Final answer:
The C. Biopsychosocial Model is the concept that describes how psychological factors affect medical conditions, emphasizing the interplay of biological, psychological, and social factors in health and illness. It is a fundamental component of Health Psychology, guiding research and interventions to improve health outcomes.
Step-by-step explanation:
Psychological factors are indeed found to affect medical conditions; the concept that encapsulates this understanding is the C. Biopsychosocial Model.
This model suggests that health and illness are the products of a combination of factors including biological characteristics (genetic predisposition, exposure to germs, etc.), behavioral factors (lifestyle, stress, health beliefs), and social conditions (cultural influences, family relationships, social support).
Health psychologists use the biopsychosocial model to guide their research and interventions in efforts to improve health outcomes.
The Biopsychosocial Model is a primary tool used by medical anthropologists to study health, acknowledging that the psychological belief in the efficacy of a treatment can enhance its actual effectiveness, which is the basis of the placebo effect.
Conversely, the nocebo effect demonstrates how negative expectations can have adverse health outcomes. Both effects underscore the psychological impact on health.
Health Psychology is a subfield of psychology that focuses on the interaction of biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors in health and illness.
Health psychologists may conduct research on how stress levels and other psychological factors can influence susceptibility to illnesses or the effectiveness of interventions aimed at changing unhealthy behaviors.