Chapter 14 Flashcards
first stage of the general adaptation syndrome; characterized as the body’s immediate physiological reaction to a threatening situation or some other emergency; analogous to the fight-or-flight response
alarm reaction
psychophysiological disorder in which the airways of the respiratory system become obstructed, leading to great difficulty expelling air from the lungs
asthma
stress-reduction technique using electronic equipment to measure a person’s involuntary (neuromuscular and autonomic) activity and provide feedback to help the person gain a level of voluntary control over these processes
biofeedback
disorders that involve the heart and blood circulation system
cardiovascular disorders
mental or behavioral efforts used to manage problems relating to stress, including its cause and the unpleasant feelings and emotions it produces
coping
stress hormone released by the adrenal glands when encountering a stressor; helps to provide a boost of energy, thereby preparing the individual to take action
cortisol
minor irritations and annoyances that are part of our everyday lives and are capable of producing stress
daily hassles
bad form of stress; usually high in intensity; often leads to exhaustion, fatigue, feeling burned out; associated with erosions in performance and health
distress
good form of stress; low to moderate in intensity; associated with positive feelings, as well as optimal health and performance
eustress
set of physiological reactions (increases in blood pressure, heart rate, respiration rate, and sweat) that occur when an individual encounters a perceived threat; these reactions are produced by activation of the sympathetic nervous system and the endocrine system
fight-or-flight response
state involving intense engagement in an activity; usually is experienced when participating in creative, work, and leisure endeavors
flow
Hans Selye’s three-stage model of the body’s physiological reactions to stress and the process of stress adaptation: alarm reaction, stage of resistance, and stage of exhaustion
general adaptation syndrome
enduring state of mind consisting of joy, contentment, and other positive emotions; the sense that one’s life has meaning and value
happiness
subfield of psychology devoted to studying psychological influences on health, illness, and how people respond when they become ill
health psychology
several types of adverse heart conditions, including those that involve the heart’s arteries or valves or those involving the inability of the heart to pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs; can include heart attack and stroke
heart disease
high blood pressure
hypertension
set of structures found in both the limbic system (hypothalamus) and the endocrine system (pituitary gland and adrenal glands) that regulate many of the body’s physiological reactions to stress through the release of hormones
hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis
various structures, cells, and mechanisms that protect the body from foreign substances that can damage the body’s tissues and organs
immune system
decreased effectiveness of the immune system
immunosuppression
general sense of emotional exhaustion and cynicism in relation to one’s job; consists of three dimensions: exhaustion, depersonalization, and sense of diminished personal accomplishment
job burnout
work situation involving the combination of excessive job demands and workload with little decision making latitude or job control
job strain
white blood cells that circulate in the body’s fluids and are especially important in the body’s immune response
lymphocytes
tendency toward a positive outlook and positive expectations
optimism
tendency to experience distressed emotional states involving anger, contempt, disgust, guilt, fear, and nervousness
negative affectivity
peoples’ beliefs concerning their capacity to influence and shape outcomes in their lives
perceived control
state or a trait that involves pleasurable engagement with the environment, the dimensions of which include happiness, joy, enthusiasm, alertness, and excitement
positive affect
scientific area of study seeking to identify and promote those qualities that lead to happy, fulfilled, and contented lives
positive psychology
judgment about the degree of potential harm or threat to well-being that a stressor might entail
primary appraisal
field that studies how psychological factors (such as stress) influence the immune system and immune functioning
psychoneuroimmunology
physical disorders or diseases in which symptoms are brought about or worsened by stress and emotional factors
psychophysiological disorders
stress reduction technique combining elements of relaxation and meditation
relaxation response technique
judgment of options available to cope with a stressor and their potential effectiveness
secondary appraisal
popular scale designed to measure stress; consists of 43 potentially stressful events, each of which has a numerical value quantifying how much readjustment is associated with the event
Social Readjustment Rating Scale (SRRS)
soothing and often beneficial support of others; can take different forms, such as advice, guidance, encouragement, acceptance, emotional comfort, and tangible assistance
social support
third stage of the general adaptation syndrome; the body’s ability to resist stress becomes depleted; illness, disease, and even death may occur
stage of exhaustion
second stage of the general adaptation syndrome; the body adapts to a stressor for a period of time
stage of resistance
process whereby an individual perceives and responds to events that one appraises as overwhelming or threatening to one’s well-being
stress
environmental events that may be judged as threatening or demanding; stimuli that initiate the stress process
stressors
psychological and behavior pattern exhibited by individuals who tend to be extremely competitive, impatient, rushed, and hostile toward others
Type A
psychological and behavior pattern exhibited by a person who is relaxed and laid back
Type B
Negative effects of stress are most likely to be experienced when an event is perceived as ________.
threatening, and no clear options for dealing with it are apparent
Between 2006 and 2009, the greatest increases in stress levels were found to occur among ________.
those aged 45-64
At which stage of Selye’s general adaptation syndrome is a person especially vulnerable to illness?
exhaustion
During an encounter judged as stressful, cortisol is released by the ________.
adrenal glands
According to the Holmes and Rahe scale, which life event requires the greatest amount of readjustment?
death of spouse
While waiting to pay for his weekly groceries at the supermarket, Paul had to wait about 20 minutes in a long line at the checkout because only one cashier was on duty. When he was finally ready to pay, his debit card was declined because he did not have enough money left in his checking account. Because he had left his credit cards at home, he had to place the groceries back into the cart and head home to retrieve a credit card. While driving back to his home, traffic was backed up two miles due to an accident. These events that Paul had to endure are best characterized as ________.
daily hassles
What is one of the major criticisms of the Social Readjustment Rating Scale?
It does not take into consideration how a person appraises an event.
Which of the following is not a dimension of job burnout?
hostility
The white blood cells that attack foreign invaders to the body are called ________.
lymphocytes
The risk of heart disease is especially high among individuals with ________.
depression
The most lethal dimension of Type A behavior pattern seems to be ________.
hostility
Which of the following statements pertaining to asthma is false?
Rates of asthma have decreased considerably since 2000.
Emotion-focused coping would likely be a better method than problem-focused coping for dealing with which of the following stressors?
terminal cancer
Relative to those with low levels of social support, individuals with high levels of social support ________.
tend to tolerate stress well
Studies of British civil servants have found that those in the lowest status jobs are much more likely to develop heart disease than those who have high status jobs. These findings attest to the importance of ________ in dealing with stress.
perceived control
The concept of learned helplessness was formulated by Seligman to explain the ________.
inability of dogs to attempt to escape avoidable shocks after having received inescapable shocks
Which of the following is not one of the presumed components of happiness?
learning new skills
Researchers have identified a number of factors that are related to happiness. Which of the following is not one of them?
physical attractiveness
How does positive affect differ from optimism?
Positive affect involves feeling states, whereas optimism involves expectations
Carson enjoys writing mystery novels, and has even managed to publish some of his work. When he’s writing, Carson becomes extremely focused on his work; in fact, he becomes so absorbed that that he often loses track of time, often staying up well past 3 a.m. Carson’s experience best illustrates the concept of ________.
flow
