Unite 5 vocab

Health Psychology

Examines how biological, social, and psychological factors influence health and illness.

Hypertension

When blood pressure remains consistently high over time.

Immune suppression

A decrease in the activation or efficacy of the immune system, leading to a reduced ability to fight off infections and diseases.

Eustress

The positive stress response, involving optimal levels of stimulation.

General adaptation syndrome (GAS)

Describes the process your body goes through when exposed to any kind of stress, positive or negative.

Alarm

The initial stress response involving physical symptoms such as increased heart rate, elevated blood pressure, and a surge of adrenaline.

Resistance

The ability to maintain one's own beliefs and behaviors in the face of pressure to conform or comply with the expectations of others.

Fight-or-flight response

An automatic physiological reaction to an event perceived as stressful or frightening.

Problem-focused coping

A technique where an individual addresses a problem directly as a way to eliminate it.

Emotion-focused coping

Functions to regulate physiological, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral reactions accompanying stressful encounters.

Distress

The unpleasant feelings or emotions experienced when feeling overwhelmed.

Adverse childhood experiences

Disruptions to safe, stable, and nurturing family relationships characterized by stressful or traumatic events occurring during the first 18 years of life.

Tend-and-befriend theory

Humans, particularly females, often respond to stress by tending to young ones and seeking connection or befriending one another.

Positive psychology

Focuses on factors contributing to individual and societal thriving, emphasizing positive emotions, resilience, and psychological health.

Well-being

Experiencing positive emotions such as happiness, contentment, satisfaction with life, and overall psychological wellness.

Gratitude

A sense of happiness and thankfulness in response to fortunate happenings or tangible gifts.

Signature strengths

Character strengths that are most essential to who we are.

Character strengths

Positive traits expressed through a person's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors recognized for their strength in individuals and communities.

Temperance

Forgiveness, humility, and self-regulation.

Transcendence

Surpassing one's personal self and experiencing a greater sense of purpose and connection.

Psychological Disorder

Impacts cognition, emotion, or behavior, leading to maladaptive behaviors.

Dysfunction

Disturbances in thinking, emotional regulation, or behavior reflecting significant dysfunction in psychological, biological, or developmental processes.

Stigma

Negative or discriminatory attitudes about mental illness.

American Psychiatric Association

A professional organization of psychiatrists promoting psychiatry and educating people about the field.

Eclectic approach

Integrating several therapeutic strategies and techniques based on client benefit.

Behavioral perspective

The approach to psychology focusing on motivations or incentives driving behavior.

Maladaptive behaviors

Ineffective actions or responses that do not help individuals cope with their environment.

Psychodynamic perspective

Focuses on past experiences affecting an individual's psychological states.

Humanistic perspective

Evaluates an individual as a whole rather than through a small aspect of their person.

Cognitive perspective

Focuses on understanding human behavior by examining mental processes like perception and thinking.

Maladaptive thoughts

Negative and irrational thoughts contributing to unhealthy behaviors and emotional distress.

Biopsychosocial model

An integrated approach incorporating biological, psychological, and social-cultural perspectives.

Diathesis stress model

Suggests that psychological disorders develop influenced by genetic predisposition and environmental stressors.

Diagnostic manual of mental disorders

A tool published by the American Psychiatric Association used to categorize and diagnose psychological disorders.

World Health Organization

A part of the United Nations dealing with major health issues worldwide.

International classification of mental disorders

A classification system for physical and mental diseases produced by the WHO.

Evolutionary perspectives

Based on Darwin's theory of natural selection, influencing thoughts and behaviors for survival.

Sociocultural perspective

Considers how individuals interact with social groups and how these groups influence individual development.

Maladaptive relationships

Actions or responses hindering successful interactions with others.

Biological perspective

Considers how genetics and the human body influence behavior and reactions.

Neurodevelopmental disorders

Psychiatric conditions arising in early life with abnormalities in central nervous system development.

Schizophrenic spectrum disorders

Mental health conditions affecting thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, causing hallucinations and delusions.

Delusions

Fixed false beliefs based on inaccurate interpretations despite evidence to the contrary.

Delusions of persecution

Belief that someone is plotting against or harming an individual or their loved ones.

Delusions of grandeur

Belief that one is someone other than who they are, like a superhero or celebrity.

Hallucinations

False perceptions of objects or events involving the senses.

Disorganized thoughts/speech

Thoughts and speech that are jumbled or do not make sense.

Word salad

Confused mixture of random words and phrases.

Disorganized motor behavior

Movements ranging from silliness to unpredictable agitation or repetitive movements without purpose.

Depressive disorders

Mood disorders causing persistent feelings of sadness and loss of interest.

Major Depressive Disorder

Mental health condition causing a persistently low mood and loss of interest.

Bipolar

Serious mental illness causing extreme mood shifts from mania to depression.

Anxiety disorders

Involve excessive fear or anxiety differing from normal nervousness.

Specific Phobia

Intense, irrational fear of something posing little or no actual danger.

Acrophobia

Intense fear of heights.

Agoraphobia

Anxiety disorder involving fear of places that may cause panic or feelings of entrapment.

Panic disorder

Characterized by unexpected, repeated episodes of intense fear with physical symptoms.

Panic attacks

Abrupt surges of intense fear or discomfort.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder

Marked by uncontrollable thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviors (compulsions).

Dissociative disorder

Involves loss of connection between thoughts, memories, feelings, surroundings, behavior, and identity.

Dissociations

Processes where one experiences disconnection from thoughts, feelings, or sense of self.

Trauma and stressor related disorders

Emotional and behavioral problems resulting from childhood traumas.

Hypervigilance

Constantly assessing potential threats.

Personality disorders

Long-term patterns of behavior differing significantly from expected norms.

Cluster A personality disorders

Characterized by odd, eccentric, and unusual behaviors or beliefs.

Cluster B personality disorders

Marked by volatile emotionality and unpredictable behavior.

Cluster C personality disorders

Groups of disorders characterized by feelings of anxiety and insecurity.

Catonia

A disorder disrupting awareness of the surrounding world.

Stupor

Lack of critical mental function and consciousness with response only to intense stimuli.

Catonic Stupor

Extreme immobility and unresponsiveness occurring in severe mental illness.

Negative symptoms

Reduction or absence of normal behaviors and functions.

Positive symptoms

Abnormal behaviors, thoughts, or perceptions 'added on' to a person's experience.

Schizophrenia

Serious mental illness with incoherent thoughts, bizarre behavior, and delusions or hallucinations.

Dopamine hypothesis

Theory that schizophrenia is caused by excessive dopamine activity in the brain.

Persistent depressive disorder

Chronic form of depression characterized by ongoing low-grade sadness.

Culture bound anxiety disorder

Psychological disorder with unique symptoms to a specific culture.

Ataq de nervous

Culturally bound syndrome seen in Hispanic populations characterized by emotional distress from stress.

Tajin kyofusho

Culturally bound social anxiety disorder in Japanese culture focusing on fear of offending others.

Obsessions

Recurring, intrusive thoughts causing significant anxiety.

Compulsions

Repetitive behavior driven by obsessions to reduce anxiety or prevent feared events.

Emotional detachment

Reduced emotional involvement and connection with others.

Meta analysis

Statistical method to combine and analyze results of multiple studies.

Evidence based interventions

Scientifically tested treatments shown to be effective for specific problems.

Psychotropic medication

Drugs affecting mood, behavior, thoughts, and perceptions.

Nonmaleficence

Avoiding intentional harm to others.

Fidelity

Degree of accuracy in replicating or implementing an intervention.

Tardive Dyskinesia

Chronic movement disorder characterized by involuntary movements as a side effect of long-term antipsychotic use.