Chapter 14 Flashcards
Alarm Reaction
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
Asthma
Psychophysiological disorder in which the airways of the respiratory system become obstructed, leading to great difficulty expelling air from the lungs
Biofeedback
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
Cardiovascular Disorder
Disorders that involved the heart and blood circulation system
Coping
Mental and behavioral efforts used to manage problems relating to stress, including its cause and the unpleasant feelings and emotions it produces
Cortisol
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
Daily Hassles
Minor irritations and annoyances that are part of our everyday lives and are capable of producing stress
Distress
Bad form of stress; usually high in intensity; often leads to exhaustion, fatigue, feeling burned out; associated with erosions in performance and health
Eustress
Good form of stress; low to moderate in intensity; associated with positive feelings, as well as optimal health and performance
Fight-or-Flight Response
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
Flow
State involving intense engagement in an activity; usually is experienced when participating in creative, work, and leisure endeavors
General Adaptation Syndrome
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
Happiness
Enduring state of mind consisting of joy, contentment, and other positive emptions; the sense that one’s life has meaning and value
Health Psychology
Subfield of psychology devoted to studying psychological influences on health, illness, and how people respond when they become ill
Heart Disease
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
Hypertension
High blood pressure
Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) Axis
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
Immune System
Various structures, cells, and mechanisms that protect the body from foreign substances that can damage the body’s tissues and organs
Immunosuppression
Decreased effectiveness of the immune system
Job Burnout
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 Strain
Work situation involving the combination of excessive job demands and workload with little decision making latitude or job control
Lymphocytes
White blood cells that circulation in the body’s fluids and are especially important in the body’s immune response
Negative Affectivity
Tendency to experience distressed emotional states involving anger, contempt, disgust, guilt, fear, and nervousness
Optimism
tendency toward a positive outlook and positive expectations
