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Studies suggest that health outcomes for preventable diseases are impacted by delayed treatment and lack of compliance. People often postpone seeking medical care because they fear hearing bad news from their physician. Paradoxically, when they finally do see a doctor, they may find out that their disease is indeed serious, but only because treatment was so delayed.Refusal to comply with a physician's instructions is another major issue. Although there are many reasons for this, one possible explanation is that patients are responding with psychological reactance. Reactance theory suggests that when an individual perceives that free choice is threatened or limited, he or she may respond by wanting to perform the threatened behavior even more, as if to preserve original freedoms. For example, if a physician tells a patient to quit smoking, the smoker might respond by smoking even more in an effort to preserve the freedom to smoke.Researchers hypothesize that psychological reactance may be reduced or avoided when physicians communicate with their patients through a process known as deliberation. In the following example, the physician has already explained to the patient that her weight could be having a negative impact on her diabetes. The physician, using deliberation, then initiates a dialogue about how the patient would like to address the situation:Physician: "You are already taking pretty strong medications, so your options are either to change your eating habits or increase your level of exercise. It's your choice."Patient: "I think I could exercise more by joining a gym. I could stop eating dessert, but I would hate to give up chocolate."Physician: "Okay. Let's negotiate. Why don't you try going to the gym and giving up sweets-except chocolate-for the next month. Then come back to see me, and we'll see where we are."
Adapted from S. Bigi ©2016 Frontiers.
-How would incentive theory explain patients' motivation for continuing to smoke?

Question

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Studies suggest that health outcomes for preventable diseases are impacted by delayed treatment and lack of compliance.  People often postpone seeking medical care because they fear hearing bad news from their physician.  Paradoxically, when they finally do see a doctor, they may find out that their disease is indeed serious, but only because treatment was so delayed.Refusal to comply with a physician's instructions is another major issue.  Although there are many reasons for this, one possible explanation is that patients are responding with psychological reactance.  Reactance theory suggests that when an individual perceives that free choice is threatened or limited, he or she may respond by wanting to perform the threatened behavior even more, as if to preserve original freedoms.  For example, if a physician tells a patient to quit smoking, the smoker might respond by smoking even more in an effort to preserve the freedom to smoke.Researchers hypothesize that psychological reactance may be reduced or avoided when physicians communicate with their patients through a process known as deliberation.  In the following example, the physician has already explained to the patient that her weight could be having a negative impact on her diabetes.  The physician, using deliberation, then initiates a dialogue about how the patient would like to address the situation:Physician:  "You are already taking pretty strong medications, so your options are either to change your eating habits or increase your level of exercise.  It's your choice."Patient:  "I think I could exercise more by joining a gym.  I could stop eating dessert, but I would hate to give up chocolate."Physician:  "Okay.  Let's negotiate.  Why don't you try going to the gym and giving up sweets-except chocolate-for the next month.  Then come back to see me, and we'll see where we are."
Adapted from S. Bigi ©2016 Frontiers.
-How would incentive theory explain patients' motivation for continuing to smoke?

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

11ecba2d_0d1a_3ac0_a3bf_337ce84adc8c_MD0008_00 Motivation describes the factors that prompt action toward a goal. Most motivation theories focus on internally motivating factors (eg, desire to achieve), physiological drives (eg, hunger), or the fear or threat of negative consequences (eg, punishment). Incentive theory of motivation suggests that organisms are motivated to act in order to obtain external rewards. For example, a student might spend many hours studying for an exam not because she is interested in the material (an internal factor), but because she wants to get a good grade (an external reward). Incentive theory explains why a person would continue smoking even in the face of dire health consequences. According to this theory, the pleasure of smoking is so strong and so immediate that it serves as a stronger incentive than the prospect of good health in the future. The promise of good health is a weaker incentive because it is less immediate and less certain to occur. (Choices B and D) Incentive theory suggests that behaviors are motivated by extrinsic (external) rewards, not biological drives. Drive theory would suggest that smokers are motivated to continue smoking due to physical addiction and the desire to reduce or avoid undesirable withdrawal symptoms. (Choice C) Incentive theory suggests that behaviors are motivated by extrinsic rewards, not by internal factors such as preserving one's freedom to smoke. Educational objective: Motivation describes the factors that prompt action toward a goal. Incentive theory suggests that behavior is primarily motivated by extrinsic (external) rewards, rather than internal rewards or biological drives.

Passage Studies Suggest That Health Outcomes for Preventable Diseases Are Impacted