Chapter 13: Stress, Health Psychology, and Placebo

Flashcards covering key concepts from the lecture notes on Chapter 13, including stress physiology (GAS), the biopsychosocial model, placebo/nocebo, health behaviors, and related research findings.

What model explains illness as the result of a combination of biological, psychological, and social factors?

The biopsychosocial model of health.

What does GAS stand for, and who proposed it?

General Adaptation Syndrome; proposed by Hans Selye.

List the three stages of GAS.

Alarm; Resistance (or Adaptation); Exhaustion.

In GAS, what is the major error about the exhaustion stage?

Exhaustion was incorrect; the body does not simply run out of hormones or transmitters under chronic stress.

Differentiate acute physical stressors from chronic physical stressors.

Acute stressors are short-term and immediate; chronic stressors are long-lasting (e.g., drought, ongoing finances).

What terms describe chronic worry about things beyond one’s control that can affect health?

Neurosis or anxiety.

What is the placebo effect?

Positive health outcomes produced by a treatment with no active ingredient, driven by belief/expectation.

What is the nocebo effect?

Negative effects or worsened symptoms due to belief that a treatment will cause side effects.

Which pill color has been shown to produce strong placebo responses in some studies?

Yellow.

How can the cost of a pill influence placebo response?

Higher-cost pills can enhance placebo effects through increased perceived value and expectancy.

What is a sham surgery?

A fake surgical procedure used in trials to control for placebo effects; participants think they had real surgery.

What did meta-analyses find about sham surgeries for elective procedures?

74% of trials showed sham surgery provided some benefit; in about 50% it was as effective as the actual surgery.

What role does classic conditioning play in placebo analgesia?

Expectancy and learned associations cause the brain to anticipate relief, which can trigger actual pain relief (often via endorphins).

What contribution did Engel make to health psychology in 1977?

Introduced the biopsychosocial model of health, integrating biological, psychological, and social factors.

What is the traditional medical model of illness?

Illness is caused primarily by biological factors (germs, pathogens) with little consideration of psychological or social influences.

Give examples of health-promoting behaviors.

Eating well, exercising, getting enough sleep.

Give examples of health-defeating behaviors.

Smoking, excessive drinking, sedentary lifestyle, inadequate sleep.

What is the illusion of invulnerability in adolescence?

The belief that bad things will not happen to oneself, leading to risky behaviors.

What is optimism bias?

Believing that bad things happen to others, but not to me.

What neurochemical is commonly involved in placebo analgesia?

Endorphins (endogenous opioids) released in pain-related brain areas.