Psychology Exam 11-14

Health Psychology

the subfield of psychology that investigates the relationship between people’s behaviors and their health

Stress

any event or environmental stimulus (Stressor) that we respond to because we perceive it to be challenging or threatening.

4 types of stressors

a) Life Events.
b) Catastrophes.
c) Daily hassles.
d) Conflict

Life Event

Changes in one's life, good or bad, that require readjustment
Ex. Getting fired

Catastrophes

May affect one's physical and mental health
Ex. Fire

Daily hassles

the everyday irritations and frustrations that individuals face
Ex. Losing your keys

Conflict

a situation in which a person must choose between 2 or more needs, desires, or demands
Ex. Picking out a pink or blue shirt

Biopsychosocial approach

Highlights how biological, psychological, and social factors
contribute to both physical and mental health

Primary appraisal

Our initial interpretation of an event as irrelevant, positive, or stressful

Secondary appraisal

Evaluation of resources available to cope with a stressor

Acculturative stress

the stress that emerges from conflicts when individuals must adjust to a new culture of the host society

Avoidance- Avoidance Conflict

a type of conflict involving a choice between two negative or undesirable options

Approach-avoidance conflict

a type of conflict involving a single goal that has both positive and negative aspects

Primary appraisal

our initial interpretation of an event as irrelevant, positive, or
stressful

3 ways we appraise things based on stress

Irrelevant, Positive, Stressful

3 criteria of stress

Threat, Harm, Challenge

Secondary appraisal

evaluation of resources available to cope with stressor Primary appraisals interact with secondary appraisals to influence one’s overall feelings of stress

Cognitive Reappraisal

an active and conscious process in which we alter our
interpretation of a stressful event.

List the 3 stages of the General Adaptation Syndrome

Alarm, Resistance, Exhaustion

General Adaption Syndrome

the physiological consequences of severe stress

Hypothalamus

The brain mechanism is responsible for sending stress signals to the sympathetic nervous system.

Approach-approach Conflict

A situation in which a person much choose between two likeable events

Multiple approach-avoidance conflicts

situations that involve several choices, each of which has positive and negative features

Alarm reaction

The first phase of general adaption syndrome, characterized by immediate activation of the nervous and endocrine system

Resistance Stage

The second phase of the general adaption syndrome in which the nervous and endocrine systems continue to be activated

Exhaustion Stage

The third and final phase of the general adaption syndrome, in which bodily resources are drained and wear and tear on the body begins

HPA (hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal) Axis

The major system that controls the stress response involving the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and adrenal gland

Adrenal gland sends what two hormones

1. Adrenaline 2. Corticosteroids

Immunosuppression

reduction in the activity of the immune system

Problem-focused coping

Behaviors that aim to control or alter the environment that is causing stress

Emotion-focused coping

Behaviors aimed at controlling the internal emotional reactions to a stresser

Cognitive Reappraisal

An active and conscious process in which we alter our interpretation of a stressful event.

Health Disparities/Inequalities

Differences in health outcomes for different groups, where one or more groups experience worse outcomes than others

What did the "Better Now" article focus on

focused on the relationship between health and Poverty, Health care, etc

World Health Organization (WHO)

An organization that released a special health-based
announcement called the Social Determinants of Health

a) Income and Social Status.
b) Education.
c) Physical Environment.
d) Social Support Systems.
e) Genetics.
f) Health Services.
g) Gender

Defense Mechanism

Unconcious, emotional strategies that are engaged in to reduce anxiety and maintain a positive self image.

Denial

Refusing to accept or acknowledge the reality of a situation or idea

Rationalization

Devising a plausible reason or motive to explain one's behavior

Reaction formation

Engaging in a behavior or attitude that is at the opposing extreme of one's true motive or impulse

Regression

Returning to an earlier stage of developement in one's behavior, thinking, or attitude

Sublimation

Directing emotions into an activity that is more constructive and socially acceptable

Repression

Excluding wishes, impulses, ideas, or memories from consciousness

Projection

Attributing one's own ideas, feelings, or attitudes to other people

Displacement

Direction emotions towards a less threatening source

Personality

the unique collection of attitudes, emotions, thoughts, habits, impulses, and behaviors that define how a person typically behaves across situations

Sigmund Freud was known for being a key figure for

Psychoanalytic perspective

According to Freud, list the 3 components of awareness

a) Conscious
b) Preconscious
c) Unconscious

What are the 2 impulses that the Id tries to satisfy

a) Sexual
b) Aggressive

Id

The unconcious part of personality that seeks pleasure and gratification

Ego

the conscious part of our personality that attempts to meet the demands of the id in a socially appropriate way.

Superego

our moral judgement part of our personality that attempts to meet the demands of the id in a socially appropriate way

What part of personality acts as a moderator (balancing Id impulses with Superego expectations?

Ego

Defense Mechanisms

processes used to protect the ego by reducing the anxiety it feels when faced with the conflicting demands of the id and superego

List the 5 stages of psychosexual development, the time frame, and the pleasure point.

a) Oral stage, Birth-18 months, Mouth
b) Anal stage, 18 months- 3 yrs., Anus
c) Phallic Stage, 3- 6 yrs., Genitals
d) Latency, 6 yrs.- Puberty, None
e) Genital Stage, Puberty- end, Genitals

Oedipus Complex

in the male, an unconscious sexual urge for the mother (fall in love with mom and have hostile feelings toward dad)

Neo-Freudians

A Freudian spin-off, this branch tended to keep the influence of the unconscious but moved away from the focus on sexual and aggressive impulses

Humanistic perspective

a personality perspective that emphasizes the individual,
personal choice, and free will in shaping personality

Abraham Maslow

Researcher who posed the Hierarchy of Needs

Actualizing Tendency

The idea that there is a natural drive in humans to strive for
fulfillment and enhancement

Unconditional Positive Regard

acceptance and love of another’s thoughts and feeling
without expecting anything in return.

Trait Perspective

A personality perspective that attempts to describe personality by emphasizing internal, biological aspects of personality, called traits.

Being extraverted is an example of a

Trait

List the 5 concepts involved in the Big Five

a) Openness
b) Conscientiousness
c) Extrovertedness
d) Agreeableness
e) Neuroticism

Preference of a routine would be an example of being low in

Openness

Preference of being around others would be an example of being high in

Extrovertedness

Always being to work on time is an example of high

Conscientiousness

Pessimistic individuals could be high in

Neuroticism

Being approachable and trusting could mean someone is high in

Agreeableness

Big Five theory is supported cross culturally true or false

True

Person-situation interaction

the influence of the situation on the stability of traits.

Social-Cognitive perspective

a personality perspective that emphasizes the influence of
one’s thoughts and social experiences in formulating personality (perception is a key component)

Albert Bandura

This researcher coined the idea of reciprocal determinism (constant interaction among one’s behavior, thoughts, and environment determines personality)

Internal locus of control

we expect some degree of personal control

External locus of control

we expect little personal control

Openness

open to new experience,
score high- tend to be imaginative, creative, curious, and prefer variety

Conscientiousness

The degree to which one is aware and attentive to other people, the details of the task or both

Extraversion

Degree to which one's energy is directed inward or outward

Agreeableness

Degree to which one gets along with others

Neuroticism

Degree to which one is emotionally stable or unstable

mental health disorder

a dysfunction in thinking, emotions, and/or social behavior
that impairs functioning and is not culturally expected

When do people often seek help for distress

When behavior causes emotional or physical pain

When is a behavior considered a dysfunction?

A behavior is considered dysfunctional when it interferes with a person’s ability to function

What is the study of psychopathology

It is the study of mental health disorders

Statistical Approach

Numerically rare or unusual, however not all rare behavior is disordered and not all disordered behavior is rare

Impairment Approach

Interferes with daily functioning, however this is not always the case (manic episodes)

Deviance Approach

Viewed as outside of cultural or social norms, however not all socially deviant behavior is disordered, and over time society changes this standard is also very subjective

Subjective Distress Approach

Individuals themselves experience distress as a result of thinking, emotions, or behavior. Not cross-cultural

List the 3 different approaches to mental health

a) Biological (Medical Model)
b) Psychological
c) Sociocultural

List the 4 different perspectives in the psychological approach

a) Psychoanalytic
b) Social learning (behavioral)
c) Cognitive
d) Humanistic

The Medical Model

is a perspective that views mental health disorders as similar to physical disease

the following is part of the biomedical approach

a) Diagnosis
b) Etiology
c) Assessment
d) Treatment

Psychoanalytic Perspective

Abnormal behavior is attributed to unresolved unconscious conflicts Emphasizes the role of ego and interpersonal
relationships in maintaining and restoring mental health

Social Learning
(behaviorism)

Abnormal behavior is a result of the same learning processes that produce normal behavior Classical and operant conditioning Observational learning

Cognitive Perspective

Emphasizes the role of thoughts, expectations, assumptions, and other mental processes Combine cognitive and behavioral perspectives into Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
(CBT)

Humanistic perspective

Abnormal behavior results from distorted perception of self and reality Is a mismatch between the ideal self and the actual self; Internalizing the views and priorities of others

What do sociocultural theories emphasize?

Social and culture factors

The biopsychosocial model highlights

how the biological, psychological, and social
factors contribute to both physical and mental health.

The Multipath model is?

a model that provides an organizational framework for
understanding the numerous causes of mental disorders, the complexity of their interacting components, and the need to view disorders from a holistic framework

Biological dimension

Includes findings linking certain disorders to genetic
factors, brain anatomy, biochemical imbalances, central nervous system functioning, autonomic nervous system reactivity, etc