Intro to Psych Chapter 14 - FINAL EXAM

health psychology

a subfield of psychology that emphasizes psychology’s role in establishing and maintaining health and preventing and treating illness

stages of change model

Theoretical model describing a five-step process by which individuals give up bad habits and adopt healthier lifestyles.

precontemplation stage

when individuals are not yet genuinely thinking about change and may be unaware that they have a problem behavior

contemplation stage

people acknowledge the problem but may not be ready to commit to change, actively thinking about change

preparation/determination stage

people are getting ready to take action, think about how they might take on their new challenge

action/willpower stage

people commit to making a real behavioral change and enact an effective plan

maintenance stage

people successfully avoid temptation and consistently pursue healthy behaviors and possibly can avoid tempting situations by preparing for them

general adaptation syndrome (GAS)

Selye’s term for the common effects of stressful demands on the body, consisting of three stages: alarm, resistance, and exhaustion.

alarm stage

a temporary state of shock during which resistance to illness and stress falls below normal limits, first reaction to a stressor

resistance stage

glands throughout the body manufacture difference hormones that protect the individual

exhaustion stage

wear and tear takes its toll-the person might collapse in exhaustion and become more vulnerable to disease

psychoneuroimmunology

A new field of scientific inquiry that explores connections among psychological factors (such as attitudes and emotions), the nervous system, and the immune system.

stress impacts cardiovascular disease

people quick to anger and hostility have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, Type A behavior pattern also linked to increased risk of heart disease

stress impacts immune system

stressors are temporary so they aren’t linkely to be problematic in healthy people, chronic stressors however wear down the body and depress the immune system leaving people susceptible to disease

Type A behavior pattern

A cluster of characteristics—including being excessively competitive, hard-driven, impatient, and hostile—that is related to a higher incidence of heart disease.

Type B behavior pattern

A cluster of characteristics—including being relaxed and easygoing—that is related to a lower incidence of heart disease.

cognitive appraisal

Individuals’ interpretation of the events in their life as harmful, threatening, or challenging and their determination of whether they have the resources to cope effectively with the events.

primary appraisal

individuals interpret whether an event involves harm or loss that has already occurred, a threat of some future danger, or a challenge to overcome.

secondary appraisal

people evaluate their resources and determine how effectively they can be marshaled to cope with an event

coping

Managing taxing circumstances, expending effort to solve life’s problems, and seeking to master or reduce stress.

problem-focused coping

The coping strategy of squarely facing one’s troubles and trying to solve them.

emotion-focused coping

The coping strategy that involves responding to the stress that one is feeling—trying to manage one’s emotional reaction—rather than focusing on the root problem itself.

hardiness

A personality trait characterized by a sense of commitment rather than alienation and of control rather than powerlessness; a perception of problems as challenges rather than threats.