health and happiness Flashcards
coping
alleviating stress using emotional, cognitive, or behavioral methods.
problem-focused coping
attempting to alleviate stress directly—by changing the stressor or the way we interact with that stressor.
emotion-focused coping
attempting to alleviate stress by avoiding or ignoring a stressor and attending to emotional needs related to our stress reaction.
personal control
our sense of controlling our environment rather than feeling helpless.
learned helplessness
the hopelessness and passive resignation humans and other animals learn when unable to avoid repeated aversive events.
external locus of control
the perception that outside forces beyond our personal control determine our fate.
internal locus of control
the perception that we control our own fate.
self-control
the ability to control impulses and delay short-term gratification for greater long-term rewards.
aerobic exercise
sustained exercise that increases heart and lung fitness; also helps alleviate depression and anxiety.
mindfulness meditation
a reflective practice in which people attend to current experiences in a nonjudgmental and accepting manner.
feel good do good phenomenon
people’s tendency to be helpful when in a good mood.
positive psychology
the scientific study of human flourishing, with the goals of discovering and promoting strengths and virtues that help individuals and communities to thrive.
subjective well being
self-perceived happiness or satisfaction with life. Used along with measures of objective well-being (for example, physical and economic indicators) to evaluate people’s quality of life.
adaptation level phenomenon
our tendency to form judgments (of sounds, of lights, of income) relative to a neutral level defined by our prior experience.
relative deprivation
the perception that we are worse off relative to those with whom we compare ourselves.
