Reconceptualizing the role of fear of falling and balance confidence in fall risk

Objective: This article aimed to critically examine preexisting conceptualizations of the relationship among fear of falling, falls efficacy, and falls and to offer a new theoretical model incorporating findings from the recent literature. Method: This is a theoretical article based on a review of preexisting findings pertaining to fear of falling and falls efficacy. Results: Traditional conceptualizations consider avoidance of activity and deconditioning to be mediators in the relationship between fear of falling and falls, but recent findings suggest that this mediational conceptualization may not be accurate. Moreover, the terms falls efficacy and fear of falling are often used interchangeably in the literature, which is conceptually problematic. Discussion: We conclude with the presentation and discussion of an alternative predictive model of fear of falling that incorporates important findings from the recent literature

A biopsychosocial formulation of pain communication

We present a detailed framework for understanding the numerous and complicated interactions among psychological and social determinants of pain through examination of the process of pain communication. The focus is on an improved understanding of immediate dyadic transactions during painful events in the context of broader social phenomena. Fine-grain consideration of social transactions during pain leads to an appreciation of sociobehavioral events affecting both suffering persons as well as caregivers. Our examination considers knowledge from a variety of perspectives, including clinical health psychology, social and developmental processes, evolutionary psychology, communication studies, and behavioral neuroscience