Module 5.1

Question 1

Health psychology

Answer 1

a subfield of psychology that explores the impact of psychological, behavioral, and cultural factors on health and wellness

Question 2

Stress

Answer 2

the process by which we perceive and respond to certain events, called stressors, that we appraise as threatening or challenging

Question 3

Stressors

Answer 3

events that we appraise as threatening or challenging; fall into 3 main types: catastrophes (large scale disasters like earthquakes or hurricanes, significant life changes (parents get divorced, graduating from high school, death of a family member), and daily hassles (annoying siblings, incessant social media interruptions)

Question 4

Eustress

Answer 4

stress that is experienced as positive and motivating

Question 5

Distress

Answer 5

stress that is experienced as negative and debilitating

Question 6

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs)

Answer 6

abuse or other traumas that can influence long-term stress responses and negatively impact health and well-being

Question 7

General adaptation syndrome (GAS)

Answer 7

Canadian scientist Hans Selye’s concept of the body’s adaptive response to stress in three phases–alarm reaction, resistance, exhaustion

Question 8

Alarm reaction

Answer 8

phase 1 of the general adaptation syndrome process; sympathetic nervous system is suddenly activated, your heart rate zooms, blood is diverted to your skeletal muscles, and with your resources mobilized, you are now ready to fight back

Question 9

resistance

Answer 9

phase 2 of the general adaptation syndrome process; your temperature, blood pressure, and respiration remain high, your endocrine system pumps epinephrine and norepinephrine into your bloodstream, you are fully engaged, summoning all your resources to meet the challenge; as time passes with no relief from stress, your body’s reserves dwindle

Question 10

exhaustion

Answer 10

phase 3 of the general adaptation syndrome process; you become more vulnerable to illness or even, in extreme cases, collapse and death

Question 11

fight-flight-freeze response

Answer 11

stress response is part of a unified mind-body system, first noted by Walter Cannon; when alerted by any number of brain pathways, the sympathetic nervous system arouses us, preparing the body for the fight, flight, or freeze response; by fighting, or fleeing or freezing (no response) we increase our chances of survival

Question 12

tend-and-befriend theory

Answer 12

under stress, people (especially women) may nurture themselves, and others (tend) and bond with and seek support from others (befriend)

Question 13

problem-focused coping

Answer 13

attempting to alleviate stress directly–by changin the stressor or the way we interact with that stressor

Question 14

emotion-focused coping

Answer 14

attempting to alleviate stress by avoiding or ignoring a stressor and attending to emotional needs related to our stress reaction

Question 15

strategies that are emotion focused

Answer 15

meditating, reaching out to family and friends, seeking psychiatric care, eating unhealthy comfort foods