Behavioral Science
On this page 6 sections
Behavioural sciences and health psychology
Social anxiety disorder
- Fear of social situations.
- Fear of embarrassment or negative evaluation.
- Avoidance of social interactions.
- Significant distress.
Distinguish from:
| Condition | Main feature |
|---|---|
| Panic disorder | Recurrent unexpected panic attacks |
| Social anxiety | Fear of social scrutiny |
| Generalised anxiety | Excessive worry across multiple areas |
| ADHD | Inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity |
Empathy vs sympathy
| Empathy | Sympathy |
|---|---|
| Understanding another person's feelings | Feeling concern or sorrow for another |
| Perspective-taking | Emotional response |
| Patient-centred communication | May focus on the doctor's feelings |
Example:
Empathy: "I understand that this has been very difficult for you."
Sympathy: "I'm sorry this happened to you."
For clinical communication questions, empathy is generally the preferred patient-centred response.
Health education and mass media
Mass media can be used for health promotion through:
- Television.
- Radio.
- Newspapers.
- Social media.
- Posters.
- Public awareness campaigns.
Advantages
- Reaches large populations.
- Rapid dissemination of information.
- Relatively economical per person reached.
- Useful for creating awareness.
Limitations
- Limited individual interaction.
- Cannot always ensure behaviour change.
- Difficult to assess individual understanding.
- May not address personal barriers.
Important distinction: Knowledge and awareness do not necessarily translate into behaviour change.