Unit 5 Flashcards
Behavioral medicine
study of how stress influences health & illness
Health psychology
subfield of psychology that explores the impact of psychological, behavioral, & cultural factors on health & wellness; psychology’s contribution to behavioral medicine
Psychoneuroimmunology
study of how psychological, neural, & endocrine processes together affect our immune system & resulting health (branch of health psychology)
Lazarus’s Cognitive Appraisal Theory
we appraise stressors as threatening or challenging
Eustress
stress that is positive & motivating (see the stressor as a challenge)
Distress
stress that is negative & debilitating (see the stressor as a threat)
Catastrophes: large scale disasters
Significant life changes
having a loved one die, moving, losing a job, parents getting divorced, going to college, etc.
Daily hassles & social stress
annoying siblings, to-do lists, dropping off & picking up children, etc.
Biogenic Stressors
Substances that activate nervous system activity
Approach & avoidance motives
the drive to move toward (approach) or away from (avoid) a stimulus (purposed by Kurt Lewin)
Approach-approach conflict
least stressful conflict; have to choose between desirable options
Avoidance-avoidance conflict
have to choose between undesirable options
Approach-avoidance conflict
most stressful; have to choose between options that have both desirable & undesirable qualities
Sympathetic NS
triggers a fight, flight, or freeze response (fast)
Endocrine system
releases adrenaline and cortisol (slow)
General adaptation syndrome
body’s adaptive response to stress in three phases - alarm, resistance, & exhaustion (purposed by Hans Selye)
Phase 1 of GAS
alarm reaction: sympathetic nervous system is activated & body is mobilized for a threat (heart rate increases, blood diverted to muscles)
Phase 2 of GAS
resistance: body is summoning all resources to meet the challenge (temperate, blood pressure, & respiration run high; adrenaline pumped into bloodstream)
Phase 3 of GAS
exhaustion: body’s resources are depleted; become more vulnerable to illness, collapse, or death
Tend-and-befriend response
under stress, people (especially women) may nurture themselves & others (tend) & bond with & seek support from others (befriend)
Type A personality
Friedman & Rosenman’s term for competitive, hard-driving, impatient, verbally aggressive, & anger-prone people - linked to coronary heart disease
Catharsis
idea that “releasing” aggressive energy (through action or fantasy) relieves aggressive urges
releasing negative emotions such as grief and anger
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 & attending to emotional needs related to our stress reaction