psyc 1650 exam 2

Teenaged mortality decrease

90% reduction from 1935-1985 due to vaccines.

Lifestyle diseases

Diseases primarily caused by lifestyle choices. Most diseases are this type.

Health defeating behaviors

Smoking and lack of exercise negatively impact health.

Health promoting behaviors

Exercising, eating well, and sufficient sleep enhance health.

Illusion of invulnerability

Adolescents in particular underestimate risks of negative events.

Optimism bias

Belief that bad things happen to others, not oneself.

Medical model

Health issues attributed solely to germs.

Epigenetics

Study of how environment affects gene expression.

Placebo effect

Positive outcomes from expected benefits of treatment.

Nocebo effect

Negative outcomes from adverse expectations of treatment.

Affect

Emotional response or pain experienced by individuals.

Gold standard

Clinical trial considered the most reliable research method.

Pill color significance

Yellow pills are perceived as the most effective.

Pill cost influence

More expensive pills perceived to work better.

Endogenous endorphins

Hormones produced in the brain that reduce pain and improve mood

Sham surgery

Fake surgery used to test treatment effects. 74% of participants who had sham surgery report incredible results

Classical conditioning

Learning process influencing placebo responses. We expect we will feel better after taking a pill and then we do.

Selye's stress psychology

Pioneer of stress research; studied stress in rats.

General adaptation syndrome (GAS)

A physiological model proposed by Hans Selye that describes the body's response to stress. Three-stage stress response: alarm, resistance, exhaustion.

Autonomic system

Divided into sympathetic and parasympathetic systems.

Epinephrine

Both a neurotransmitter and a hormone, but it acts mainly as a hormone. Primarily released during stress.

Adrenal glands

Hormone-releasing glands located above kidneys.

Cortisol

Stress hormone that can enhance immune response.

Glucagon

Hormone converting stored glucose to free glucose.

Prolactin

Hormone that suppresses reproductive functions.

ADH

Hormone that reduces urine production.

Stress response

Constant human state of worry and stress.

Stress appraisal

Evaluating a situation to determine stress levels.

Threat appraisal

Interpreting a situation as a significant threat.

Challenge appraisal

Viewing stress as an opportunity for growth.

Cortisol measurement

Cortisol levels assessed via urine, saliva, or blood.

Dopamine

Neurotransmitter involved in reward and stress.

Sympathetic arousal

Physiological response to stress, increases heart rate.

Blood sugar

Elevated levels harmful for diabetes management.

Blood pressure

High levels affect overall heart health.

Cardiovascular issues

Leading health problem in the US.

Right heart

Pumps deoxygenated blood to the lungs.

Left heart

Pumps oxygenated blood to the brain.

Heart rate increase

Initial response to stress via sympathetic arousal.

Blood vessel dilation

Increased blood flow to specific body areas.

Points of bifurcation

Smaller and smaller to supply blood. Susceptible to damage.

Vascular damage

Tears in blood vessels from high pressure.

Plaque

Cholesterol clumps at damaged blood vessel sites.

CRP (C-reactive protein)

Protein produced by the liver when you have inflammation in the body. Lets you know if you have inflammation in your muscles. Could be because you have cardiovascular disease. Measurement of inflammation.

Left ventricular hypertrophy

Enlargement of the heart due to blood pressure.

Thrombus

Blood clot that can cause heart attacks.

Angina

Chest pain due to reduced blood flow.

Nitroglycerin

Vasodilator that opens blood vessels.

Vagus nerves

Nerves that help regulate heart rate. Once cardiovascular disease gets a hold of you, your vagus nerves stop working.

Vascular resistance

Resistance blood must overcome to flow.

Chronic cortisol

Prolonged stress hormone raising blood sugar.

Hypertension

First step in chronic stress-related cardiovascular disease.

Irregular heartbeat

More likely with an enlarged heart.

H. pylori

Bacteria primarily causing stomach ulcers.

Mucosal membrane

Protective layer in stomach cells.

Hyperphagia

Increased appetite during stress responses. 2/3 of people get this when they're stressed.

Glucose cravings

Desire for sugar during stress for energy.

Cortisol

Hormone that promotes food storage and fat accumulation.

Visceral fat

Abdominal fat associated with health risks.

Gluteal fat

Fat stored in the buttocks area.

Insulin resistance

Reduced response to insulin, affecting blood sugar.

Immune system

Body's defense against pathogens and foreign substances.

Autoimmune disease

Condition where immune system attacks own cells.

Antibodies

Proteins that identify and neutralize antigens.

Primary immune response

First exposure to a virus; takes 8-10 days.

Secondary immune response

Faster antibody production after re-exposure; 4-5 days.

Memory cells

Cells that remember specific antigens for future defense.

Antigens

Substances that trigger an immune response.

Cytotoxic T cells

Cells that kill infected or cancerous cells.

Helper T cells

Cells that assist B cells and cytotoxic T cells.

B cells

Cells responsible for producing antibodies.

Macrophage

Cell that destroys antigens and aids immune response.

Taste aversion learning

Conditioning to avoid certain tastes due to negative experience.

Cytotoxan

Chemotherapy drug used to treat cancer.

Neuronal connections

Links between immune cells and the central nervous system.

Long term cortisol effects

Chronic exposure can suppress immune function.

Sensory threshold

Minimum sensory information needed to activate neurons.

Transduction

Process of converting sensory information into brain activity.

Social support

Emotional and practical help from others, reducing stress.

Absolute threshold

Minimum stimulus detectable by 50% of people.

Just Noticeable Difference (JND)

Smallest change in stimulus detectable. (lightbulb example in room)

Signal detection

Detection influenced by stimulus intensity and attention. Basically, we notice things based on how strong they are and on how much we're paying attention.

Feature positive effect

Better detection of present stimuli than absent ones.

Bottom up processing

Perception starts with raw sensory information.

Top down processing

Expectations influence perception of new information.

Neuronal darwinism

Survival of best neurons; pruning occurs during development.

Synesthesia

Sensory information routed through multiple unrelated senses.

Grapheme-color synesthesia

Association of numbers or letters with specific colors.

Rods

Photoreceptors for low light and movement detection.

Cones

Photoreceptors for color and bright light detection.

Optic chiasm

X-shaped structure where optic nerves cross.

Trichromatic theory

Theory explaining color vision with three cones.

Color constancy

Brain adjusts color perception based on context.

Conductive hearing loss

Temporary hearing loss due to minor issues.

Sensorineural hearing loss

Permanent damage to auditory neurons.

Chemical senses

Taste and smell

Taste receptors

Located on taste buds for flavor detection.

Olfactory sensors

Located in the back of the nose.

Anosmia

Lack of sense of smell.

Vestibular sense

Sense of balance detected by inner ear.