Health Psych Test 2 Flashcards
active strategies
a strategy that requires engaging in some type of repeated action to prevent health problems, including to prevent injuries from occuring or to decrease the harm resulting from such injuries
Alarm stage
the first stage of the General adaptation Syndrome (GAS), in which the body mobilizes to fight off a threat by activating both the sympathetic nervous system and the endocrine system
allostatic response
the body’s attempt to adapt to astressful situation. This physiological response invovles a number of system in the body and is shut off as soon as the challenge ends
belongingness support
this type of support refers to the availability of social companionship, such as having others with whom to engage in social activities (e.g., going out to dinner, seeing a movie, attending a party).
bufering hypothesis
a hypothesis which suggests that social support leads to better health by protecting people from the negative effects of high stress, and hence social support is particularly beneficial during stressful times.
cardiovascular system
a network of body systems that work to transport oxygen to and remove carbon dioxide from each cell and organ in the body. This work is accomplished through the beating of the heart, which generates the necessary force in the bloodstream.
central nervous system
a system within the body, consisting of the bones, muscles, and joints to improve body alignment.
conscientiousness
a personality trait describing people who are hardworking, motivated, and persistent. They show high levels of self-restraint and an intense focus on their goals
coping
expending conscious effort to solve personal and interpersonal problems, and seeking to master, minimize, reduce, or tolerate stress or conflict
direct effects hypothesis
a hypothesis that posits that social support can help people at both low and high levels of stress, so having high levels of social support can help people at both low and high levels of stress, so having high levels of social support is always advantageous to health.
emotional support
the expression of caring, concern, ad empathy toward a person as well as the provision of comfort, reassurance, and I love.
emotion-focused system
a type of coping that focuses on managing the emotional effects of a stressful sitatuion. This strategy could include a number of different approaches, including simply not thinking about the problems (e.g., denial or avoidance) as well as venting about the problem to others (e.g., seekinig social support).
endocrine system
a body system that regulates a number of different physiological processes in the body, including physiological growth, sexual arousal, metabolism, and stress resopnse. The endocrine system works by releasing hormones from an endocrine gland, such as the pituitary, thryroid, and pancreas, into the blood-stream.
esteem support/validational support
affirmation of self-worth, including feedback that a person is valued and respected by others
exhaustion stage
a stage at which the body body’s resources are depleted and it becomes very susceptible to physiological damage and diseas
fight-or-flight resopnse
a resonse to stress in which the perons treis to either fight of the stressor or escape from it (both approaches require shifting energy from the nonessential body systems to those systmes necessary to reposnd to the challenge.)
General adaptation syndron
a model describing how stress can lead to negative health consequences over time
hardiness
a personality variable that is associated with how a person reacts in challenging and potentially stressful situations. People who are hardy have a strong commitment to what they are doing, ossess a sense of control over what is happeniing to them, and see stressful events as challenging rather than threatening. Hardiness is associated with better health outcomes.
hostility/disagreebleness
a personality trait in which people velieve that others are motivated by selfish concerns and expect that other people will deliberately try to hurt them. Iin turn, because of their general mistrust and cynicism about other pepole’s motivations, hostile people don’t hesitate to express these feelings–they are often uncooperative, rude, argumentative, condescending, and aggressive
hypothalmci-pituitary-adrenal system
part of the endocrine system that resoponds during times of stress. This response starts by secreting corticotropinreleasing hormone, which in turn triggers the anterior pituitary gland to release adrenocorticotrpic hormone. Finally, the presence of ACTH leads the adrenal gland to release glucocorticoids, including cortisol
Immune system
a body system that is the major line of defense against infection, illness, and disease. The immune system works to eliminate foreign, “non-self” materials, such as bacteria, viruses, and parasites, which contact or enter the body.
informatonal support/appraisal support
advice and guidance about how to cope with a particular problems
instrumental suport/tangible support
the provision of concrete assitance, such as financial aid, material resources, or needed services
intentional injuries
injuries that occur in which the person meant for it to happen
internal locus of control
a generalized belief people have about the extent to which events are under their own (internal) control
nervous system
the body system that is reponsible for transmitting information from the brain throughtout the body as well as fro mthe body back to the brain. The nervous system consists of the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system
neurons
specialized cells that transmit information to and from the brain.
neuroticism/negative affect
a personality trait that refers to the tendency to experience negative emotions, such as distress, anxiety, nervousness, fear, shame, anger, and guilt. People with this trait are likely to worry about upcoming events, dwell on failures and shortcomings, and have a less favorable view of themselves and others.
neurotransmitters
chemicals released by the brain that can increase or decrease the amount of pain experienced
optimism
a personlaity trait that refers to the expectation that good things will happen in the future whereas bad things will not. This personaliy trait is associated with letters health outcomes
passive strategies
an approach to injury prevention that involves changing people’s environment instead of requiring people to change their behavior or take any action
peripheral nervous system
a part of the nervous system copnsisting of the nerual pathways that bring information to and from the brian, including the somatic nervous system and the atonomic nervous system
personality
the particualr combination of emotional, attitudinal, and behavioral resonse patterns of an individual