Chapter 3: Theories of Health Behavior

Test Bank

Multiple Choice

1. The oldest continuum theory of health behavior is ______.

A. the theory of reasoned action

B. social cognitive theory

C. the theory of planned behavior

D. the health belief model

Learning Objective: 3-1: Describe the three continuum theories of health behavior.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Health Belief Model

Difficulty Level: Easy

2. A social efficacy component is ______ in the health belief model and ______ in social cognitive theory.

A. absent; absent

B. absent; present

C. present; absent

D. present; present

Learning Objective: 3-1: Describe the three continuum theories of health behavior.

Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Components of Social Cognitive Theory

Difficulty Level: Hard

3. An individual’s belief about whether others will support a new health behavior are a key element of a ______ model of health behavior called the ______.

A. continuum; theory of reasoned action

B. continuum; transtheoretical model

C. stage; theory of reasoned action

D. stage; transtheoretical model

Learning Objective: 3-1: Describe the three continuum theories of health behavior.

Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Theories of Reasoned Action and Planned Behavior

Difficulty Level: Medium

4. Continuum theories of health behavior do NOT include ______.

A. the transtheoretical model

B. theories of reasoned action and planned behavior

C. social cognitive theory

D. the health belief model

Learning Objective: 3-1: Describe the three continuum theories of health behavior.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Critiques of Continuum Models

Difficulty Level: Medium

5. Which statement is NOT a valid criticism of continuum theories of health behavior?

A. Continuum theories may lack sociocultural generality.

B. Continuum theories do not predict behavior over time.

C. Continuum theories fail to predict specific health behaviors, such as using condoms or receiving vaccinations.

D. Continuum theories do not include an individual’s past behavior as a potential influence on health behaviors.

Learning Objective: 3-1: Describe the three continuum theories of health behavior.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Critiques of Continuum Models

Difficulty Level: Medium

6. “Health behaviors are no different than any other behavior,” a health psychologist argues. “They are acquired through basic mechanisms like association, reinforcement, and modeling,” she continues. The health psychologist seems to endorse ______.

A. social cognitive theory

B. the theory of planned action

C. the health belief model

D. learning theory

Learning Objective: 3-2: Compare the three distinct learning theories of health behavior.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Learning Theories of Health Behavior

Difficulty Level: Medium

7. The graphic images of diseased lungs and rotten teeth and gums that appear on cigarette packages in Canada and Australia depend for their effectiveness on a learning mechanism called ______.

A. classical conditioning

B. habituation

C. observational learning

D. operant conditioning

Learning Objective: 3-2: Compare the three distinct learning theories of health behavior.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Classical Conditioning

Difficulty Level: Hard

8. The idea that behaviors can be increased or decreased as a result of their consequences is at the heart of a learning process called ______.

A. classical conditioning

B. habituation

C. observational learning

D. operant conditioning

Learning Objective: 3-2: Compare the three distinct learning theories of health behavior.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Operant Conditioning

Difficulty Level: Easy

9. The portrayal of the likely success of such procedures as CPR on television medical dramas is BEST described as ______.

A. too pessimistic

B. realistic

C. slightly optimistic

D. very optimistic

Learning Objective: 3-2: Compare the three distinct learning theories of health behavior.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Observational Learning

Difficulty Level: Medium

10. The use of learning theory to design programs aimed at promoting health behavior yields changes that are ______.

A. usually negligible

B. sometimes superficial

C. often dramatic

D. generally lasting

Learning Objective: 3-2: Compare the three distinct learning theories of health behavior.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Evaluating Learning Theories

Difficulty Level: Hard

11. With respect to health behavior, structure is to process as ______ theories are to ______ theories.

A. continuum; stage

B. learning; stage

C. stage; continuum

D. learning; continuum

Learning Objective: 3-3: Explain the three stage models of health behavior change.

Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Stage Models of Health Behavior Change

Difficulty Level: Hard

12. The first stage of the transtheoretical model of health behavior change is ______, and the last stage is ______.

A. contemplation; maintenance

B. contemplation; action

C. precontemplation; maintenance

D. precontemplation; action

Learning Objective: 3-3: Explain the three stage models of health behavior change.

Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Transtheoretical (Stages of Change) Model

Difficulty Level: Medium

13. Jenny is a member of Narcotics Anonymous. Her sponsor stresses the importance of regular meeting attendance and continued step work to build clean time and to prevent a relapse. With respect to the stages of change model, this advice is aimed at supporting the ______ stage.

A. maintenance

B. action

C. precontemplation

D. contemplation

Learning Objective: 3-3: Explain the three stage models of health behavior change.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Transtheoretical (Stages of Change) Model

Difficulty Level: Medium

14. The precaution adoption process model differs from the transtheoretic model of health behavior change in that it ______.

A. includes two broad stages rather than five specific ones

B. identifies more stages at the beginning of the health behavior change process

C. eliminates the maintenance stage

D. proposes that people move through the stages in a linear fashion

Learning Objective: 3-3: Explain the three stage models of health behavior change.

Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Precaution Adoption Process Model

Difficulty Level: Hard

15. The newest stage model of health behavior change is the ______. This far, the empirical support for this model is ______.

A. health action process approach; encouraging

B. health action process approach; mixed

C. transtheoretical model; encouraging

D. transtheoretical model; mixed

Learning Objective: 3-3: Explain the three stage models of health behavior change.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Health Action Process Approach

Difficulty Level: Medium

16. DARE, the often-used drug prevention program is ______ successful.

A. not at all

B. somewhat

C. quite

D. very

Learning Objective: 3-4: Describe distinct strategies for creating health behavior change.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Critiques of Fear-Based Appeals

Difficulty Level: Easy

17. Some years ago, a law enforcement office in Oregon created a visual campaign called “Faces of Meth,” comprising striking mug shots of repeat arrestees that showed the damage to one’s appearance resulting from methamphetamine abuse. This campaign was MOST likely effective because it ______.

A. allayed anxiety

B. enhanced vulnerability

C. offered concrete strategies

D. provided self-affirmation

Learning Objective: 3-4: Describe distinct strategies for creating health behavior change.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Improving Fear-Based Appeals

Difficulty Level: Hard

18. Including opportunities for self-affirmation in fear-based appeals is ______.

A. counterproductive, because it makes people feel invulnerable to illness or injury

B. counterproductive, because it encourages people to discount the main message

C. unproductive, because they have no effect

D. effective, because it makes people open to information they don’t want to hear

Learning Objective: 3-4: Describe distinct strategies for creating health behavior change.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Improving Fear-Based Appeals

Difficulty Level: Medium

19. Overall, fear-based appeals ______.

A. are almost never effective

B. are effective only in the short-term

C. can be effective if they are carefully crafted

D. are almost always effective

Learning Objective: 3-4: Describe distinct strategies for creating health behavior change.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Improving Fear-Based Appeals

Difficulty Level: Medium

20. The textbook’s discussion of message framing suggests that gain-framed messages are to ______ prevention as loss-framed messages are to ______ prevention.

A. secondary; primary

B. tertiary; secondary

C. tertiary; primary

D. primary; secondary

Learning Objective: 3-4: Describe distinct strategies for creating health behavior change.

Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Message Framing

Difficulty Level: Hard

21. With respect to health-promotion messages, tailored is to ______ as targeted is to ______.

A. group; individual

B. individual; group

C. gain-framed; loss-framed

D. loss-framed; gain-framed

Learning Objective: 3-5: Summarize the use of personalized health-promotion messages.

Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Personalized Health-Promotion Messages

Difficulty Level: Hard

22. Anh Dung, Guillermo, and Al are three men in treatment for alcohol use disorder. Anh Dung remarks that he experiences strong cravings for a drink; Guillermo has exceptional verbal skills; and Al scores high on subclinical tests of psychopathology. Which choice pairs a potential treatment element with the individual for whom it is MOST appropriately tailored?

A. medication--Al

B. coping skills training--Al

C. medication--Guillermo

D. relapse prevention training--Anh Dung

Learning Objective: 3-5: Summarize the use of personalized health-promotion messages.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Reducing Alcohol Use

Difficulty Level: Hard

23. As compared to generic weight loss messages, tailored messages are ______ effective for obese women with an ______ locus of control.

A. equally; internal

B. less; internal

C. less; external

D. more; external

Learning Objective: 3-5: Summarize the use of personalized health-promotion messages.

Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Improving Eating and Eating-Disordered Behavior

Difficulty Level: Medium

24. Anjelica has always been a bit of “control freak” and “micromanager” who wants to know everything, all the time. The same is true for her impending surgery. Based on the textbook’s discussion of tailored health-promotion messages, Anjelica is MOST likely to benefit from a(n) ______ intervention to manage the pain related to her procedure.

A. emotion-focused

B. gain-framed

C. loss-framed

D. problem-focused

Learning Objective: 3-5: Summarize the use of personalized health-promotion messages.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Managing Pain and Illness

Difficulty Level: Medium

25. In one study described in the text (Kalichman and colleagues, 1993), targeting safe-sex messages through background music, choice of narrator, and culturally appropriate references resulted in an increase of about ______ percentage points in the proportion of Black women requesting condoms.

A. 10

B. 20

C. 30

D. 40

Learning Objective: 3-5: Summarize the use of personalized health-promotion messages.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Screening for Health Conditions

Difficulty Level: Medium

True/False

1. According to the social cognition model, whether an individual thinks that strength training will have any effect on their physique is an example of self-efficacy.

Learning Objective: 3-1: Describe the three continuum theories of health behavior.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Adulthood and Older Adulthood

Difficulty Level: Medium

2. From the perspective of the biopsychosocial model, continuum models of health behavior may be seen as incomplete.

Learning Objective: 3-1: Describe the three continuum theories of health behavior.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Critiques of Continuum Models

Difficulty Level: Medium

3. Operant conditioning approaches are MOST effective when people are rewarded for small steps in the right direction.

Learning Objective: 3-2: Compare the three distinct learning theories of health behavior.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Operant Conditioning

Difficulty Level: Easy

4. The transtheoretical model recognizes that people may not make changes in a linear fashion.

Learning Objective: 3-3: Explain the three stage models of health behavior change.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Transtheoretical (Stages of Change) Model

Difficulty Level: Medium

5. The health action process approach contains two broad stages: the action and maintenance stages.

Learning Objective: 3-3: Explain the three stage models of health behavior change.

Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Health Action Process Approach

Difficulty Level: Medium

6. Patterns of brain activation suggest that fear-based appeals should be highly effective.

Learning Objective: 3-4: Describe distinct strategies for creating health behavior change.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Fear-Based Appeals

Difficulty Level: Medium

7. Fear-based appeals are effective as long as they do not make people feel vulnerable.

Learning Objective: 3-4: Describe distinct strategies for creating health behavior change.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Improving Fear-Based Appeals

Difficulty Level: Medium

8. The effectiveness of a particular message promoting condom use may vary depending on an individual’s focus on intimacy in their relationships.

Learning Objective: 3-5: Summarize the use of personalized health-promotion messages.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Increasing Condom Use

Difficulty Level: Medium

Essay

1. Propose a positive health behavior change you might undertake in the near future, or one that a close friend or family member might undertake. Suggest how the change might unfold according to the transtheoretical or stages of change model. Be sure to briefly define each stage of the model and to illustrate each stage with a concrete example reflecting the proposed health behavior change.

Learning Objective: 3-3: Explain the three stage models of health behavior change.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Transtheoretical (Stages of Change) Model

Difficulty Level: Medium

2. Fear-based appeals are sometimes effective at producing health behavior change; sometimes, however, they are ineffective. Suggest two ways to improve fear-based appeals, illustrating each with an example from an actual or hypothetical fear-based appeal.

Learning Objective: 3-4: Describe distinct strategies for creating health behavior change.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Improving Fear-Based Appeals

Difficulty Level: Medium