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Psychology Final 2018 > Health and Happiness > Flashcards

Flashcards in Health and Happiness Deck (11)
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1
Q

What are problem-focused coping

A

actions taken to change a stressful situation or reduce its effects

2
Q

What is emotion-focused coping?

A

attempts to reduce distress emotions

3
Q

What was Rodin and Langer’s (1976) “plant study?”

A
  • Greater control -> lower stress response, better health
  • Controllable vs. uncontrollable electric shock to rats
  • Rodin & Langer, 1976 – plant study (gave control to nursing home residents)
4
Q

What is optimism, and how is it related to health?

A
  • Tendency to believe that one will generally experience good vs. bad outcomes
  • Generally associated with positive health outcomes
5
Q

What is the relation between social support and health?

A
  • Social support -> better health
  • Individuals with small social networks – 2x as likely to die as individuals with large social networks (Berkman & Syme, 1979)
6
Q

What are the mechanisms associated with social resources

A
  • Cognitive appraisal
  • Health behaviors
  • Psychoneuroimmunological pathways (e.g., lower sympathetic nervous system arousal, lower levels of epinephrine)
7
Q

Reducing stress – Expressive writing

A
  • Expressing emotional experiences

- Lower stress, health benefits

8
Q

Reducing stress – Exercise

A
  • Reduces physical effects of stress
  • Reduces emotional strain
  • Lower anxiety, depression
  • e.g., Hoffman et al., 2011 - study of stress and excercise
9
Q

Reducing Stress – Meditation

A
  • Focus and control attention
  • Relaxation response: physiological result of meditation
  • Blood pressure ↓
  • Respiration rate ↓
  • Mindfulness meditation – awareness and focus on present moment
  • Associated with positive health outcomes
10
Q

Reducing stress – Religiosity

A

religious attendance, finding strength and comfort from one’s religious beliefs

11
Q

Reducing stress – Gratitude and Kindness

A
  • Expressing or noting gratitude -> lower stress

- Doing acts of kindness -> lower stress