PSYCHOLOGY,EMOTIONS, &

ATTITUDE

Kingsuk Sarkar, MDAsst. Prof.Dept. of Community Medicine

DSMCH

psychology The study of human behavior- how people behave & why they behave in the way they do

Concerned with individual, personality, behavior

Helps to understand attitudes, beliefs, learning, memory process

Helps to promote mental health in individuals & families

Fields of psychology Normal psychology Abnormal psychology Educational psychology Social psychology Child psychology Applied psychology Psychoanalysis Medical psychology

Behavior Human behavior is result of physical & mental factors

“The total reactions of an individual accessible to external observation”

Thought & understanding are implicit behavior not directly observable

Inferred from other observable behavior

Factors influencing health-behavior Knowledge Beliefs Values Attitudes Skills Finance Materials Time Influence of family members, friends,

co-workers, opinion-leaders, health-workers

Limitations to healthy behavior

Male/female roles Societal norms Ethnic discrimination Poverty Unemployment Educational opportunities

HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY:

Aggregate of specific educational, scientific, & professional contributions of the discipline of psychology for

- Promotion & maintenance of health

- Prevention & treatment of illness- Identification of etiologic &

diagnostic correlates of health, illness & related dysfunction

Applications of health psychologya) Research into psychological

aspects of behavior relevant to the health system

b) Application of psychological concepts & knowledge to problems arising in the health system

c) Teaching relevant psychological material to the non-psychologists who work within the health system

Key concepts in health psychologyA. Adaptation theory: - Studies psychological adaptive

mechanisms of the body as it responds to challenges or hazards in the form of physical/chemical insults

B. Coping theory:- Ways in which people respond to hazards

& threats through complex, learned, socially modulated pattern of behavior

C. Psychosomatic theory:- Originates from concern with interaction

between biological stresses, symbolic processes & body’s reactions

Health behavior Behavior guided by health purposes

or reinforced by health outcomes Refers to those activities undertaken

by people to avoid disease & to detect asymptomatic infections through appropriate screening tests

Eg; - use of condoms- Keeping good health-habits (use of

seat-belts, regular brushing of teeth, non-smoking)

ILLNESS BEHAVIOR Refers to how people react to

symptom A friend / acquaintance is

approached first before seeking formal medical advice

TREATMENT BEHAVIOR Activities used to cure disease &

restore health Cooperation of patients is

important

Reproductive behavior Early marriages for girls in certain

traditional rural families High fertility & consequences of teenage

pregnancy Polygamy large family size Polyandry Reduction in family sizes Resistance of men to vasectomy Universality of marriage in India No problem of unmarried mothers &

illegitimate children

All forms of forms of behaviors are responses to stimuli- Classification of responses:I. Physical responses :

habits, skillsII. Organic responses :

emotions, feelings, tensionIII. Intellectual responses:

perceptions, thinking, reasoning

CAUSATION OF BEHAVIORAL PATTERNi) Environmental stimuli:- Environmental stimuli generate nerve impulses,

which reaching cerebral cortex & being assembled & evaluated, generates ones “conscious behavior”.

- Determined by standards/expectations of society

ii) Emotions & feelings:- Seat of primary emotions(anger, joy, hunger):

thalamus- functions under cerebral cortex iii) Needs:- wants, desires, urgesiv) Motivation:- Inner force driving individual to certain actionv) Intellectual perceptions:- thinking, reasoning, intetllectual pursuit

Behavioral adjustments - to meet the need of given situation May be active or passive Loss of temper & making complaint

Self isolation/ avoidance Making excuse Acceptance of failure with good spirit & making behavioral changes

THEORIES OF HEALTH BEHAVIORA. Respondent learning:- Dependent upon the theory of respondent

conditioning by Ivan Pavlov- Plays important role in many health

problems & several therapeutic approaches are based on this principle

- Peptic ulcer related to psychological stressB. Operant learning:- Behaviors are controlled by their

consequences or environmental events that follow the behavior

- Four techniques for modifying operant behavior

- i)positive reinforcement, ii)punishment, iii)negative reinforcement & iv)extinction

Factors affecting change in health behavior

Change in Health

Behavior

Social Support

Goal specification

Self-reinforcement

Self monitoring Stimulus

control

Emotions- Fear- Anger- Love- Hatred- Jealousy- Moodiness- Joy- Sorrow- Sympathy- Pity- Lust- Grief

Fear:- Most common emotion of man. - May produce excitement, depression, fight, flight

- Fear of dark, fear of death, fear of dogs, fear of snakes, fear of ghosts, fear of sickness

- When fear become exaggerate/ unnecessary: Phobia; common in patients with mental disorder

Anger:- Offensive reaction- Destructive in nature- If not controlled timely, may impel a

person to commit crimes such as murder Anxiety:- Manifest in symptoms such as sapid pulse

& breathing, flushing, tremors, sweating, dry mouth, nausea, diarrhea, raised blood pressure

- Anxiety → Tension→ Pain- Doctor/ nurse has great role in relieving

anxiety Love- Feeling of attachment to some person

Role of emotions in health & disease Disorders of emotion may impede human

efficiency:- Lack of concentration- Lack of appetite- Increased risk of accidents- Lack of sleep- Palpitation- Temper tantrums- Abdominal pains Emotional

disorder - Spasms in children- Tics- Anti-social behavior

Psychosocial illness Essential

hypertension

Peptic ulcer

Asthma Ulcerative

colitisDisturbed emotional

states

Control of emotions Cultivation of hobbies- reading & recreation

Adopting a sane philosophy in life to avoid emotional conflicts

Trying to understand one’s own limitations

Development of a sense of humor

- Study of psychology essential to understand the basis of emotion

motivation Inner force driving an individual to a certain

action Determines human behavior May be positive / negative Motives, needs, wants, urges –all

interrelatedNeedsa) Biological needs: - Food, sleep, rest, recreation, fresh airb) Social needs:- Need for company, love & affection; need

for recognition; need for educationc) Ego-integrative needs:- Desire for prestige, power & self-respect

Incentives:- Stimulate

motivation & encourage specific behaviors

- May be intrinsic/extrinsic, material/psychological, self determined/ selected by others

Legislation:- supports, promotes

, maintains activities at community level

- Should be compatible with the political, cultural, social & economic situation of the country/ region

- Should satisfy requirements

Observation A psychological skill Consists of perception & attention Requires correct use of following

senses: seeing, hearing, touch, smell, movements

correct observation → correct thinking,

reasoning

learning Correct observation promotes attention Sustained attention → concentration

Errors in perception Perception observation,

recognition & discriminition Visual perception Auditory perception Muscular perceptionDisorders of perceptioni. Imperception: inability to recognize.

(? Damage sensory organs)ii. Illusion: false perception. may be

auditory or visualiii. Hallucinations: imaginary

perception. Found in mental disorder

Attitudes: Acquired Permanent ways

of behaving Three

components: a) Cognitive/

knowledge : b) Affective/feeling:c) Tendency to

action:- Attitudes are

learnt through social interaction

Opinions: Views held by people on a point of

dispute Based on evidence available on

time Temporary, provisional by natureBeliefs: Permanent, stable, almost

unchangeable Handed down through generations Accepted without any question Difficult to change

Interests: Most significant- self-interest: security, pleasure, self-esteem

Group interest: primary & secondary

- caste interest- Language group interest- Peer group interest- Interests of religious, social, political, professional groups

- Social, regional, national interests