Untitled Flashcards Set

Behavioral Medicine

The integration of behavioral and medical knowledge to health and disease.

Health Psychology

The study of the interaction between psychology and the physical health of the body.

Stress

The way that we appraise and deal with challenges, threats, and events in our life.

Eustress

Good stress, such as a wedding; a positive event that can still cause a challenge.

Distress

Bad stress, such as a hurricane, death, or catastrophe.

General Adaptation Syndrome

A model that describes the body's response to stress in three stages: alarm, resistance, and exhaustion.

Burnout

Physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion brought on by persistent job-related stress.

Coronary Heart Disease

Clogging of the vessels that nourish the heart muscle; a leading cause of death in the United States.

Type A Personality

Competitive, hard-driving, impatient, verbally aggressive, and anger-prone individuals.

Type B Personality

Easygoing and relaxed individuals.

Psychophysiological Illness

Mind-body illness; any stress-related physical illness.

Lymphocytes

Two types of white blood cells that are part of the body's immune system.

B lymphocytes

Immune cells that fight bacterial infections.

T lymphocytes

Immune cells that attack cancer cells, viruses, and foreign substances.

Aerobic Exercise

Sustained exercise that increases heart and lung fitness; may alleviate depression and anxiety.

Feel-Good, Do-Good Phenomenon

People's tendency to be helpful when already in a good mood.

Subjective Well-Being

Self-perceived happiness or satisfaction with life.

Adaptation-Level Phenomenon

Tendency to form judgments relative to a 'neutral' level defined by prior experience.

Relative Deprivation

Perception that one is worse off relative to those with whom one compares oneself.

Positive Psychology

Scientific study of human functioning that promotes strengths and virtues.

Social Psychology

Scientific study of how we think about, influence, and relate to one another.

Attribution Theory

Tendency to give causal explanations for someone's behavior, crediting either the situation or the person’s disposition.

Foot-in-the-Door Phenomenon

Tendency for people who agree to a small request to comply later with a larger request.

Cognitive Dissonance Theory

The theory that we act to reduce discomfort when our thoughts are inconsistent.

Conformity

Adjusting one’s behavior or thinking to coincide with a group standard.

Social Facilitation

Improved performance of tasks in the presence of others.

Social Loafing

Tendency for people in a group to exert less effort when pooling efforts toward a common goal.

Deindividuation

Loss of self-awareness and self-restraint in group situations.

Group Polarization

Enhancement of a group's prevailing attitudes through discussion within the group.

Prejudice

An unjustified negative attitude toward a group and its members.

Stereotype

A generalized belief about a group of people.

Ingroup Bias

Tendency to favor one's own group.

Scapegoat Theory

Theory that prejudice provides an outlet for anger by providing someone to blame.

Aggression

Any physical or verbal behavior intended to hurt or destroy.

Frustration-Aggression Principle

Principle that frustration creates anger, which can generate aggression.

Passionate Love

An aroused state of intense positive absorption in another.

Companionate Love

Deep affectionate attachment for those with whom our lives are intertwined.

Equity

Condition in which people receive from a relationship in proportion to what they give.

Self-Disclosure

Revealing intimate aspects of oneself to others.

Altruism

Unselfish regard for the welfare of others.

Bystander Effect

Tendency for any given bystander to be less likely to give aid if other bystanders are present.

Social Exchange Theory

Theory that our social behavior is an exchange process aimed at maximizing benefits and minimizing costs.

Superordinate Goals

Shared goals that override differences among people and require cooperation.