PSY111 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Biopsychosocial Model, Demon, Health Belief Model
LEARNED HELPLESSNESS
• The expectancy that one cannot escape aversive events
• Controversially studied by Seligman in 1975 using dogs and electric shocks
• The ethical issues of such studies involving animals are hotly debated
• Seligman argued that learned helplessness is central to human depression
OBSERVATIONAL LEARNING
• Observational Learning
• Learning that occurs when an organism's responding is influenced by the observation of others
(models)
• Studied extensively by Albert Bandura (1977, 1986) BoBo Doll Study
• Not distinct from classical and operant conditioning but extends the reach of these processes
• Classical and operant conditioning emphasise direct learning
• Observational indirect (vicarious) learning
• Basic Processes
• Attention
Must pay attention to another person’s behaviour and its consequences
• Retention
Must store a mental representation of observed behaviour in memory
• Reproduction
Must have the ability to reproduce the behaviour
• Motivation
Must be motivated to reproduce the observed behaviour
APPLICATIONS OF OBSERVATIONAL LEARNING (MODELLING)
• Survival
• Treatment of phobias
• Behavioural Intervention Programs (modelling)
• Gender role development
• Motor skill learning (sport coaching)
HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY
- Health psychology is the understanding of psychological influences on how people stay
healthy, why they become ill, and how they respond when they do get ill.
- Health is a ‘complete state of physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the
absence of disease or infirmity’ (World Health Organisation, 1948)
Document Summary
Must pay attention to another person"s behaviour and its consequences. Must store a mental representation of observed behaviour in memory: reproduction. Must have the ability to reproduce the behaviour: motivation. Must be motivated to reproduce the observed behaviour. Applications of observational learning (modelling: survival, treatment of phobias, behavioural intervention programs (modelling, gender role development, motor skill learning (sport coaching) Health psychology is the understanding of psychological influences on how people stay healthy, why they become ill, and how they respond when they do get ill. Health is a complete state of physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity" (world health organisation, 1948) Descartes: cartesian dualism mind and body separate to treat illness focus on the body. Freud: some illnesses cannot be traced to physical causes. Biopsychosocial model: illness due to biological, psychological, and social causes. Suggests that health behaviours are predicted by four factors: Perceived susceptibility to a health threat; optimistic bias.
