Chapter 14

Question 1

Alarm Reaction

Answer 1

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

Question 2

Asthma

Answer 2

Psychophysiological disorder in which the airways of the respiratory system become obstructed, leading to great difficulty expelling air from the lungs

Question 3

Biofeedback

Answer 3

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

Question 4

Cardiovascular Disorder

Answer 4

Disorders that involved the heart and blood circulation system

Question 5

Coping

Answer 5

Mental and behavioral efforts used to manage problems relating to stress, including its cause and the unpleasant feelings and emotions it produces

Question 6

Cortisol

Answer 6

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

Question 7

Daily Hassles

Answer 7

Minor irritations and annoyances that are part of our everyday lives and are capable of producing stress

Question 8

Distress

Answer 8

Bad form of stress; usually high in intensity; often leads to exhaustion, fatigue, feeling burned out; associated with erosions in performance and health

Question 9

Eustress

Answer 9

Good form of stress; low to moderate in intensity; associated with positive feelings, as well as optimal health and performance

Question 10

Fight-or-Flight Response

Answer 10

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

Question 11

Flow

Answer 11

State involving intense engagement in an activity; usually is experienced when participating in creative, work, and leisure endeavors

Question 12

General Adaptation Syndrome

Answer 12

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

Question 13

Happiness

Answer 13

Enduring state of mind consisting of joy, contentment, and other positive emptions; the sense that one’s life has meaning and value

Question 14

Health Psychology

Answer 14

Subfield of psychology devoted to studying psychological influences on health, illness, and how people respond when they become ill

Question 15

Heart Disease

Answer 15

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 including heart attack and stroke

Question 16

Hypertension

Answer 16

High blood pressure

Question 17

Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) Axis

Answer 17

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

Question 18

Immune System

Answer 18

Various structures, cells, and mechanisms that protect the body from foreign substances that can damage the body’s tissues and organs

Question 19

Immunosuppression

Answer 19

Decreased effectiveness of the immune system

Question 20

Job Burnout

Answer 20

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

Question 21

Job Strain

Answer 21

Work situation involving the combination of excessive job demands and workload with little decision making latitude or job control

Question 22

Lymphocytes

Answer 22

White blood cells that circulation in the body’s fluids and are especially important in the body’s immune response

Question 23

Negative Affectivity

Answer 23

Tendency to experience distressed emotional states involving anger, contempt, disgust, guilt, fear, and nervousness

Question 24

Optimism

Answer 24

tendency toward a positive outlook and positive expectations

Question 25

Perceived Control

Answer 25

Peoples’ beliefs concerning their capacity to influence and shape outcomes in their lives

Question 26

Positive Affect

Answer 26

State or a trait that involves pleasurable engagement with the environment, the dimensions of which include happiness, joy, enthusiasm, alertness, and excitement

Question 27

Positive Psychology

Answer 27

Scientific area of study seeking to identify and promote those qualities that lead to happy, fulfilled, and contented lives

Question 28

Primary Appraisal

Answer 28

Judgement about the degree of potential harm or threat to well-being that a stressor might entail

Question 29

Psychoneuroimmunology

Answer 29

field that studies how psychological factors (such as stress) influence the immune system and immune functioning

Question 30

Psychophysiological Disorders

Answer 30

Physical disorders or diseases in which symptoms are brought about or worsened by stress and emotional factors

Question 31

Relaxation Response Technique

Answer 31

Stress reduction technique combining elements of relaxation and meditation

Question 32

Secondary Appraisal

Answer 32

Judgment of options available to cope with a stressor and their potential effectiveness

Question 33

Social Readjustment Rating Scale (SRRS)

Answer 33

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

Question 34

Social Support

Answer 34

Soothing and often beneficial support of others; can take different forms, such as advice, guidance, encouragement, acceptance, emotional comfort, and tangible assistance

Question 35

Stage of Exhaustion

Answer 35

Third stage of the general adaptation syndrome; the body’s ability to resist stress becomes depleted; illness disease, and even death may occur

Question 36

Stage of Resistance

Answer 36

Second stage of the general adaptation syndrome; the body adapts to a stressor for a period of time

Question 37

Stress

Answer 37

Process whereby an individual perceives and responds to events that one appraises as overwhelming or threatening to one’s well-being

Question 38

Stressors

Answer 38

Environmental events that may be judged as threatening or demanding; stimuli that initiate the stress process

Question 39

Type A

Answer 39

Psychological and behavior pattern exhibited by individuals who tend to be extremely competitive, impatient, rushed, and hostile toward others