AP Psych

Health Psychology

A subfield of psychology that examines how biological, social, and psychological factors influence health and illness.

Psychoneuroimmunology

The study of how psychological factors, the nervous system, and the immune system interact to influence health.

Stress

The process by which we perceive and respond to environmental threats and challenges, which can have physiological and psychological effects.

Hypertension

A chronic medical condition characterized by high blood pressure, often exacerbated by stress and lifestyle factors.

Immune Suppression

The weakening of the immune system's ability to fight infections, often due to chronic stress.

Eustress

Positive stress that can enhance motivation and performance, as opposed to distress.

Distress

Negative stress that can have harmful physical and psychological effects.

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)

Traumatic events occurring in childhood that can have long-term effects on physical and mental health.

General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)

Selye's three-stage model of the body's response to stress, including alarm, resistance, and exhaustion.

Alarm

The first stage of GAS, where the body mobilizes resources in response to a stressor.

Resistance

The second stage of GAS, in which the body sustains efforts to cope with a stressor.

Fight-Flight-Freeze Response

The automatic physiological reaction to a perceived threat, preparing the body to fight, flee, or freeze.

Exhaustion

The final stage of GAS, where prolonged stress leads to depletion of resources and increased vulnerability to illness.

Tend-and-Befriend Theory

A stress response theory suggesting that individuals, particularly women, respond to stress by seeking social connections and nurturing behaviors.

Catharsis

The process of releasing strong emotions to reduce psychological tension.

Problem-Focused Coping

A strategy that involves directly addressing a stressor to reduce its impact.

Emotion-Focused Coping

A strategy that involves managing emotional responses to a stressor rather than changing the stressor itself.

Self-Control

The ability to regulate one's emotions, thoughts, and behaviors in pursuit of long-term goals.

Positive Psychology

A branch of psychology that studies human strengths, virtues, and factors that contribute to happiness and well-being.

Well-Being

A holistic measure of an individual's mental, physical, and emotional health.

Resilience

The ability to adapt and recover from adversity, trauma, or stress.

Gratitude

A positive emotion associated with recognizing and appreciating positive aspects of life.

Signature Strengths

Core personal traits that contribute to an individual's well-being and life satisfaction.

Virtues

Moral excellence and desirable qualities that contribute to personal and societal well-being.

Character Strengths

Positive personality traits that contribute to an individual's resilience and flourishing.

Wisdom

The ability to apply knowledge and experience to make sound judgments.

Courage

The strength to confront fear, uncertainty, or difficulty.

Humanity

The tendency to show kindness, love, and social intelligence.

Justice

The commitment to fairness and treating others equitably.

Temperance

The practice of self-regulation and moderation in behaviors and emotions.

Transcendence

The ability to find meaning beyond oneself, often associated with spirituality and purpose.Psychodynamic Theory

Ego

The rational and executive component of personality that mediates between the demands of the id, superego, and reality, operating primarily under the reality principle.

Defense Mechanisms

Unconscious psychological strategies employed by the ego to reduce anxiety by distorting reality.

Denial

A defense mechanism in which individuals refuse to acknowledge an unpleasant or threatening reality.

Displacement

Redirecting emotional impulses from a threatening target to a safer, more acceptable object or person.

Projection

Attributing one's own unacceptable thoughts, feelings, or impulses to others.

Rationalization

Creating logical but false explanations to justify behaviors or thoughts that are actually driven by unconscious motives.

Reaction Formation

Expressing the opposite of one's true feelings in order to reduce anxiety.

Regression

Reverting to an earlier stage of development in response to stress.

Repression

The unconscious exclusion of distressing thoughts, memories, or impulses from conscious awareness.

Sublimation

Channeling unacceptable urges or impulses into socially acceptable and constructive activities.

Projective Tests

Psychological assessments that use ambiguous stimuli to elicit responses that reveal unconscious thoughts and conflicts.

Rorschach Inkblot Test

A projective test in which individuals describe what they see in a series of inkblots, revealing unconscious thoughts and feelings.

Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)

A projective test where individuals create stories about ambiguous images, revealing their unconscious motives and emotions.

Preconscious

The level of consciousness that contains thoughts and memories not currently in awareness but that can be easily accessed.

Unconscious

The deepest level of consciousness containing repressed thoughts, memories, and desires that influence behavior without conscious awareness.

Humanistic Psychology

A psychological perspective that emphasizes free will, personal growth, self-actualization, and the inherent goodness of people.

Unconditional Positive Regard

Complete acceptance and support of a person regardless of their actions or choices, essential for self-actualization according to Carl Rogers.

Self-Actualizing Tendency

The innate drive within individuals to fulfill their highest potential and become their best selves, central to Maslow's hierarchy of needs.

Social-Cognitive Theory

A theory that emphasizes the interaction of cognitive processes, behavior, and environmental influences in shaping personality and learning.

Behavioral Approach

A perspective that views personality as a result of learned behaviors through conditioning and reinforcement.

Reciprocal Determinism

Bandura's concept that personality is shaped by the continuous interaction of personal, behavioral, and environmental factors.

Self

The organized and consistent set of beliefs and perceptions about oneself that influences behavior and interactions.

Self-Concept

A person's perception of their own abilities, characteristics, and identity, influencing their behavior and self-esteem.

Self-Efficacy

An individual's belief in their ability to successfully perform tasks and achieve goals, influencing motivation and persistence.

Self-Esteem

The overall evaluative sense of one's self-worth and value.

Trait Theories

Theoretical approaches that describe personality in terms of enduring, stable characteristics that influence behavior across various situations.

Big Five Theory (Five-Factor Model)

A widely accepted model of personality that identifies five broad and stable traits that describe human behavior.

Openness to Experience

A trait characterized by imagination, curiosity, and willingness to explore new ideas and experiences.

Conscientiousness

A trait describing individuals who are responsible, organized, disciplined, and goal-oriented.

Extraversion

A trait characterized by sociability, assertiveness, and high levels of energy in social interactions.

Agreeableness

A personality trait associated with trust, kindness, and cooperativeness in social relationships.

Emotional Stability (Neuroticism - inverse)

A trait describing an individual's tendency to remain calm and emotionally secure, as opposed to experiencing anxiety and mood swings.

Personality Inventories

Standardized psychological assessments that measure various personality traits through self-report questionnaires.

MMPI (Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory)

A widely used psychological assessment tool designed to measure personality traits and detect psychological disorders.

NEO-PI-R (Big Five Personality Test)

A personality inventory that assesses an individual's levels on the five major personality traits of the Five-Factor Model.

Factor Analysis

A statistical method used to identify clusters of related traits or variables, commonly applied in personality research to determine core dimensions of personality.Drive-Reduction Theory

Arousal Theory

A motivation theory proposing that individuals are driven to maintain an optimal level of physiological arousal, not too high or too low, to perform effectively.

Optimal Level of Arousal

The specific level of arousal at which an individual performs best; too little arousal can lead to boredom, while too much can cause stress or anxiety.

Yerkes-Dodson Law

A psychological principle stating that performance improves with arousal up to an optimal point, after which further increases in arousal can impair performance.

Self-Determination Theory

A theory that emphasizes the role of intrinsic motivation and the human need for autonomy, competence, and relatedness in fostering personal growth and well-being.

Intrinsic Motivation

Motivation that arises from within the individual, driven by personal satisfaction, interest, or enjoyment in the task itself.

Extrinsic Motivation

Motivation that originates from external rewards or pressures, such as money, grades, or approval from others.

Instincts

Inherited, fixed patterns of behavior that are biologically programmed and performed in response to specific stimuli.

Lewin's Motivational Conflicts Theory

A framework identifying different types of psychological conflict—approach-approach, avoidance-avoidance, and approach-avoidance—based on competing goals or motivations.

Approach-Approach Conflict

A type of conflict in which an individual must choose between two desirable outcomes.

Approach-Avoidance Conflict

A conflict involving a decision about a goal or event that has both appealing and unappealing aspects.

Avoidance-Avoidance Conflict

A conflict in which an individual must choose between two undesirable options, often causing procrastination or stress.

Sensation-Seeking Theory

A theory suggesting that some individuals have a higher baseline need for varied and novel stimulation, leading them to seek out risky or intense experiences.

Universal Emotions

A set of basic emotional expressions—such as anger, disgust, happiness, surprise, fear, and sadness—that are recognized across all cultures, supporting the idea of evolutionary-based emotions.

Anger

A universal emotion characterized by feelings of antagonism and frustration, often arising from perceived wrongs or obstacles.

Disgust

An aversive emotion often triggered by things that are offensive, contaminating, or morally repugnant.

Happiness

A universal emotional state involving feelings of contentment, joy, and well-being, often associated with positive life experiences.

Surprise

A brief emotional reaction to something unexpected, which can be either positive or negative in nature.

Fear

A universal emotion that activates the fight-or-flight response, typically in response to a threat or danger.

Sadness

An emotional state of sorrow or despair, often resulting from loss, disappointment, or helplessness.

Display Rules

Culturally learned norms that govern how and when emotions should be expressed, varying widely across different societies.

Emotion

A complex psychological state involving a subjective experience, physiological response, and behavioral or expressive response.

Facial-Feedback Hypothesis

The idea that facial expressions can influence emotional experiences; for example, smiling can actually make a person feel happier.

Broaden-and-Build Theory

A theory suggesting that positive emotions broaden one's awareness and encourage novel, varied, and exploratory thoughts and actions, which in turn build personal resources and resilience.

Hormones

Chemical messengers secreted by glands into the bloodstream, regulating various physiological processes, including hunger and emotion.

Ghrelin

A hormone produced in the stomach that stimulates appetite and signals hunger to the brain.

Leptin

A hormone released by fat cells that suppresses appetite and signals satiety to the hypothalamus.

Hypothalamus

A brain region responsible for regulating homeostatic processes like hunger, thirst, temperature, and also involved in emotional and motivational states.

Pituitary Gland

Often called the "master gland," it regulates other endocrine glands and releases hormones that control growth, stress, and reproductive processes.