AP Psychology Unit Five: Mental & Physical Health

A set of vocabulary flashcards based on key concepts from AP Psychology Unit Five about Mental and Physical Health.

Health Psychology

Subfield that focuses on psychology’s contribution to behavioral medicine.

Psychoneuroimmunology

Study of how psychological, neural, and endocrine processes affect the immune system.

B lymphocytes

Cells that release antibodies to fight bacterial infections.

T lymphocytes

Cells that attack cancer cells, viruses, and foreign substances.

Macrophages

Cellular 'big eaters' that identify and ingest harmful invaders.

Natural Killer (NK) Cells

Attack diseased cells, such as those infected by viruses or cancer.

Eustress

'Good' stress that is manageable and can lead to growth.

Distress

'Bad' stress that negatively impacts a person.

Hans Selye

Psychologist known for his work on stress and the General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS).

General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)

The body’s three-phase response to stress: alarm, resistance, exhaustion.

Alarm Reaction

Phase 1 of GAS; the body mobilizes resources to respond to a stressor.

Resistance Phase

Phase 2 of GAS; body maintains a heightened state of arousal to cope with stress.

Exhaustion Phase

Phase 3 of GAS; body's resources are depleted, increasing vulnerability to illness.

Telomeres

DNA pieces at the ends of chromosomes that shorten with stress and aging.

Tend-and-befriend

Response model in which women provide support to others during stress.

Emotion-focused Coping

Coping style that involves addressing emotional distress rather than the problem.

Problem-focused Coping

Coping style aimed at directly addressing stressors.

Subjective Well-being

Self-evaluation of happiness and life satisfaction.

Feel-good, do-good phenomenon

The tendency to help others when in a good mood.

Aerobic Exercise

Sustained exercise that improves heart and lung fitness.

Mindfulness Meditation

Reflective practice focused on current experiences in a nonjudgmental way.

Optimism

A general expectation that good things will happen.

Social Support

Support from friends and family that enhances health and well-being.

Unconditional Positive Regard

Attitude of acceptance and non-judgment given by therapists.

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)

Mood disorder characterized by persistent feelings of sadness and loss of interest.

Bipolar Disorder

Mood disorder with alternating episodes of mania and depression.

Anhedonia

Inability to feel pleasure; a common symptom of depression.

Postpartum Depression

Depression following childbirth, often due to hormonal changes.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

Depression that occurs at a specific time of year, often winter.

Schizophrenia

Psychotic disorder characterized by delusions, hallucinations, and disorganized thinking.

Positive Symptoms

Symptoms of schizophrenia that involve the presence of abnormal behavior.

Negative Symptoms

Symptoms of schizophrenia characterized by the absence of normal behavior.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

Anxiety disorder marked by persistent, excessive worry.

Panic Disorder

Anxiety disorder characterized by recurrent panic attacks.

Phobia

Persistent and irrational fear of specific objects or situations.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Anxiety disorder characterized by unwanted repetitive thoughts and actions.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Anxiety disorder triggered by experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event.

Dissociative Amnesia

Sudden loss of memory or identity caused by trauma or stress.

Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID)

Characterized by the presence of two or more distinct identities or personalities.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Integrative therapy focusing on changing negative thinking patterns and behaviors.

Humanistic Therapy

Approach emphasizing personal growth and self-fulfillment.

Group Therapy

Therapeutic practice involving multiple patients interacting in a group setting.

Family Therapy

Treatment focusing on relational dynamics within a family system.

Eclectic Approach

Therapist utilizes techniques from different therapeutic modalities.

Meta-analysis

Statistical analysis combining results from multiple studies.

Psychopharmacology

Study of drug effects on the mind and behavior.

Antipsychotics

Medications used to treat symptoms of psychosis.

Antidepressants

Medications that elevate mood and alleviate depressive symptoms.

Anti-anxiety Medications

Drugs that lower anxiety levels by depressing the central nervous system.

Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT)

Procedure involving electrical stimulation of the brain to treat severe depression.

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)

Non-invasive procedure using magnetic fields to stimulate nerve cells in the brain.

Bipolar I Disorder

Bipolar disorder marked by severe mania and depression.

Bipolar II Disorder

Bipolar disorder characterized by hypomania and depression.

Mania

Abnormally elevated mood state characterized by high energy and impulsive behavior.

Hypomania

Milder form of mania, less severe and doesn't cause serious problems.

Dysthymia

Chronic form of depression, less intense than MDD.

Cognitive Distortion

Exaggerated thought patterns that perpetuate negative emotions.

Aversion Conditioning

Behavioral therapy technique associating unpleasant stimuli with unwanted behaviors.

Counterconditioning

An approach in which a positive response is conditioned to a stimulus that was previously aversive.

Aversive Conditioning

Technique pairing unwanted behavior with an unpleasant outcome.

Behavior Modification

Application of behavioral principles to change maladaptive behaviors.

Insight Therapies

Therapies aimed at increasing patients' self-awareness of their thoughts and feelings.

Active Listening

Therapeutic technique involving attentively hearing and understanding a client's words.

Cognitive Appraisal

Individual's interpretation of a situation that evokes emotional responses.

Cultural Syndromes

Disorders that only seem to exist within certain cultural contexts.

Stress Vulnerability Model

The interaction of individual characteristics with environmental stressors affecting mental health.

Stress

Mental and physical condition that occurs when a person encounters some demand or expectation and must adjust or adapt to the environment. The arousal of the autonomic nervous system

Hypertension

Results from prolonged stress and is defined as high blood pressure and heart disease, increasing the risk of stroke by elevating heart rate and blood pressure.

Immune Suppression

Hormones produced by stressed are persistently released which reduces the body’s ability to fight off illnesses and infections

Household dysfunction

Results from domestic abuse, substance abuse, or mental illness in the home. Causes ACE’s in children

Gratitude

Positive emotional response that emerges from acknowledging and appreciating the good aspects of life

Character strengths

Psychological attributes or traits contributing to an individual’s positive function and well-being. ex. wisdom, courage, humanity, temperance, justice, transcendence

Signature strength

Defining character strength allows you to feel a sense of natural proficiency, engagement, and authenticity.

Posttraumatic Growth

Positive psychological changes that can emerge from grappling with trauma or challenging circumstances

Ecletic

Psychological perspective with a broad-based approach trusting a combination of established approaches to diagnose and treat individuals with psychological disorders

Diathesis-stress model

Recognizes a combination of biological and environmental causes of psychological disorders.

Diathesis

Tendency or biologically based vulnerability to a particular mental illness.

Flat Affect

Experience of diminished emotions

Anorexia Nervosa

Life threatening eating disorder that involves intense fear of weight gain or becoming overweight resulting in self-starvation

Bulimia Nervosa

Life threatening eating disorder that involves secretive binging and is accompanied by a feeling of lack of control with a compensatory behavior such as self-induced vomiting, misuse of laxatives, and excessive fasting.

Narcissistic personality disorder

Pervasive pattern of grandiosity, a constant need for admiration, and a lack of empathy for others

Acrophobia

Intense fear of heights that leads to avoidance of situations involving elevation.

Agoraphobia

Intense fear of being in situations where escape might be difficult or help unavailable, often leading to avoidance of public places.

Arachnophobia

Intense fear of spiders or other arachnids, often leading to avoidance of places where they might be encountered.

Operant conditioning

A learning process through which the consequences of a behavior increase or decrease the likelihood of that behavior being repeated.

Rational-Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT)

The reason behind most psychological problems was irrational thoughts and REBT helps to reduce those irrational thoughts.

Dialect Behavior Therapy (DBT)

Combines elements of cognitive-behavioral techniques to focus on individuals’ skills to manage overwhelming emotions, improve interpersonal relationships, and cope with distressing situations