Chapter 11 Health and Wellbeing

Question 1

What is health psychology?

Answer 1

the application of psychological principles to promote health and well being

Question 2

What is Biopsychosocial model?

Answer 2

a model of health that integrates biology, psychological and social factors

Question 3

What are causes of mortality?

Answer 3

• People used to die younger; often from infectious diseases
  
  • Ppl are now more likely to die from things ( heart disease, cancer, strokes, lung cancer) for which behavioural factors play a role

Question 4

What are health disparities?

Answer 4

• Large disparities in health worldwide related to
  ○ Race/ethnicity
  ○ Access to treatments
  ○ Difference in health behaviours

Question 5

What is Socioeconomic status?

Answer 5

ppl with lower SES tend to have worse health than ppl with higher SES

Question 6

What is health behaviours?

Answer 6

actions that we can take that promote well-being, prevent the onset of disease, and/or slow disease progression

Question 7

What is healthy eating and what affects it?

Answer 7

eating a healthy diet is one of the most effective ways to promote wellness and prevent illness
- Factors that affect eating:
○ the variety of available foods
○ Portion size
○ Socioeconomic status
○ Culture
○ Immediate environment
○ Health advice constantly changing

Question 8

What are the effects of smoking?

Answer 8

• a leading cause of death worldwide - we know it as bad but why do we start?
  ○ Social influences are the most powerful explanation
  ○ Modelling (parents, peers, media)
  ○ False consensus effect
  ○ Image of smokers
  
  • Nicotine plays a role in the addictive nature of smoking - how do people quit?
    ○ Classical conditioning

Question 9

What is the availablity heurisitc?

Answer 9

(believing info that comes most easily to mind) likely plays a role

Question 10

How is exercise good for you?

Answer 10

reduced depression, improved mood, stress management, enhanced brain function (learning and memory), promotes neurogenesis; reduces cognitive decline with aging
Not many people are exercising

Question 11

What is a stressor?

Answer 11

something in the environment percocet as threatening or demanding and therefore produces stress

Question 12

What is a coping response?

Answer 12

any attempt made to avoid escape from or minimize a stressor
eusteess: stress of positive events
distress: stress of negative events

Question 13

What are major life stressors?

Answer 13

changes of disruptions that strain central areas of ppls live

Question 14

What is a daily hassle?

Answer 14

days to day annoyances

Question 15

What is fight or flight response?

Answer 15

the physiological preparedness of animals to deal with danger by either fighting or fleeing

Question 16

What is tend and befriend response?

Answer 16

tendency for women to protect their offspring and form social alliances in response to threats

Question 17

What is the general adaptation syndrome?

Answer 17

a pattern of response to stress that consists of three stages
* alarm: prepares the body to flight or flee
* resistance: the defenses prepare for a longer sustained attack against the stressor
* exhaustion: physiological and immune systems fail

Question 18

What are the type a and b personality traits?

Answer 18

type a traits: competitive, feels pressure for time, impatient, accelerated speech, and anger/hostility- strong predictor of heart disease
type b traits: related attitude, less competitive, easy going

Question 19

Ways to cope with stress (primary and secondary appraisals)?

Answer 19

• primary appraisals: evaluating whether something is stressful
  
  • secondary appraisals: evaluating one’s response options and choosing coping behaviours

Question 20

What is emotionally focused coping?

Answer 20

emotionally focused coping: dealing with the emotional response to a stressor
problem focused coping: taking direct steps to confront or minimize a stressor

Question 21

What is problem focused coping?

Answer 21

problem focused coping: taking direct steps to confront or minimize a stressor

Question 22

What is positive reappraisal?

Answer 22

positive reappraisal: focus on the possible good things in your current situation (silver lining)

Question 23

What are upward and downward comparsions?

Answer 23

downward comparisons: comparing yourself to those who are worse off
upward social comparisons on social media can negatively impact mood and relationship perceptions
positive emotions are related to considerable health benefits

Question 24

What is wellbeing?

Answer 24

A postive state that includes striving for optimal health and life satifaction

Question 25

What is the immigrant paradox?

Answer 25

the pattern amoung immigrant communities in which foreign-born immigrants to the united states have better health than ppl in later generations do

Question 26

What is the hypothalamix-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis?

Answer 26

A body system invovled in stress reponse

Question 27

What is the allostatic load?

Answer 27

The cumulative “wear and tear” on biological systems, including the stress, digestive, immune, cardiovascular, and hormonal systems, among others, change after repeated or chronic stressful events.

Question 28

What are lymphocytes?

Answer 28

three types of specialized white blood cells: b cells (antibodies), t cells(attacking intruders directly) , and natural killer cells (kill viruses and tumours

Question 29

How to have good health according to psychology?

Answer 29

• eat natural foods
• eat only when hungry
• drink alcohol in moderation, if at all
• keep active
• do not use tobacco
• practice safe sex
• learn to relax or mediate
• build a strong support network
• try some happiness exercises