Week 18 Readings Flashcards
(42 cards)
Do trigger warnings reduce distress? What are the potential downsides of trigger warnings?
No, studies show they do not lessen emotional reactions or intrusive thoughts (Bridgland et al., 2019; Bellet et al., 2018).
They can increase anxiety, encourage avoidance, and reinforce feelings of emotional vulnerability.
Why are chronic diseases more common today?
Longer lifespans and unhealthy behaviors contribute to the rise in chronic illnesses like coronary heart disease (CHD), cancer, and diabetes.
How do psychological factors affect chronic diseases?
They influence disease development, progression, treatment adherence, and mental health, impacting overall prognosis.
How do psychological and social factors influence health?
Many illnesses, like CHD, are linked to stress, smoking, diet, and personality traits.
Health psychologists help improve behaviors, teach stress management, and treat psychological disorders to promote better health.
What is the Biopsychosocial Model of Health?
An approach to studying health and human function that posits the importance of biological, psychological, and social (or environmental) processes.
What is the definition of health as per the WHO?
According to the World Health Organization, it is a complete state of physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.
What is the Biomedical Model of Health?
A reductionist model (older) that posits that ill health is a result of a deviation from normal function, which is explained by the presence of pathogens, injury, or genetic abnormality.
What is psychosomatic medicine?
An interdisciplinary field of study that focuses on how biological, psychological, and social processes contribute to physiological changes in the body and health over time.
What is psychoneuroimmunology?
A field of study examining the relationship among psychology, brain function, and immune function.
How does the Biopsychosocial Model differ from the Biomedical Model?
The Biopsychosocial Model includes psychological and social influences, while the Biomedical Model focuses only on physical causes like germs and pathogens.
How do stressors affect health?
Both major life events (e.g., family death) and daily hassles (e.g., traffic, arguments) can raise blood pressure, alter stress hormones, and suppress immune function.
What is stress?
A pattern of physical and psychological responses in an organism after it perceives a threatening event that disturbs its homeostasis and taxes its abilities to cope with the event.
What is the General Adaptation Syndrome?
A three-phase model of stress, which includes a mobilization of physiological resources phase, a coping phase, and an exhaustion phase (i.e., when an organism fails to cope with the stress adequately and depletes its resources).
What factors contribute to resilience and health protection?
Five key factors studied in health psychology are:
- Coping
- Control and Self-Efficacy
- Social Relationships
- Dispositions and Emotions
- Stress Management
What are the two types of coping, and how do they affect health?
Problem-focused coping actively addresses the stressor (e.g., studying for an exam) and is generally better for long-term mental wellness.
Emotion-focused coping manages emotions related to stress (e.g., watching a movie to reduce anxiety), which can help in the short term, especially for uncontrollable events (e.g., the death of a loved one).
Why is it important to match coping strategies to stressors?
The effectiveness of a coping strategy depends on the nature of the stressor; problem-focused coping works best for controllable stressors, while emotion-focused coping is better for uncontrollable ones.
How does the belief in control influence health and stress?
Believing you have control, even if it’s just perceived, can improve performance, reduce stress, and boost immune function. Studies show that people who feel in control of situations, like choosing activities or tasks, experience better health outcomes.
What is self-efficacy, and how does it affect health?
Self-efficacy is the belief in one’s ability to complete tasks and achieve goals. High self-efficacy is linked to reduced stress, better health behaviors (e.g., smoking cessation), and improved health outcomes.
How does social isolation affect health?
Social isolation increases the risk of disease and death, similar to the risks of smoking. Healthy social relationships are crucial for overall well-being.
What is social integration, and how does it impact health?
Social integration refers to the number of social roles a person has (e.g., family member, coworker, volunteer). Having diverse social roles improves health by promoting healthy behaviors and providing social support during stress.
How do negative personality traits affect health?
Negative traits like hostility, competitiveness, and impatience (Type A Behavior) are linked to higher risks of heart disease. Hostility, in particular, increases anger and stress, which can damage heart arteries and reduce social support, further harming health.
Type A behavior is characterized by…
Type B behavior reflects the absence of Type A characteristics and is represented by…
Type A behavior is characterized by impatience, competitiveness, neuroticism, hostility, and anger.
Type B behavior reflects the absence of Type A characteristics and is represented by less competitive, aggressive, and hostile behavior patterns.
What is biofeedback?
The process by which physiological signals, not normally available to human perception, are transformed into easy-to-understand graphs or numbers.
Individuals can then use this information to try to change bodily functioning (e.g., lower blood pressure, reduce muscle tension).
What is the difference between health behaviors and health habits?
Health behaviors are actions that can either improve or harm health (e.g., exercise, smoking). Health habits are behaviors that become automatic over time (e.g., wearing a seatbelt) and are often developed early through parental influence or peer groups.
