Key Terms 3 Flashcards
approach-approach conflict
a forced choice between two options, both of which have equally desirable characteristics
approach-avoidance conflict
a forced choice involving one option with equally desirable and undesirable characteristics
avoidance-avoidance conflict
a force choice between two options, both of which have equally undesirable characteristics
burnout
a state of psychological and physical exhaustion resulting from chronic exposure to high levels of stress, with little personal control
chronic stress
a continuous state of arousal in which demands are perceived as greater than the inner and outer resources available for dealing with them
emotion focused coping
the strategies we use to relieve or regulate our emotional reactions to a stressful situation
external locus of control
the belief that chance or outside forces beyond our control determine our fate
frustration
the unpleasant tension, anxiety, and heightened sympathetic activity resulting from a blocked goal
general adaptation syndrome(GAS)
Selye’s three stage (alarm, resistance, exhaustion) reaction to a chronic stress; a pattern of nonspecific, adaptational responses to a continuing stressor
hassles
the small problems of daily living that may accumulate and become a major source of stress
homeostasis
our body’s tendency to maintain equilibrium, or a steady state of internal balance
HPA axis
our body’s delayed stress response, involving the hypothalamus, pituitary, and adrenal cortex; also called the hypothalmic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis
internal locus of control
the belief that we control our own fate
mindfulness based stress reduction(MBSR)
a stress reduction strategy based on developing a state of consciousness that attends to ongoing events in a receptive and non-judgmental way
positive affect
the experience or expression of positive feelings(affect), including happiness, joy, enthusiasm, and contentment
post traumatic stress disorder(PTSD)
a long-lasting, trauma and stressor related disorder that overwhelms an individual’s ability to cope
problem focused coping
the strategies we use to deal directly with a stressor to eventually decrease or eliminate it
psychoneuroimmunology
the interdisciplinary field that studies the effects of psychological and other factors on the immune systen
SAM system
our body’s initial, rapid acting stress response, involving the sympathetic nervous system and the adrenal medulla; called the sympatho-adreno-medullary(SAM) system
stress
the interpretation of specific events, called stressors, as threatening or challenging the physical and psychological reactions to stress, known as the stress response
stressor
a trigger or stimulus that induces stress
hostility component of type a
type a personalities are known for hostility, which can lead to a greater risk of heart disease in these individuals
primary appraisal
an assessment of how significant an event is for a person, including whether it is a threat or opportunity
secondary appraisal
considers one’s ability to cope or take advantage of the situation
cognitive appraisal
the personal interpretation of a situation; it is how an individual views a situation
social readjustment rating scales
questionnaire for identifying major stressful life events. contains 43 events. Each one of the 43 stressful life events was awarded a Life Change Unit depending on how traumatic it was felt to be by a large sample of participants
psychological demand stress dimension
jobs with a high psychological demand produced more stress and workers weren’t as healthy as those with jobs with a lower psychological demand
decision control stress dimension
those working in positions with lots of decision making power were healthier and had lower stress than those with no decision making power
gastric ulcer
infected with abundance of H. pylori bacteria, causing an ulcer, can be induced by stress
social supports
the perception and actuality that one is cared for, has assistance available from other people, and that one is part of a supportive social network
type a behavior
hostility, impatience, difficulty expressing emotions, competitiveness, drive, perfectionism and an unhealthy dependence on external rewards such as wealth, status, or power
type b behavior
behavior pattern characterized by a relaxed manner, patience, and friendliness that possibly decreases one’s risk of heart disease. Also called type B personality
somatosensory cortex
receives all sensory input from the body
localization of function
The idea that different parts of the brain do different things
motor cortex
the region of the cerebral cortex involved in the planning, control, and execution of voluntary movements
confounding variable
variable that influences both the dependent variable and independent variable causing a spurious association
eclecticism
a conceptual approach that does not hold rigidly to a single paradigm or set of assumptions, but instead draws upon multiple theories, styles, or ideas to gain complementary insights into a subject, or applies different theories in particular cases
functionalism
the theory that all aspects of a society serve a function and are necessary for the survival of that society
