Chapter 16

Question 1

stressors

Answer 1

specific events or chronic presures that place demands on a person or threaten the person’s well-being

Question 2

stress

Answer 2

the physical and psychological response to internal or external stressors

Question 3

health psychology

Answer 3

the subfield of psychology concerned with ways psychological factors influence the causes and treatment of physical illness and the maintenance of health

Question 4

chronic stressor

Answer 4

a source of stress that occurs continuously or repeatedly

Question 5

fight-or flight

Answer 5

an emotional and physiological reaction to an emergency that increases readiness for action

Question 6

general adaption syndrome (GAS)

Answer 6

a three-stage physiological response that appears regardless of the stressor that is encountered

Question 7

GAS occurs in three phases

Answer 7

1. the alarm phase - body rapidly responds to threat
2. resistance phase - the body tries to cope with the stressor

3- exhaustion phase - if GAS goes on long enough, the bodies resistance collapses

Question 8

immune system

Answer 8

a complex response system that protects the body from bacteria, viruses and other foreign subtances

Question 9

lymphocytes

Answer 9

white blood cells that produce antibodies that fight infection

Question 10

type A behavior pattern

Answer 10

the tendency toward easily aroused hostility, impatience, a sense of time urgency, and competitive achievement strivings

Question 11

post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

Answer 11

a disorder characterized by chronic physiological arousal, recurrent unwanted thoughts or images of the trauma, and avoidance of things that call the traumatic event to mind

Question 12

burnout

Answer 12

a state of physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion created by long-term involvement in an emotionally demanding situation and accompanied by lowered performance and motivation

Question 13

repressive coping

Answer 13

avoiding situations or thoughts that are reminders of a stressor and maintaining an artificially positive viewpoint

Question 14

rational coping

Answer 14

facing a stressor and working to overcome it

Question 15

reframing

Answer 15

finding a new or creative way to think about a stressor that reduces its threat

Question 16

stress inoculation training (SIT)

Answer 16

a therapy that helps people to cope with stressful sitautions by developing by developing positive ways to think about the situation

Question 17

relaxation therapy

Answer 17

a technique for reducing tension by consciously relaxing muscles of the body

Question 18

relaxation response

Answer 18

a condition of reduced muscle tension, cortical activity, heart rate, breathing rate, and blood pressure

Question 19

biofeedback

Answer 19

the use of an external monitoring device to obtain information about a bodily fucntion and possibly gain control over that function

Question 20

social support

Answer 20

the aid gained through interacting with others

Question 21

psychosomatic illness

Answer 21

an interaction between mind and body that can produce illness

Question 22

somatoform disorders

Answer 22

the set of psychological disroders in which the person displays physical symptoms not fully explained by a general medical condition

Question 23

hypochondriasis

Answer 23

a psychological disorder in which a person is preoccupied with minor symptoms and develops an exaggerated belief that the symptoms signify a life-threatening illness

Question 24

somatization disorder

Answer 24

a psychological disorder involving combinations of multiple physical complaints with no medical explanation

Question 25

conversion disorder

Answer 25

a disorder characterized by apparently debilitating physical symptoms that appear to be voluntary - but that the person experiences as involuntary

Question 26

sick role

Answer 26

a socially recognized set of rights and obligations linked with illness

Question 27

self-regulation

Answer 27

the exercise of voluntary control over the self to bring the self into line with preferred standards