Chapter 11: Health and well being

Question 1

Health psychology

Answer 1

Studies the relationship between health and psychology

Question 2

What is the purpose of health psychology?

Answer 2

To understand the interrelationship between thoughts, actions, and psychical and mental health

Question 3

What is well being?

Answer 3

The positive state that one seeks through optimal health and life satisfaction

Question 4

What is the biopsychological model?

Answer 4

A model that states that health and illness are the result of several factors, including psychological factors, social conditions, and biological characteristics

Question 5

What is the body mass index (BMI)?

Answer 5

A standard method of measuring obesity, which measures a ratio of body wight to height

Question 6

What number is considered obese for BMI?

Answer 6

30

Question 7

What is a disadvantage of using the BMI?

Answer 7

Does not take into account age, gender, bone structure and more

Question 8

What is one reason for increase in obesity?

Answer 8

More food is available

Question 9

Why does dieting rarely have an effect?

Answer 9

When you eat 4too little, the body reacts by lowering its metabolism and starts using less energy

Question 10

What are the 3 most common eating disorders?

Answer 10

Anorexia nervosa

Bulimia nervosa

Binge eating disorder

Question 11

Anorexia nervosa

Answer 11

A condition in which patients are terrified of becoming fat and eat very little to achieve a significantly low body weight

Consistent lack of recognition of the severity of their current low body weight

Question 12

Bulimia nevosa

Answer 12

Alternates between dieting, binge eating, and self induced vomiting (also known as pruning)

An attempt to get rid of negative emotions, people with tis disease eat large amounts of food in a short period of time

This leads to a feeling of guilt afterwards

They then turn to compensatory behaviours, such as purging, excessive exercise, or abuse of laxatives

Question 13

Binge eating disorder

Answer 13

Involves binge eating at least once a week without purging

Having a binge eating disorder causes a lot of distress to the person

Patients often feel embarrassed and guilty and tend to be overweight or obese

Question 14

What is one way commonly used to reduce smoking?

Answer 14

Nicotine replacement therapy

Question 15

What is nicotine replacement therapy?

Answer 15

Examples are:

Chewing nicotine gum

Question 16

Percentage of success for nicotine replacement therapy

Answer 16

10 to 30 percent

Question 17

Stress

Answer 17

A form of reaction that involves an unpleasant condition, such as fear or tension

Results from the way we think about events in our lives

Objectively, does not exist

Question 18

What is a stressor?

Answer 18

Somethings in the environment that is perceived as threatening or demanding, which creates a feeling of stress

Question 19

What are the two categories of stressors?

Answer 19

Major life stressors

Daily concerns

Question 20

What are major life stressors?

Answer 20

Changes or disruptions that are central to a person’s life

Question 21

What are daily concerns?

Answer 21

Small everyday annoyances, such as waiting inline

Question 22

What is a coping response?

Answer 22

A reaction to stress that attempts to reduce or avoid stress

Question 23

What are the two types of stress?

Answer 23

Eustress

Distress

Question 24

What is Eustress?

Answer 24

The stress of positive events, such as preparing for a party that you are really excited about

Question 25

What is distress?

Answer 25

Usually referred to as just 'stress', refers to negative events

Question 26

What are the two systems that a stressor activates?

Answer 26

A fast acting sympathetic devours system A slow acting system that comes from the hypothalamus pituitary adrenal axis (HPA)

Question 27

In case of stress what does the hypothalamus activate?

Answer 27

The sympathetic nervous system

Question 28

What does the nervous system activate during stress?

Answer 28

Adrenal glands, which releases epinephrine and norepinephrine

Question 29

What does epinephrine and norepinephrine do?

Answer 29

Increases heart rate, respiration, and blood pressure, making the body ready for action

Question 30

What happens in the HPA axis during stress?

Answer 30

The hypothalamus sends a chemical signal to the pituitary gland, which then releases a hormone

Question 31

What does the hormone from pituitary glands do?

Answer 31

The hormone reaches the adrenal glands, which then release cortisol

Question 32

What does cortisol do?

Answer 32

Circulates throughout the body and to various brain regions, causing blood glucose levels to increase

Question 33

What is a negative effect of chronic stress?

Answer 33

Can have a negative effect on long term memory

Question 34

What is general adaptation syndrome (GAS)?

Answer 34

Consistent pattern of responses to stress

Question 35

What are the 3 phases of general adaptation syndrome?

Answer 35

Alarm phase Resistance phase Exhaustion phase

Question 36

Alarm phase

Answer 36

A reaction that prepares the body for an escape or fight response

Question 37

Resistance phase

Answer 37

The body prepares for a longer, more sustained defence against the stressor

Question 38

Exhaustion phase

Answer 38

Various psychological and immune systems no longer work

Question 39

What is the fight or flight response?

Answer 39

The physiological response of animals to an attack by fighting or fleeing

Question 40

Which gender usually respond with the fifth or flight response?

Answer 40

Males

Question 41

How do females react to stress factors?

Answer 41

Tend and befriend response

Question 42

What is the tend and befriend response?

Answer 42

In case of stress they will protect their offspring and seek allies

Question 43

What is oxytocin?

Answer 43

A hormone that is important for the bond between a mother and her baby

Question 44

The immune system consists of specialised white blood cells, what is their name?

Answer 44

Lymphocytes

Question 45

What are the 3 lymphocytes?

Answer 45

B cells T cells Natural killer cells

Question 46

What are the harmful effects of prolonged stress on the body?

Answer 46

Due in part to a decrease in lymphocyte production This reduces the body's ability to fight off disease and infection

Question 47

What are the two types of personalities that predict heart disease risk?

Answer 47

Type A Type B

Question 48

What are type A behaviour patterns?

Answer 48

Found in people who are competitive, achievement oriented, and aggressive

Question 49

What are type B behaviour patterns?

Answer 49

Found in people who are adaptive and relaxed

Question 50

Type A and heart disease risk

Answer 50

Type A personality hostility is especially harmful, as it increase the frequency of negative physiological responses that adversely affect the heart

Question 51

What are the 3 ways that stress can cause heart problems?

Answer 51

People often deal with this stress by engaging in behaviours that are bad for their health Some personality traits, such as hostility and depression, have negative effects on people's social lives, increasing their stress Negative personality traits and stress can have immediate physiological effects on the heart

Question 52

What does cognitive appraisal allows us to do what?

Answer 52

To think about things objectively and regulate our feelings

Question 53

What do primary estimation (appraisals) involve?

Answer 53

Deciding whether a stimulus is stressful, harmless, or irrelevant

Question 54

If a stimulus is considered stressful, secondary appraisal determines what?

Answer 54

Determines a way to deal with it (coping)

Question 55

What are different approaches for coping strategies of stress?

Answer 55

Emotion focused approach Problem oriented approach

Question 56

Emotion focused approach

Answer 56

A person tries to avoid an emotional reaction to the stressor

Question 57

Problem oriented approach

Answer 57

A person takes immediate steps to solve the problem People use a problem focused approach when they think they have a situation under control Problem focused coping strategies only work if the person struggling with the problem can actually do something about the situation

Question 58

According to positive psychology, what are the 3 components of happiness?

Answer 58

Positive emotion and pleasure Commitment to life Meaningful life

Question 59

What is the buffer hypothesis?

Answer 59

The idea that other people can help an individual cope with stressful events

Question 60

How can spirituality increase well being?

Answer 60

Because spiritual people are likely to receive support from faith communities, certain health behaviours promoted by religions, and because of a meaning that can be derived from religious beliefs

Question 61

What hormone has been shown to be involved in feelings of trust?

Answer 61

Oxytocin