Individual Determinants of Health

Running head: INDIVIDUAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH
INDIVIDUAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author note:

1INDIVIDUAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH
Question 1
As observed form the case study, Anna’s learning of certain behaviors are influence of a
number of learning principles, encompassing classical and operant conditioning, as well as social
learning. Classical conditioning, as formulated by Ivan Pavlov, encompasses learning of a
concerned response or behavior upon pairing of an unconditioned stimulus with a neutral
stimulus which results into a conditioned stimulus. Classical conditioning can be observed in
Anna when she displays agitation in the presence of the conditioned stimulus of ID tag of doctors
and the intake workers – acquired possibly from pairing of the doctors ‘taking away’ her father
(unconditioned stimulus) Chris at the hospital with their ID tags (neutral stimulus) (Zhang et al.,
2019). Operant conditioning, is a learning acquired through rewards and punishments. Anna can
be observed reducing her rude behavior to the worker after being hit by her mother (punishment)
followed by behaving politely after being offered toys or chocolates (reward) (Watson, Maurer &
Hundziak, 2017). Social learning, as noted by Albert Bandura, implies learning of behaviors in
children through observation. Anna can be observed to demonstrate social learning through her
enthusiasm of building and ‘driving’ a lego care, after noticing her mother drive her to Chris and
the child care center every day (Juffer et al., 2017).
Question 2
As per Jean Piaget’s theory of cognitive development, four and a half year old can be
identified to be in the preoperational stage. Anna’s development in this stage is impacted by
pretend playing – where her thoughts might be influenced by specific methods of thinking,
egocentrism – where she will be unable to understand other’s perspectives and centration –

2INDIVIDUAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH
where she may show fixation upon particular characteristics (Barrouillet, 2015). As observed in
the case study, pretend playing influences Anna’s behaviors by increasing her eagerness to drive
(lego car building) and enhancing her fears of parental separation (preoccupied with her doll).
Anna’s behaviors are highly egocentric as observed in her concern of wanting to go home, meet
her father and get a chocolate while showing disregard to being polite towards health workers.
Anna’a behavior are centered as observed in her constant fixation in the doctor’s ID tag and
characteristic features of the patient resulting in her agitation.
As per Erik Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development, Anna can be identified to
belong to the stage of Childhood (Initiative vs. Guilt) where her behavior can will be impacted
by an eagerness to explore surroundings as well as feelings of guilt if her needs are not
responded to adequately (Knight, 2015). Hence, as observed in the case study, the characteristic
desire towards external play has influenced Anna’s behavior by compelling her to explore the
intake worker’s room, the toys as well as playing outside despite restrictions at the childcare
center. Her guilt can be observed in her sulking, crying and sleeping with her mother, upon being
scolded by her to being rude to her.
Question 3
Memory encompasses the processes outlining information acquisition, storage and
retrieval which further influences long term changes in behaviors and knowledge (D’Andrade,
2017). In this situation, episodic memory of specific events such as the doctor’s ID tag
associated with patient treatment and her father’s care, are impacting Anna’s behavior by making
her aggressive, frightening and mistrustful towards such health professionals, as observed during
her mother meeting with the intake worker (Moscovitch et al., 2016). Here memory plays an