PSYC 3170 Chapter Notes - Chapter 1: Biomedical Model, Systems Theory, Autonomic Nervous System

• School: York University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYC 3170
• Professor: Gerry Goldberg

Document Summary

Health psychology: understanding psychological influences and how ppl stay healthy, why they become ill, how they react to getting ill. Health definition: complete state of physical, mental and social well-being not merely the absence of infirmity, some use "wellness"" instead. Health psychologists focus on: health promotion and maintenance, prevention and treatment, etiology, correlates of health, illness, dysfunction. Etiology -is origins that cause illness: tend to look at social factors, and states of mind to determine illness" cause. Also habits and learned activities: develop recommendations to improve health care and promotion. Early philosophers: evil spirits cause of disease. Greeks: bodily functions to attribute health: hippocrates/galen: disease caused by bodily factors, which also impact on mind. Morgannis 1682- autopsy and rejection of humoral theory of illness. Unconscious conflicts produce psychological disturbances: psychosomatic medicine. Dunbar/alexander: linked patterns of personality to specific conflicts and illness. Conflicts produce anxiety; takes physiological toll on body via autonomic nervous system.