AP Psych Unit 5 Terms

Health Psychology

The branch of psychology that studies how behavior, emotions, and mental processes affect physical health and illness

Stress

The physical and psychological response to challenges, demands, or threats. Stress can be helpful or harmful depending on the situation.

Hypertension

Chronically high blood pressure, often linked to stress, genetics, diet, or lifestyle. It increases risk of heart disease

Immune Suppression

Weakening of the immune system, making the body less able to fight illness. Long-term stress can contribute to this.

Stressors

Events, situations, or demands that trigger stress. Example: exams, conflict, or financial pressure.

Eustress

Positive stress that energizes and motivates performance. Example: excitement before a competition.

Distress

Negative stress that overwhelms coping ability and may harm health or performance.

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)

Traumatic or highly stressful experiences during childhood, such as abuse, neglect, or household instability, that can affect later health.

General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)

Hans Selye's model describing the body's three-stage response to long-term stress: alarm, resistance, and exhaustion.

Alarm Reaction Phase

First stage of GAS where the body recognizes stress and activates immediate defenses.

Fight-Flight-Freeze Response

Automatic survival response to threat in which the body prepares to confront danger, escape it, or become still.

Resistance Phase

Second stage of GAS where the body remains alert and continues using energy to cope with ongoing stress.

Exhaustion Phase

Final stage of GAS where prolonged stress depletes energy and increases risk of illness or burnout.

Tend-and-Befriend Theory

Theory suggesting some people respond to stress by seeking support, protecting others, and building social connections

Problem-Focused Coping

Managing stress by directly addressing the source of the problem. Example: making a study plan before exams.

Emotion-Focused Coping

Managing stress by reducing emotional distress rather than changing the problem itself. Example: relaxation or talking to a friend.

Positive Psychology

Field of psychology that studies strengths, well-being, and the factors that help people thrive rather than only focusing on problems or disorders

Well-Being

A healthy and satisfying state of life that includes happiness, purpose, positive relationships, and good mental health

Resilience

The ability to recover, adapt, and keep functioning after stress, setbacks, or adversity

Positive Emotions

Pleasant emotional states such as joy, gratitude, hope, pride, and love that can improve coping and health

Gratitude

Feeling thankful and appreciating positive aspects of life or the help of others

Positive Subjective Experiences

Personally felt positive states such as happiness, satisfaction, optimism, and enjoyment

Subjective Well-Being

A person's own evaluation of their happiness and life satisfaction

Signature Strengths

A person's strongest positive traits that come naturally and can be used to improve life. Example: kindness or perseverance

Virtues

Broad positive moral qualities valued across cultures, such as courage, wisdom, and fairness.

Positive Objective Experiences

Observable positive conditions in life, such as strong relationships, meaningful work, or safe environments.

Categories of Virtues

Wisdom, Courage, Humanity, Justice, Temperance, Transcendence

Wisdom

using knowledge well

Courage

facing difficulty with strength

Humanity

kindness and caring for others

Justice

fairness and responsibility

Temperance

self-control and moderation

Transcendence

connection to meaning or something larger than oneself

Posttraumatic Growth

Positive psychological change that can occur after struggling through major hardship, such as gaining strength or new purpose.

Dysfunction

Impairment in thinking, emotions, or behavior that interferes with daily life and normal functioning.

Deviation from the Social Norm

Behavior that strongly differs from what a society or culture considers normal or acceptable.

Cultural/Societal Norms

Shared expectations and rules within a culture that influence how behavior is judged

Stigma

Negative attitudes or discrimination toward people with psychological disorders

Racism

Prejudice or discrimination based on race or ethnicity

Sexism

Prejudice or discrimination based on gender or sex

Ageism

Prejudice or discrimination against people because of age

Discrimination

Unfair treatment of people based on characteristics such as race, gender, age, or mental health

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)

Manual used by mental health professionals to classify and diagnose psychological disorders

International Classification of Diseases (ICD)

Global system used to classify diseases and mental disorders for diagnosis and health records.

Eclectic Approach

Using techniques from multiple psychological perspectives or therapies rather than relying on only one

Behavioral Perspective

Perspective explaining disorders through learned behaviors and conditioning

Maladaptive Learned Associations

Harmful learned connections between experiences and behaviors that contribute to psychological disorders

Psychodynamic Perspective

Perspective explaining disorders through unconscious conflicts and unresolved childhood experiences

Humanistic Perspective

Perspective focusing on lack of personal growth, self-acceptance, or fulfillment as causes of distress

Cognitive Perspective

Perspective explaining disorders through irrational, negative, or distorted thinking patterns

Evolutionary Perspective

Perspective suggesting some psychological traits or behaviors may have developed because they once helped survival

Sociocultural Perspective

Perspective emphasizing the role of culture, environment, relationships, and social conditions in mental health

Biological Perspective

Perspective explaining disorders through genetics, brain structure, neurotransmitters, or physical processes

Biopsychosocial Model

Model explaining disorders as the result of biological, psychological, and social factors interacting together

Diathesis-Stress Model

Theory stating that psychological disorders develop when a biological vulnerability combines with stressful experiences.

Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Disorders that begin early in development and affect behavior, learning, communication, or attention

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Neurodevelopmental disorder involving ongoing problems with attention, impulsivity, and/or hyperactivity

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Neurodevelopmental disorder involving differences in social communication, behavior, and patterns of interests or activities

Schizophrenic Spectrum Disorders

Group of disorders involving distorted thinking, perception, emotions, and behavior, often including psychosis

Delusions

Strongly held false beliefs that remain even when there is clear evidence against them. Example: believing the government is secretly tracking you

Hallucinations

Sensory experiences that occur without a real external stimulus. Example: hearing voices that are not actually there

Disorganized Thinking

Disturbed and illogical thought patterns that make it difficult to organize ideas or communicate clearly

Disorganized Speech

Speech that becomes confusing, unrelated, or difficult to follow because thoughts are not logically connected

Disorganized Motor Behavior

Unusual movements or behaviors that may appear agitated, unpredictable, or bizarre

Negative Symptoms

Reduction or absence of normal emotional or behavioral functions. Example: lack of emotional expression or motivation

Positive Symptoms

Presence of unusual behaviors or experiences added onto normal functioning. Example: hallucinations or delusions

Delusions of Persecution

False beliefs that others are trying to harm, spy on, or target you

Delusions of Grandeur

False beliefs of having exceptional power, fame, intelligence, or importance

Word Salad

Extremely disorganized speech where words are mixed together without logical meaning

Catatonia

Severe disturbance in movement or responsiveness, ranging from rigid stillness to unusual repetitive actions

Flat Affect

Reduced emotional expression in facial expressions, tone of voice, or body language

Catatonic Stupor

State of motionlessness and unresponsiveness where a person may remain still for long periods

Dopamine Hypothesis

Theory suggesting schizophrenia symptoms may be linked to excessive dopamine activity in certain brain regions.

Depressive Disorders

Disorders involving persistent sadness, hopelessness, low energy, or loss of interest that interfere with daily life

Major Depressive Disorder

Serious depressive disorder involving intense symptoms such as sadness, hopelessness, fatigue, or loss of pleasure lasting at least two weeks

Persistent Depressive Disorder

Chronic form of depression involving less severe but longer-lasting depressive symptoms

Bipolar Disorders

Mood disorders involving extreme shifts between depressive states and periods of elevated mood or energy

Cycling

Pattern of shifting between depressive and manic or hypomanic mood states

Mania

State of abnormally high energy, confidence, activity, or irritability that may lead to impulsive decisions

Depression

Emotional state involving persistent sadness, hopelessness, fatigue, and reduced interest in activities

Bipolar I Disorder

Bipolar disorder involving at least one full manic episode, often accompanied by depressive episodes

Bipolar II Disorder

Bipolar disorder involving depressive episodes and hypomania, a milder form of mania

Anxiety Disorders

Disorders involving excessive fear, nervousness, or worry that interferes with daily functioning

Specific Phobia

Intense and irrational fear of a particular object or situation. Example: fear of heights or spiders

Acrophobia

Extreme fear of heights that may cause panic or avoidance behaviors

Arachnophobia

Extreme fear of spiders, even when they are harmless

Agoraphobia

Fear of situations where escape may feel difficult or help may not be available

Panic Disorder

Disorder involving repeated unexpected panic attacks and ongoing fear of future attacks

Panic Attack

Sudden episode of intense fear with physical symptoms such as rapid heartbeat, sweating, dizziness, or shortness of breath

Ataque de Nervios

Culture-related syndrome involving intense emotional distress, crying, panic, or anger, often after stressful events

Social Anxiety Disorder

Intense fear of being judged, embarrassed, or humiliated in social situations

Taijin Kyofusho

Culture-related form of social anxiety involving fear of offending or embarrassing others

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

Disorder involving excessive and uncontrollable worry about many everyday situations

Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders

Disorders involving intrusive thoughts and/or repetitive behaviors that interfere with daily life

Obsessions

Repeated unwanted thoughts, urges, or images that create anxiety. Example: fear of contamination

Compulsions

Repetitive behaviors performed to reduce anxiety caused by obsessions. Example: repeated handwashing

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Disorder involving distressing obsessions and compulsions that consume significant time and interfere with life

Hoarding Disorder

Disorder involving extreme difficulty throwing away possessions, causing clutter and distress

Dissociative Disorders

Disorders involving disruptions in memory, identity, consciousness, or awareness

Dissociation

Feeling disconnected from thoughts, identity, surroundings, or memories, often during stress or trauma