Chapter 14: Health Psychology (5B)

Question 1

What is autonomic reactivity and stress?

Answer 1

Differences in intensity of autonomic nervous system (ANS)
- individuals consistently displayed either high or low cardiovascular activity in response to stressor

Question 2

What is the hardy or stress-resistant personality?

Answer 2

welcome challenges, take control, view stressors as growth opportunities

Question 3

What is Type A personality?

Answer 3

Style resulting in continual stress
Personality traits: competitive, impatient, ambitious, hostile

Question 4

What is Type B personality?

Answer 4

Experience lower levels of stress
Persoanlity traits: more relaxed, less hostile, and aggressive

Question 5

What is type C personality?

Answer 5

Particularly vulnerable to stress
Persoanlity traits: positive attitudes but nabe to express or acknowledge negative feelings

Question 6

What is the type D personality?

Answer 6

Distressed, which impacts health
Personality traits: worry, gloomy, socially inhabited

Question 7

What are some connections between social support ad stress?

Answer 7

• support may increase self confidence when dealing with stressors
• support may provide a greater sense of control and optimism
• social feedback may change the stressed individual’s perspective
• a reassuring presence may reduce arousal and negative emotion that fuel stress reactions
• more social support seems to correlate with less stress

Question 8

What is coping?

Answer 8

Efforts to manage, reduce, or tolerate stress

Question 9

What are some examples of coping?

Answer 9

Humour - laughter may improve health
meditation - promotes relaxation
Lashing out - psychological or physical
Self-defence - defensive, avoidant behaviours to protect oneself from stress
Self-indulgence - alcohol, drugs, smoking, overreacting

Question 10

What is psychoneuroimmunology?

Answer 10

Studies links between stress, the immune system and health

Question 11

What is the immune system?

Answer 11

Organs, tissues,and cells, that identify and fight bodily invaders (viruses, bacteria, cancer cells)

Question 12

What are lymphocytes?

Answer 12

White blood cells that are key in fighting bacteria and viral invaders

Question 13

What is cortisol?

Answer 13

Stress hormone that loweres immune system functioning

Question 14

What are cytokines?

Answer 14

Chronic cortisol drives up cytokine levels
- leads to long term inflammation which can contribute to heart disease, stroke, and other illnesses