5.1 - Introduction to Health Psychology

Question 1

• Health Psychology

Answer 1

Focuses on promoting healthy behaviors, preventing illness, and improving overall health.
Includes working on behavior change, stress management, disease management, along with educating and communication.

Question 2

• Stress

Answer 2

the body’s and mind’s response to any demand, both pleasant and unpleasant, that may cause physical, emotional, or mental strain

Question 3

• Stressors

Answer 3

events and conditions that trigger our stress response, because they are perceived as overwhelmingly challenging, threatening, and/or harmful

Question 4

• Eustress

Answer 4

when stress is motivating

Question 5

• Distress

Answer 5

when stress is debilitating/weakening

Question 6

• Hypertension

Answer 6

High blood pressure

Question 7

• General Adaptation Syndrome

Answer 7

Our stress response system defends, then fatigues.

Question 8

• Alarm Reaction

Answer 8

Stressor occurs, the bodys first initial response to stress of GAS

Question 9

• Resistance Phase

Answer 9

The second stage of the General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS), where the body attempts to adapt to a stressor by channeling its resources to manage the ongoing stress. This phase follows the initial alarm reaction, and if the stressor persists, the body will remain on high alert and continue to produce stress hormones.

Question 10

• Fight-Flight-Freeze Response

Answer 10

occurs during resistance phase of GAS the body’s automatic reaction to perceived threats, preparing it to either fight, flee, or freeze

Question 11

• Exhaustion Phase

Answer 11

the final stage of General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS), a physiological response to stress. It occurs after prolonged or chronic stress, when the body’s resources are depleted and its ability to cope with the stressor is diminished. This stage can lead to various symptoms including fatigue, burnout, depression, anxiety, and reduced stress tolerance.

Question 12

• Tend-and-Befriend Theory

Answer 12

In response to a stressor such as the death of a loved one, women may “tend and befriend”: nurture themselves and others, and bond together.
The bonding hormone oxytocin may play a role in this bonding.
Women show behavioral and neurological signs of becoming more empathetic under stress.

Question 13

• Problem-Focused Coping

Answer 13

involves seeing stress as a problem to be solved and working until a solution is found. This means reducing the stressors by working out a conflict: Identify the stressor, gather information, generate solutions to the problem

Question 14

• Emotion-Focused Coping

Answer 14

involves managing emotional reactions to stress as a means of coping. Strategies may include deep breathing, meditation, or taking medication aimed at reducing stressful emotional responses. Additional strategies include support, comfort, and perspective from others.

Question 15

• Deep breathing

Answer 15

way to cope with stress

Question 16

• Meditation

Answer 16

way to cope with stress