Final Exam Flashcards
Cravings
Often for nutrient poor foods; Rarely for things we actually have deficiencies in; Hunger/dieting intensifies cravings but doesn’t cause; Response to negative moods (incl. boredom); Chocolate contains precursors to dopamine;
Systemic stressors
Pose a direct physical threat to survival
Processive stressors
Psychological, not life-threatening;
Define stress
Pattern of cognitive appraisals, physiological responses, behavioral tendencies that occur in response to a perceived imbalance between situational demands and the resources needed to cope with them; Highly personal, different things stress different people;
Cognitive appraisal of stress
1) Primary appraisal = demands of the situation; What do I have to do? 2) Secondary appraisal = resources available to cope; How can I cope? 3) Judgements of consequences of situation; What are the costs to me? 4) Personal meaning - what does the outcome imply? If demands exceed resources, stress occurs and 3/4 define intensity of the stress
Endocrine System
System of glands that secrete and regulate hormones in the body
Hormones
Chemicals secreted by glands that travel through the bloodstream and deliver messages
Pituitary gland
In the brain under hypothalmus; Controls the release of hormones throughout the rest of the body
Hypothalmus
Major role in controlling biological drives (sexual behavior, eating, drinking, aggression, emotion); Controls neuroendocrine system; Contains neuro-secretory cells; Connection with pituitary gland;
Adrenal Glands
Sits on top of kidneys; Divided into cortex (outside) and medulla (inside); Release hormones important in regulating stress response and emotions;
Neurosecretory cells
Controlled by hypothalmus; Release chemicals into the blood stream (not synapse);
Catecholemines
Fast-acting, immediate stress hormones; Ex: epinephrine and norepinephrine; Released from medulla of adrenal gland;
How does hypothalmus connect to pituitary?
Through releasing factors, which tell pituitary when to release hormones;
Glucocorticoids
Slow-acting, prolonged stress hormones; Released from cortex of adrenal gland; Ex: cortisol
Adrenal-medullary system
Hypothalmus sends instructions to brainstem, which activates sympathetic NS; Sympathetic NS neurons tell the adrenal medulla to release norepinephrine; Activates fight or flight response;
Fight or flight response
See more sharply; blood flow to limbs; Stop digestion; Pupils dilate; Allows stronger ability for physical activity;
Hypothalmic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) Axis
Hypothalmus releases hormone called corticotropin releasing factor (CHF); CHF instructs pituitary to release adenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH); ACTH stimulates the release of cortisol from the adrenal cortex;
Cortisol
Major glucocorticoid in humans; Mobilizes body for long-term stress response; Secreted by adrenal cortex;
Physiology of Stress overview image
Physiological Toughness
Some people are physically not as reactive to stress;
Cortisol and catecholamines are involved in fight or flight response;
Physiologically tough have lower levels of cortisol and catecholimines;
Catecholimines shoot up much higher than average and then come right back down in stress response;
General Adaption Syndrome (GAS)
Stress resistance occurs in stage 2. Requires adrenal glands releasing epinephrine, norepinephrine and cortisol to maintain increased arousal;
Can’t keep it up forever;
Adrenal glands will lose function and exhaustion incurs;
Psychoneuroimmunology
The study of the effects os stress, emotions, thoughts and behaviour on the immune system;
Stress has:
Direct physiological effects (higher bloodpressure, decrease in immunity, increased hormonal activity); Can lead to damage to heart;
Harmful behviours (smoking/alcohol/drugs, bad nutrition, less sleep);
Indirect health-related behaviours (less complicance with medical advice, increased delays in seek medical attention);
Appraisal of stressor
Maters because if you don’t percieve it as stressful, then you won’t have the stress response
Stress and immunity
Prolonged stress response places wear and tear on the body, which leaves us susceptible to illness;
Stressed people heal more slowly (includes fear of surgery);
Stressed people get sick more often;
Natural Immunity
Inborn processes that help remove foreign substances from the body;
Eg: inflammation after cutting your hand.
Acquired Immunity
Body’s response to specific antigens;
Antigens are any foreign substances that trigger an immune response;
Principle beind the effectiveness of vaccines;
Ader’s Tase Aversion - immune system and stress
UCS: toxin that induced nausea
UCR: Nausea in response to toxin
CS: Saccharin water
CR: Nausea in response to saccharin water
Toxin doubles as an immunosuppressor. Result was decreased immunity when drinking this water. So conditioning can evoke immune suppression
Stress and memory
Hippocampal neurons atrophy;
Fewer dendrite branches on hippocampal neurons;
Makes it more difficult to remember;
Stress and Personality
Type A are competitive, driven, impatient, hostile;
Type B are lack urgency, serene, cooperative;
Type A personalities tend to think more time has passed than really has;
Type A more vulnerable to stress;
Stress most correlated with hostility and anger and Type A;
Risk of heart attack
Higher with Type A;
Hostility and anger induce increased blood ressure of stress response;
Hostility and anger correlated with arterial blockage and increased rate of heart attack;
Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Triggered by exposure to trauma;
- -Exposure to Stressor;
- -Painful re-experiencing of the event;
- -Avoidance of trauma-related stimuli;
- -Negative alterations in cognitions and mood;
- -Increased arousal and reactivity;
- No longer classified as anxiety disorder in DSM5 5 - now a trauma and stress related disorder
Prolongues Exposure Therapy for PTSD
Present the fear stimulus with nothing bad happening;
Related to classical conditioning;
Extinguish fear response;
Contradicts characteristc avoidance in PTSD;
Stress coping strategies:
1) Problem-focused coping
2) Emotion-focused coping
3) Seeking social support
1) Making a plan to deal with the situation; Best if you can deal with the stressor but otherwise will bring more stress;
2) Eliminate the negative stress emotions; Coping mechanisms (positive and negative ones);
3) Getting someone else to help; Distraction; Enjoyment from social connection;
Storytelling and health: Emotional disclosure
People who wrote about their trauamtic events reported feeling better and having better health;
Discussing events narratively decreses arousal and improves health;
Positive psychology
Optimism and self-efficacy associated with health;
Optimistic people live longer;
Health Psychology
- Study of psychological and behavioural factors in promotion of health
- Health Enhancing behaviours (exercise, nutrition, medical check ups)
- Health comprimising behaviours (smoking, sedentary lifestyle, unprotected sex)
Health Psychology:
Transtheoretical Model
- Precontemplation - problem unacknowledged
- Contemplation - recognition of problem
- Preparation - preparing to change behaviour
- Action - implementing change strategies
- Maintenance - maintaining behaviour change
- Termination - Permanent change; habit now
Goals of health psychology is to get people to the termination stage
Deep breathing
- Take in more oxygen per breath
- Slows heart rate
- Engages parasympathetic NS
- How meditation keeps people calm
Drug that causes msot net harm to people:
Incidence of smoking
- Alcohol causes the most net harm to people in society
- On-the-job accidents, drowning, murders, suicide, highway fatalities, rape, child abuse, pedestrian fatalities
- As government makes smoking more difficult, incidence of smokers has been going down.
*
Diagnostic Criteria (selected): Alcohol use disorder
- Problematic patters of use causing significant impairment and distress as manifested by 2 or more of the following within a 12 month period.
- Too much consumed at once or for too long than intended
- Persistent desire; unsuccessful attempts to cut down
- Time spent obtain, using and recovering
- Use results in failure to fulfill major obligations
- Continued use despire recurrent problems
- Important activities are given up
- Tolerance
- Withdrawal
Drinking motives
- Coping motives: Internal; Negative reinfircement; Eliminate the negative feeling; Related to problem drinking;
- Enhancement Motives: Internal; Positive reinforcement; Get a high; Related to problem drinking
- Conformity motives: External; Negative reinforcement; If you drink they won’t tease you; Mostly not problematic;
- Social motives: External; Positive reinforcement; Enjoyment of social interaction;
Negative reinforcement
- Attempt to eliminate a bad thing
Substance Abuse Treatment: Multimodal treatments
- Motivational interviewing
- Aversion Therapy
- Positive reinforcement
- Relaxation techniques
- Family counseling
Combination of many to make the best therapy.
- Motivational Interviewing; Humanistic; Focus on discrepancies bt ideal and actual selves;
- Aversion therapy; Behavioural;
- Positive reinforcement; Behavioural;
- Relaxation techniques + mindfulness meditation’ 3rd wave;
- Family counseling to reduce conflict; Psychodynamic;
Still high relapse rate.
Abstinence violation effect and therapy to combat it
- abstinence violation effect = upset after a minor relapse, often causing them to stop changing
- Cognitive Therapy fixes black and white thinking; progress, not perfection
Harm reduction
- Trying to reduce the harmful effects of the behaviour rather than trying to reduce the behaviour altogether
- Needle exchange programs
- Methadone clinics
- Free condoms for adolescents
- Wet homeless shelters
Pros and cons of Marijuana
- Less addictive and harmful than cigarettes and alcohol;
- Low addiction; Not a gateway drug;
- Does result in dependence;
- Increases risk of schizophrenia in young users;
- Increased risk for motor vehicle accidents;
What constitutes as abnormal?
- Distress (to self or others)
- Dysfunction (for person or society)
- Deviance (violates social norms)
Psychdynamic perspective on mental disorder
- Mental illness derives from inappropriate use of defense mechanisms = neuroses
- eg: depression, anxiety, personality prob
- Withdrawal from reality = psychoses
- eg: splits from reality, bipolar
Behavioural perspective on Mental disorder
- Principles of operant and classical conditioning to define a disorder and treat it.
Cognitive perspective on mental disorders
- Thought processes in mental disorder and how to change them
Humanistic perspective on mental disorder
Define disorders as frustration with achieving self-actualization; negative self-concept;
Biological perspective on mental disorder
- Neurological damage, chemical imbalance, genetic predisposition
- Treat mental illness as a biological problem
Sociocultural perspective on mental disorder
How culture and society creates disorders, or defines what is abnormal.
Vulnerability-Stress Model (= Diathesis-Stress Model)
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Vulnerability factors such as:
- Genetics, biological characteristics, psychological traits, low social support etc
-
Environmental stressors
- Economic adversity, trauma, stresses, losses, occupational setbacks or demands
- Psychological disorders are a result of BOTH of these
Protective factors
Opposite of vulnerability factors; decrease the risk of disorders.
DSM IV Axis system (1 and 2)
-
Clinical Symptoms
- Diaognosis you get
-
Developmental and Personality Disorders
- Developmental - Eg: Autism, mental retardation
- Evident in childhood
- Personality - Eg: paranoid, borderline personality disorder
- Long lasting & huge impact on life
- Resistant to treatment
- Developmental - Eg: Autism, mental retardation
DSM IV Axis System (3, 4, 5)
- Physical Conditions
- Eg: brain injury, AIDS - can result in symptoms of mental illness
- Type 2 diabetes strong susceptible to depression and resistant to treatment
-
Severity of Psychosocial Stressors
* Eg: death of loved one, new job, marriage -
Highest Level of Functioning
* Level of functioning both at present time anf highest level within previous year.
Anxiety and components
Emotional
Cognitive
Physiological
Behavioural
State of tension that one feels naturally in theatening situations;
- Emotional - apprehension/tension
- Cognitive - Worry, thoughts about inability to cope
- Physiological - Increased heart rate, muscle tension, arousal symptoms
- Behavioural - Avoidance of feared situations, decreased task performance, increased startle response
Anxiety disorders
Classified by excessive responses that are out of proportion to the situation that triggers them.
Phobias
- Specific Phobias - specific triggers (eg spiders)
- Social Phobias - Fear of situation where a person might be evalutated/embarrassed
- Agrophobia - fear of open/public places from which escape would be difficult.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
- Obsessions - persistent and unwelcome thoughts that keep recurring
- Compulsions - irritable urges to repeatedly carry out some act that is unreasonable
- Classified as an obsessive-compulsive and related disorder in DSM 5 (not anxiety disorder)
Panic Disorder
- Characterized by panic attacks (sudden and unpredictable surge of anxiety that can last from seconds to hours)
- Life becomes dominated of fear of the next panic attack