always negative and maladaptive.

Question 53

Which of the following is NOT one of the main messages conveyed by the ParticipACTION media campaign?

A) eat well
B) avoid illness
C) be physically active
D) feel good about yourself
E) have fun while being physically active

Question 54

The work site has typically dealt with employees' health habits by

A) providing on-the-job health-promotion programs.
B) using a health risk assessment to identify employees' specific risks.
C) structuring the environment to help people engage in healthy activities.
D) providing reduced insurance premiums for individuals who successfully modify their health habits.
E) All of these answers are correct.

Question 55

An abstinence violation effect is associated with

A) psychological reactance and an increased feeling of perceived control.
B) an increased feeling of perceived control and decreased likelihood of relapse.
C) a loss of perceived control and increased likelihood of relapse.
D) increased vigilance.
E) suppressed hypervigilance.

Question 56

Wanda's weight loss counsellor has observed that she has a self-defeating pattern of beliefs and cognitions about her ability to control her overeating. Specifically, when she eats something that is not allowed on her diet, she thinks "I have no willpower; I'll always be fat" and binges the rest of the day. Wanda's counsellor now is encouraging her to think "Well, I slipped on my diet at lunch. Relax, one slip isn't that bad. I'll get back on my diet right away!" The therapist is utilizing a technique called

A) cognitive restructuring.
B) positive reinforcement.
C) self-monitoring.
D) self-punishment.
E) theory of reasoned behaviour.

Question 57

Evaluations of the efficacy of mass media health appeals suggest that

A) messages are often too concrete and specific, and thus it is difficult to glean useful information from mass media appeals.
B) including specific recommendations about health-related behaviours diminishes individual perceptions of self-efficacy.
C) mass media messages are unrelated to shifts in cultural climate.
D) media appeals are often important sources of information for alerting the public to unknown health risks.
E) mass media campaigns are successful at bringing about long-term change.

Question 58

How have patterns of disease in Canada changed since the turn of the 20^th century? Considering these trends, explain the importance of efforts to modify health behaviours and lifestyle rebalancing.

Question 59

How can modelling can be used to teach the client cognitive restructuring?

A) Model maladaptive behaviours first.
B) Model classical conditioning.
C) Model adaptive self-talk.
D) Model effective breathing techniques.
E) Model motivational learning.

Question 60

Compare and contrast what health promotion means to individuals, medical practitioners, psychologists, and community and national policy makers.