ap psych unit 5 vocab quiz 1

health psychology

a subfield of psychology that explores the impact of psychological, behavioral, and cultural factors on health and wellness.

stress

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

hypertension.

the body releases a surge of hormones when under stress. these hormones cause the heart to beat faster and the blood vessels to narrow. these actions increase blood pressure for a time

immune suppression.

the diminished or weakened ability of the body's immune system to fight off infections and other diseases as a result of chronic stress

stressors.

an event, situation, or stimulus that triggers a stress response in an individual

eustress

“good” stress, situations that are challenging but manageable and can lead to growth

distress

“bad” stress, situations that are difficult and have a negative impact

adverse childhood experiences (ACEs)

negative experiences that affect a child’s brain and health as they grow into adults

general adaptation syndrome (GAS)

Selye’s concept of the body’s adaptive response to stress in three phases — alarm, resistance, exhaustion.

alarm reaction phase

• phase 1 of GAS

• sympathetic nervous system is suddenly activated

• your heart rate zooms. blood is diverted to your skeletal muscles. you feel the faintness of shock. with your resources mobilized, you are now ready to fight back

resistance phase

• phase 2 of GAS

• your temperature, blood pressure, and respiration remain high

• your adrenal glands pump hormones into your bloodstream

• you are fully engaged, summoning all your resources to meet the challenge. as time passes, with no relief from stress, your body’s reserves begin to dwindle

exhaustion phase

• you become more vulnerable to illness or even, in extreme cases, collapse and death

• usually there are “warning signs” of exhaustion… heart attacks, clogged arteries, excessive colds/flu, frequent headaches, etc

fight-flight-freeze response.

a natural, involuntary physiological reaction to a perceived danger or threat. it is a survival mechanism that helps us protect ourselves from harm

tend-and-befriend theory

under stress, people (especially women) may nurture themselves and others (tend) and bond with and seek support from others (befriend).

problem-focused coping

attempting to alleviate stress directly — by changing the stressor or the way we interact with that stressor.

emotion-focused coping

attempting to alleviate stress by avoiding or ignoring a stressor and attending to emotional needs related to our stress reaction.

positive psychology

the scientific study of human flourishing, with the goals of promoting strengths and virtues that foster well-being, resilience, and positive emotions, and that help individuals and communities to thrive.

subjective well-being

self-perceived happiness or satisfaction with life. used along with measures of objective well-being (for example, physical and economic indicators) to evaluate people’s quality of life.

resilience

the personal strength that helps people cope with stress and recover from adversity and even trauma.

positive emotions

can boost resilience by helping people cope with stress and maintain a positive outlook

gratitude

an appreciative emotion people often experience when they benefit from other’s actions or recognize their own good fortune.

positive subjective experiences.

contentment and satisfaction with the past, flow and happiness in the present, and having hope or optimism for the future

well-being.

the experience of health, happiness, and prosperity. it includes having good mental health, high life satisfaction, a sense of meaning or purpose, and the ability to manage stress. more generally, well-being is just feeling well