PSY 100 | LearningCurve Module 34.

stress

the process by which we perceive and respond to certain events, called stressors, that we appraise as threatening or challenging

stressors

certain life events that we appraise as threatening or challenging

stress reactions

how we react to changes in the environment

approach and avoidance motives

the drive to move toward (approach) or away from (avoid) a stimulus

Hans Selye

General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS) - concept of the body’s adaptive response to stress in three phases—alarm, resistance, exhaustion.

tend-and-befriend response

under stress, people (especially women) often provide support to others (tend) and bond with and seek support from others (befriend)

health psychology

a subfield of psychology that provides psychology’s contribution to behavioral medicine

psychoneuroimmunology

the study of how psychological, neural, and endocrine processes together affect our immune system and resulting health

B lymphocytes

produce antibodies that mark foreign invaders (fight bacterial infections)

T lymphocytes

attack cancer cells, viruses, and other foreign substances

microphage cells

("big eaters"), which attack harmful invaders and worn-out cells

natural killer cells (NK cells)

destroy virally infected or diseased cells without prior activation

coronary heart disease

the clogging of the vessels that nourish the heart muscle; a leading cause of death in many developed countries

type A

Friedman and Rosenman’s term for competitive, hard-driving, impatient, verbally aggressive, and anger-prone people

type B

Friedman and Rosenman’s term for easygoing, relaxed people

catharsis

in psychology, the idea that “releasing” aggressive energy (through action or fantasy) relieves aggressive urges