Psych 150 Exam 1

define health

a state of physical, mental, and social well-being

• not just the absence of a disease or illness

what does the field of health psychology study

studies how thoughts, emotions, and behaviors influence physical health

what are the 4 goals of health psychology

1. promote and maintain health

2. prevent and treat illness

3. identify causes of health and illness

4. improve the healthcare system

correlational study

pros and cons

examines relationships between variables to see how they are related

pro: identifies associations

con: correlation doesn’t mean causation (no cause and effect)

longitudinal observational

follows people over time, does not prove causation but more correlation

pro: establishes temporal order where researchers can see over time which variable happens first

con: time consuming, confounding variable

temporal order

the cause (independent variable) happens before the effect (dependent variable)

confounding variable

a third variable that influences or is associated with the IV and DV and could make a misleading relationship between them

ex: Researchers find that students who drink more coffee have higher anxiety levels

• IV: coffee consumption

• DV: anxiety levels

• confounding variable: lack of sleep

experimental study

manipulates a independent variable intentionally to see if something causes something

pro: proves causation

con: ethical and practical limitations

difference between correlational and longitudinal observational studies

ex

correlational: sees whether variables are related at a point in time

longitudinal observational: follows individuals over time to see whether a earlier variable predicts a later outcome

ex: measuring stress and sleep v.s. following students for several years to see ohw stress predicts future sleep quality

conclusions that can be drawn from correlational, longitudinal observational, and experimental studies

correlational: how things are associated with each other, not causation

longitudinal observational: association and temporal order, not causation

experimental: causation happens

high vs low quality science

high quality: appropriate research design, valid measurements, control of confounders, transparent methods, reproducible findings, conclusions supported by evidence

low quality: small or biased samples, poor controls, unreliable measurements, exaggerated conclusions, causal claims based on correlation

how was illness viewed and treated in the stone age

illness was due to evil spirits

trepanation (drilled holes into skull)

how was illness viewed and treated in the middle ages

illness was God’s punishment

punished people and blamed pt for having illness

how was illness viewed and treated in the 1700s

caused by capillary tension

released tension through blood letting

how was illness viewed and treated in the 1800s

realized people who weren’t being treated were less ill than people who were treated

comfort treatment, more supportive compared to active treatment

how was illness viewed and treated in the 1900s

biomedical model where diseases come from biological defects or abnormalities

surgery, radiation, medication

how was illness viewed and treated in present day

biopsychosocial model where health is influences by biological, psychological, and social factors

treatment looks at physical condition, behaviors, mental health, and social circumstances

who made biomedical model and how

Louis Pasteur’s germ theory showed that microorganisms were the cause of infectious disease

who thought biomedical model and biological explanations alone were insufficient and why

George Engel

realized people with the same biological conditions can have different health outcomes

biopsychosocial model

health and illness can’t be explained by just biological factors alone but through the interactions of biological, psychological, and social

biomedical model vs biopsychosocial model

biomedical:

• illness caused by biological defects/abnormalities

• Louis Pasteur’s germ theory

• emphasizes drugs and biological treatments

• mind and body are separate

• helps treat acute infectious diseases

biopsychosocial:

• illness caused by all 3 factors

• george engel

• considers stress, behavior, and social circumstances

• mind and body are connected

• useful for understanding more complex chronic illnesses

why is biopsychosocial model important

helps to understand how biological risk factors don’t guarantee that someone will develop an illness

treating only biological problems doesn’t always restore overall health

how can biopsychosocial model be applied to answer a research question in health psychology

considers multiple influences rather than focusing only on biological factors

what are some biological reasons for why people develop cardiovascular disease

genetics, cholesterol, blood pressure

what are some psychological reasons for why people develop cardiovascular disease

stress, depression, exercise habits

what are some social reasons for why people develop cardiovascular disease

socioeconomic status, social support, access to healthcare

what is stress

a negative emotional experience accompanied by predictable biochemical, physiological, cognitive, and behavioral changes directed toward altering a stressful event

how does a stressor differ from stress

stressor is a event or condition that triggers the stress response where stress is the actual feeling you feel when something happens (the response)

physical stressor

ex

directly challenges or threatens the body

heat, cold, pain, injury, predators

psychological stressor

ex

creates a perceived mental or emotional threat

grades, money, relationships, job security

3 types of stressors w/ diff durations

1. daily hassles

2. life events

3. chronic stressors

daily hassles

ex

minor, frequently occurring stressors

traffic, arguments, deadlines

life events

ex

time-limited events with an identifiable onset

breakup, layoff, illness, diagnosis

chronic stressors

ex

persists for extended periods of time, usually 6+ months

financial strain, famine

Walter Cannon

investigator of fight or flight response, stress produces physiological changes that prepare the body to fight or escape danger

pro and con of fight or flight response

pro: allows for rapid responses to threats

con: temporarily disrupts normal body functions

Hans Selye

general adaptation syndrome:

• injected rats with ovarian extract to see enlarged adrenal glands, shrunken lymph nodes, and bleeding ulcers

• found similar symptoms in rats exposed to saline injections and extreme temps

• shows that different stressors produce a similar nonspecific physiological response

Richard Lazarus

stress appraisal where stress depends partly on how individuals perceive and interpret events

• relationship between environmental demands and perceived coping resources

symptoms of general adaptation syndrome

1. enlarged adrenal glands

2. shrunken lymph nodes

3. bleeding ulcers

what is General Adaptation Syndrome

1. flight or fight response

2. adaptation: body tries to repair itself to adapt to heightened demand

3. exhaustion stage (burnout): can lead to illness

how does primary and secondary stress appraisal work

primary: is the event harmful or threatening to me?

secondary: do i have sufficient resources and coping abilities to manage it?

what is stress appraisal

the process of perceiving and interpreting an event

person environment fit

stress depends on the relationship between perceived demands and available coping resources

if a professor announces that a student will be cold called, what is the primary appraisal

you perceive being called on as threatening

if a professor announces that a student will be cold called, what is the secondary appraisal

you assess whether you studied enough to answer

limitation of stress appraisal

does not explain every stress response, immediate physical threats can trigger automatic physiological reactions without deliberate conscious evaluation

2 major systems of physiological stress response

what is the goal

autonomic nervous system (ANS) and hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis (HPA)

to mobilize energy immediately to respond

autonomic nervous system (ANS)

what is released and what does it produce

sympathetic nervous system is activated and parasympathetic nervous system is suppressed

epinephrine/adrenaline released, fight or flight response

hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis (HPA)

what does it produce

produces a slower hormonal stress response

• takes 20-40 mins to become prominent

sympathetic nervous system stress response

activated during stress, fight or flight

heart rate and bp increased, mobilizes energy

parasympathetic nervous system stress response

suppressed during stress, rest and digest

conserves energy

how does stress affect the cardiovascular system

increases heart rate and blood pressure, chronically activating it leads to cardiovascular disease risk

how does stress affect the metabolic system

mobilizes stored energy and inhibits future energy storage, chronic disruption can lead to fatigue, obesity, and type 2 diabetes

how does stress affect the digestive system

suppresses normal digestion and energy storage, can disrupt the gastrointestinal system

how does stress affect the reproductive system

suppresses reproductive system, loss of libido and delayed ovulaion

how does stress affect the brain and memory

prolonged cortisol exposure can cause their to be memory impairments

ex: cushing’s syndrome

how does stress affect the immune system

can impair immune defenses and wound healing, chronic stress can increase inflammation

how does stress affect aging

associated with shorter telomeres and accelerated epigenetic aging

acute stress on physiology

short-term activation of stress response

mobilizes energy

increases alertness and readiness

moderate stress can improve performance and memory

chronic stress on physiology

prolonged activation of stress-response system

increases blood pressure, impair memory, disrupt metabolism, weaken immune system

physiological wear and tear and chronic disease risk

what bacteria causes ulcers

Helicobacter pylori

how does Helicobacter pylori cause ulcers

it damages the protective stomach lining and the stomach acid can worsen the injury and weaken the lining

correlation between stress and ulcers

stress can contribute to ulcer development but isn’t the sole cause of it

example of the biopsychosocial model because biological and psychological factors interact to influence illness

what are the markers of accelerated aging

shorter telomeres and accelerated epigenetic age

how do shorter telomeres relate to stress, what happens?

telomeres usually protect the ends of chromosomes and shorten as cells divide and age

chronic stress shortens telomeres

epigenetic age

changes in how your genes are turned on and off without altering your actual DNA sequence

DNA methylation tells your genes what to turn on and off

accelerated epigenetic age

when an individuals biological age measured with DNA methylation patterns on a epigenetic clock exceeds their actual chronological age

what would the goal be for a experimental study design used to investigate whether stress influences susceptibility to the common cold

to see if more stressed individuals are more likely to develop a cold

what would be the procedure for a experimental study design used to investigate whether stress influences susceptibility to the common cold

1. participants are in a controlled setting

2. researchers collect questionnaires that measure stress and other characteristics

3. participants randomly assigned cold virus or placebo

4. researchers monitor symptoms in following days

what would be the findings for a experimental study design used to investigate whether stress influences susceptibility to the common cold

individuals reporting greater chronic stress were more likely to develop a cold following viral exposure

for the cold experiment what variable was manipulated

the viral exposure

what are strategies to use stress to benefit your health

1. adopt a stress is enhancing mindset: see stress as helpful

2. recognize that how you respond to stress is based on your perception of it

3. use moderate stress as a way to improve alertness, performance, and memory

coping

thoughts and behaviors used to manage the internal and external demands of situations appraised as stressful

3 characteristics of coping

1. dynamic process

2. breadth

3. adaptive or maladaptive

dynamic process of coping

coping changes through interactions between someone and their environment

breadth process of coping

includes both emotional reactions and actions taken to manage stressful events

adaptive and maladaptive

coping strategies can have positive or negative effects depending on the situation

transactional nature of coping

the dynamic process of a person interacting with their environment

how is coping not a fixed response

it changes depending on the person, the environment, and the stressor

approach coping

confronting the stressor

tries to solve the problem, find support, or accept the situation

associated with better long term mental and physical health

avoidance coping

minimizes or avoids the stressor

pushes away thoughts and feelings, denies problem, distracting yourself

effective for short term threats but not long term ones

what does approach coping help people with

helps them address problems and process emotions

what does avoidance coping help people with

gives them temporary relief when confronting the stressor is not immediately possible

problem focused coping

attempting to do something constructive about a stressful condition

is good when the situation can be changed or resolved

emotion focused coping

attempts to regulate emotions caused by a stressful events

useful when a stressor can’t be controlled

what is the key difference between problem focused coping and emotion focused coping

problem focused = changing the stressful event

emotion focused = changing how you respond emotionally to it

dependent on what you are changing

emotional expression

ex

when is it best used

active efforts to communicate or symbolize emotions related to a stressor

talking about your feelings or writing about a upsetting event

when the situation is uncontrollable and the social environment allows you to express your emotions

emotional processing

ex

when is it best used

active attempts to acknowledge, explore, and understand one’s emotions

reflecting on why a situation caused sadness or anger

can improve your inner thoughts but could also make you more distressed and think about it too much

difference between emotional expression and processing

one is communicating the emotions and one is understanding it

landmark study by house et al. on social support and mortality

people with greater social integration had lower mortality rates

those with fewer social connections were at a greater risk of dying

why were the findings for the landmark study by House et al. so significant

showed that social relationships influence physical health and survival not just emotional well being

loneliness

the subjective perception of being socially disconnected or isolated

social isolation

the objective lack of social relationships or social contact

difference between loneliness and social isolation

how you feel v.s. how much social contact you actually have

being socially isolated doesn’t mean you are lonely

James pennebaker

focused on expressive writing

expressive writing

individuals write about emotions and thoughts surrounding stressful or traumatic experiences

what was the wound healing study

• adults randomly assigned to write about a stress event or a everyday activity

• participants wrote for 20 mins for 3 consecutive days

• researchers created small wounds on participants arms and monitored healing for 21 days

• dermatologist that did not know participants conditions assessed wound healing using photographs

what were the findings of the wound healing study

on day 11, participants who wrote about stressful experiences showed faster wound healing

expressive writing can improve mental and physical health, including wound healing

4 types of social support

informational

instrumental

emotional

appraisal

social support

information from others that one is loved, cared for, valued, and part of a social network