Ch.13 Health, Stress, & Coping Flashcards
Name 10 Behavioral Risks
- High levels of stress
- High BP (blood pressure) - as you get older, it’s going to rise
- Smoking (cigarettes)
- Abusing alcohol - over 2+ drinks a day
- Overeating
- Inadequate exercise (< 30mins, 3-4x/week)
- Unsafe sexual behavior
- Exposure to toxins, poisons, pesticides
- (Exposure) Violence
- Excessive sun exposure
Define Stress
The changes that go on in a person, physically and mentally, as they attempt to adapt to an environment
Define Stressor
Something that causes that stress reaction (ex. an event, taking a class you could have multiple exams, or own way of thinking of things)
Name 3 Causes of Stress
- Unpredictability
- Pressure
- Frustration
Define Unpredictability
When events are unpredictable, no way to prepare
Define Pressure
A stressful condition that occurs when a person must meet urgent external demands or expectations
Could come from external sources, such as parent, or internally
Define Frustration
A negative emotional state that occurs when one is prevented from reaching a goal. (Ex. When your blocked from reaching a goal, frustration follows. Or when you’re about to reach a goal, you encounter an obstacle)
Name ways of dealing with Frustration
- Acting aggressively
- Displaced Aggression
- Escape
Define Displaced Aggression
Redirecting aggression to a target other than the actual source of one’s frustration. You take it out on a substitute target - a person/recipient (they are called the “Escape Goat”)
Define Escape
Reducing discomfort by leaving frustrating situations or by psychologically withdrawing from them. Drugs, compulsive behavior.
Define Conflict
Think of it as choosing between two alternatives. A stressful condition that occurs when a person must choose between incompatible or contradictory alternatives.
Define Approach-Approach Conflict
When you have to choose between two appealing (positive, desirable) alternatives
Define Avoidance-Avoidance Conflict
Choosing between two unappealing (negative, undesirable) alternatives
Define Approach-Avoidance Conflict
When you have a choice to make, there’s an appealing aspect and there’s an unappealing aspect. Being attracted to and repelled by the same goal or activity
Define Primary Appraisal
Your initial appraisals, meaning “is this situation threatening?”, when you first see/notice a stimuli. Deciding if a situation is relevant to oneself and if it is a threat.
Define Secondary Appraisal
How to deal with the primary appraisal of the danger. Deciding how to cope with a threat or challenge
Define Defense Mechanisms
Normal healthy way to deal with stress. A habitual and often unconscious psychological process used to reduce anxiety
Define Denial
A type of defense mechanism. Operates on a conscious level. Refusing to believe reality. Protecting oneself from an unpleasant reality by refusing to accept it or believe it.
Define Repression
A type of defense mechanism. The unconscious equivalent of denial. You unconsciously block painful feelings and memories from your awareness (like when you’re traumatized). Unconsciously preventing painful or dangerous thought from entering awareness.
Define Reaction Formation
A type of defense mechanism. Like Repression, but by exaggerating the opposite behavior (hiding the true feeling). Preventing dangerous impulses from being expressed in behavior by exaggerating opposite behavior.
Define Regression
A type of defense mechanism. When you revert/go back to an earlier stage of development. Retreating to an earlier level of development or to earlier, less demanding habits or situations.
Define Projection
A type of defense mechanism. When you have an undesirable quality (like you’re insecure) when you attribute that quality to/in other people. Attributing one’s own feelings, shortcomings, or unacceptable impulses to others.
Define Rationalization
A type of defense mechanism. When you give an inaccurate explanation for your behavior. Justifying your behavior by giving reasonable and “rational,” but false, reasons for it.
Define Intellectualization
A type of defense mechanism. Has nothing to do with intelligence. When a person overly relies on logic in the place of emotion. Separating emotion from a threatening or anxiety-provoking situation by talking or thinking about it in impersonal “intellectual” terms.
Define Compensation
A type of defense mechanism. When you counteract/offset a weakness by excelling in another area. Counteracting a real or imagined weakness by emphasizing desirable traits or seeking to excel in the area of weakness or in other areas.
Define Sublimation
A type of defense mechanism and Freudian favorite. This is when you work off unmet, frustrating desires or unacceptable impulses in an acceptable/appropriate way or activities that are constructive.
What are two main desires and impulses of Sublimation?
Sexual and Aggressive
Give an example(s) of sexual impulse
Massage therapist, photographer of lingerie, a model
Give an example(s) of aggressive impulse
Sports, law-enforcement
Define Learned Helplessness
Major cause of stress and depression. A learned inability to overcome obstacles or to avoid punishment; learned passivity and inaction to aversive stimuli.
If you believe nothing gets better, leads to stress and depression.
If you believe the situation you’re struggling with now, will lead to more stress and depression.
If you believe if you’re failure to make anything better is all your fault, leads to stress and depression
Define Social Readjustment Rating Scale (SRRS)
A scale that rates the impact of various life events on the likelihood of illness. (pg.462)
Define Type A Personality
Twice the likelihood of dying from heart disease or a heart attack. Get extremely anxious if things go at a slow pace. Hard for them to relax. A personality type with an elevated risk of heart disease; characterized by time urgency, anger, and hostility.
Successful in the business world.
Solution (Therapy) - give them another reason/characteristic for success and how damaging (health wise) it is, slow them down at a slow pace.
Define Hostility related to Type A Personality
Most deadly/damaging, reacted when encountering a situation.
Define Impatience related to Type A Personality
Consumed with doing more than one thing at at time, at a fast/quick pace.
Define Cynicism related to Type A Personality
A negative, pessimistic person
Define Hardy Personality
People who deal well with stress. A personality style associated with superior stress resistance.
Commitment to values (family, church, friends), challenge (look at obstacles as challenges to overcome, not catastrophes), control (feeling of having control over life. Believe (they) are responsible for what happens (to them))
Define Locus of Control
Locus is a scale. A scale or questionnaire that measures how much control you think you have over things that happen to you.
Explain the two types of Locus of Control
Internal and External
Internal: you feel the things that happen to you are in your control (less stressful - due to the ability of making it better)
External: you believe the things that happen to you are outside your control
