final exam psy Flashcards
(47 cards)
the physical, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral responses to events that are appraised as
threatening or challenging;
the mental and physical condition that occurs when a person must adjust or adapt to the
environment
Stress
– stress-causing events
Two basic kinds of stressors
Stressors
an unpredictable event that happens on a large scale and
creates tremendous amounts of stress and feelings of threat,
such as tornados, hurricanes, and terrorist activities
Catastrophes
positive and negative life changes and adjustments create
stress;
there are stress and adjustment scales in which scores are
associated with various changes and events that can occur
in a person’s life;
Major life changes
stress is not as severe when a person has some control over
it;
Uncontrollability
a stressful condition that occurs when a person must choose between
competing and incompatible desires, goals, or actions;
four basic forms of conflict:
Conflict
comes from being both attracted to
and repelled by the same goal or activity, such as taking a job you
like in a city you do not like
Approach-avoidance conflict
two or more alternatives
with each containing attraction and repulsion
Multiple approach-avoidance conflicts
a series of bodily reactions to prolonged stress;
occurs in three reliable stages:
General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)
bodily resources are mobilized to cope with the stressor;
the sympathetic nervous system is activated;
enduring stress may result in tension, stomachache,
headache, nausea, or other physical symptoms
. Alarm reaction
body resources are exhausted and serious health
consequences occur, including emotional (anxiety,
irritability, mental fatigue), behavioral (avoidance,
neglect, self-destructive behavior), and physical
(weakened immune system leading to illness, high
blood pressure, exhaustion, over-reliance on
medication);
without a change in the level of stress, death may
Stage of exhaustion
focuses on how our physical activities, psychological traits, and
social relationships affect our overall health and rate of illnesses
Health Psychology
most people today in the U.S. die from lifestyle diseases, which
result from lifestyle choices and habits, such as heart disease,
stroke, AIDS, and lung cancer
Behavioral risk factors
high levels of stress, untreated hypertension,
cigarette smoking, abuse of alcohol and other drugs, overeating, inadequate
exercise, unsafe sexual behavior, exposure to toxic substances, violence,
excessive sun exposure, reckless driving, and disregarding personal safety
Major behavioral risk factors
smoking,
alcohol abuse, drug abuse, poor diet, insufficient exercise, and risky sexual
practices
The six behavioral risk factors related to 70% of all medical costs
will likely affect your health, happiness, and life
expectancy for years to come.
Habits acquired by age 18 or 19
People who are intellectually resourceful, compassionate, optimistic, and
nonhostile tend to
enjoy good health
getting regular exercise, controlling
smoking and alcohol use, maintaining a balanced diet, getting good medical
care, and managing stress.
Health-promoting behaviors
competitive, impatient, most likely tense, workaholic,
easily annoyed, some are hostile;
about twice as likely as Type B personalities to develop
heart disease or have a heart attack (research indicates
that the lethal factor seems to be hostility)
Type A personalities
more relaxed, laid back approach to life and life’s
stressors, slow to anger, more peaceful
Type B personalities
a group of traits associated with the development of
cancer, specifically the trait of being non-assertive
Type C personalities
a group of traits associated with the development of
Depression
Type D personalities
people who always tend to look for positive outcomes;
associated with longer life, increased immune-system
functioning, and more success in personal life endeavors
Optimists
people who tend to expect the worst to happen;
in comparison with optimists, pessimists have a higher death rate,
more problems with physical and emotional health, more pain, less
ability to take part in social activities, and less energy
Pessimists