Health Psychology

Question 1

health psychology

Answer 1

study of how psychological and behavioral processes affect health

Question 2

stress

Answer 2

physiological, emotional, and behavioral responses to perceived threat or danger
is subjective and internal

Question 3

what are the primary causes of stress?

Answer 3

cataclysmic events
life changes
chronic stress
daily hassles
job stresses 
frustration
conflict

Question 4

cataclysmic event

Answer 4

a sudden event that usually affects many people

Question 5

chronic stress

Answer 5

persistent (perceived) threat or danger

Question 6

life change

Answer 6

major change that is found to predict illness

Question 7

daily hassle

Answer 7

everyday annoyances found to predict illness

Question 8

job stress

Answer 8

concern related to a job

Question 9

frustration

Answer 9

tension from blocked goal(s)

Question 10

conflict

Answer 10

forced choice between incompatible goals

Question 11

what are the types of conflict?

Answer 11

approach/approach
avoidance/avoidance
approach/avoidance

Question 12

approach/approach conflict

Answer 12

choosing between two positive goals

Question 13

avoidance/avoidance conflict

Answer 13

choosing between two negative goals

Question 14

approach/avoidance conflict

Answer 14

choosing between a positive and negative goal

Question 15

what are the impacts of stress?

Answer 15

poor performance
acute illness
chronic illness
shortened life

Question 16

what are the phases of stress?

Answer 16

alarm (phase 1)
resistance (phase 2)
exhaustion (phase 3)

Question 17

coping

Answer 17

process of dealing with (perceived) stress

Question 18

what is the stress process?

Answer 18

1) a potentially stressful event occurs
2) subjective cognitive appraisal (personal assessment of the threat)
3) physiological, emotional, and behavior responses occur

Question 19

cognitive coping

Answer 19

appraise and modify thinking about the situation causing stress
e.g. gain sense of self-control, detect and dispute negative self-talk

Question 20

physiological coping

Answer 20

change the physiological response to stress

e.g. exercise, meditation

Question 21

emotional coping

Answer 21

regulate stress emotions

e.g. prayer, listening to music

Question 22

behavioral coping

Answer 22

address the event causing stress

e.g. getting help, do what needs to be done

Question 23

what are examples of unhealthy coping?

Answer 23

giving up
blaming oneself
striking out at others
unhealthy behaviors (e.g. drug use, binge drinking)

Question 24

characteristics of healthy personalities

Answer 24

type B
low anger
optimists
social

Question 25

characteristics of type A behavior

Answer 25

rushed for time
impatient
competitive
hostile

Question 26

what disease are type A people more than twice as likely to develop?

Answer 26

heart disease

Question 27

optimism

Answer 27

belief system that positive events are caused by them, and negative events are out of their control

Question 28

pessimism

Answer 28

belief system that positive events are out of their control and negative events are caused by them

Question 29

what are examples of healthy behaviors?

Answer 29

exercise
good nutrition
not smoking
not abusing substances (drugs and/or alcohol)

Question 30

effects of exercise

Answer 30

decreased risk of depression, respiratory disease, cardiovascular disease, and cancer

Question 31

effects of poor diet

Answer 31

increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer

Question 32

effects of smoking

Answer 32

increased risk of cancer, heart disease, and respiratory disease
decrease in appearance

Question 33

effects of substance abuse

Answer 33

more likely to participate in unprotected sex, be violent, commit homicide, and develop a psychological additction