Human Psychology Vocab

Exercise

Physical or mental activity that you can do to stay healthy or become stronger

Psychology

The scientific study of the mind and behaviour

Exercise Adoption

The beginning stage of an exercise regimen

Exercise Adherence

Maintaining an exercise regimen for a prolonged period of time following initial adoption phase

Epidemiology

The method used to find the causes of health outcomes and diseases in populations

SLOTH Model

S - Sleep

L - Leisure Time

O - Occupation

T - Transportation

H - Home-based Activities

Barrier

Any factor that prevents the behaviour from occurring

Facilitator

Any factor that helps the behaviour occur

Theory

An attempt to explain a phenomenon (or behaviour)

Stimulus-Response Theory

Predicts that people’s future behaviour depends on the consequences of their past behaviour

Self-Efficacy Theory

A belief in one's ability to complete tasks and reach goals. It's influenced by past experiences, modelling, and persuasion. It affects motivation and performance.

Social Cognitive Theory

An interpersonal-level theory developed that emphasizes the dynamic interaction between people, their behaviour, and their environments

Self Efficacy

A person’s particular set of beliefs that determines how well one can execute a plan of action in prospective situations

Past Performance

The strongest source of self-efficacy

Vicarious Experiences

Seeing people similar to oneself succeed by sustained effort raises observers’ beliefs that they too possess the capabilities to master comparable activities to succeed

Social Persuasion

Receiving positive verbal feedback while undertaking a complex task persuades a person to believe that they have the skills and capabilities to succeed

Physiological States - Self-Efficacy Theory

The belief in one's ability to perform a specific task or behaviour is influenced by physiological states such as anxiety, stress, and arousal.

The Theory of Planned Behaviour

A psychological model that predicts human behaviour based on three factors: attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioural control. Attitude refers to an individual's positive or negative evaluation of the behaviour. Subjective norm is the perceived social pressure to perform or not perform the behaviour. Perceived behavioural control is the individual's belief in their ability to perform the behaviour.

Self-Determination Theory

A theory of human motivation that focuses on three basic psychological needs: autonomy, competence, and relatedness.

4 Types of Extrinsic Motivation

* External Regulation
* Introjected Regulation
* Identified Regulation
* Integrated Regulation

Health Promotion

The process of enabling people to increase control over, and to improve their health

Patient-centred Approach

Encourages the active collaboration and shared decision-making between patients, families, and providers to design and manage a customized and comprehensive care plan

Subjective Well-being (Hedonia)

Individual’s assessments of their satisfaction and happiness with life overall and domains of life

Psychological Well-Being (Eudaimonia)

Individual’s evaluation of positive functioning and psychological well-being

Social Well-being

Individuals’ perceptions of the quality of their relationships with other people, their neighbourhoods, and their communities

Social-Ecological Model

Recognizes that individual-level factors are only one of the multiple levels of influence on behaviour

Social Support

Refers to the perceived comfort, caring, assistance, and information that a person receives from others

Behavioural Reactance

Responding in the opposite direction to the direction being advocated

Social Facilitation

The phenomenon whereby people increase their effort and performance when others are watching them

Borg Scale

Measures the ratings of perceived exertion

Abstinence Violation Effect

When an initial lapse causes the exerciser to believe all future hope of behaviour change is lost

Motivational Interviewing

* A client-centred approach to counselling.
* Aims to elicit and strengthen motivation for change.
* Focuses on exploring and resolving ambivalence.
* Employs open-ended questions, reflective listening, and affirmations.
* Can be used in a variety of settings, including addiction treatment and healthcare.

Personality

Underlying, relatively stable, psychological structures, and processes that organize human experience and shape a person’s actions and reactions to the environment

Perceptions of Self

An image we hold about ourselves and our traits and the judgments we make about those traits

Role-Related Behaviour

How we adapt and behave based on a particular context or environment

Biological Theories of Personality

Relate personality to biological processes

* Emphasis placed on a body-mind connection

Constitutional Theory

Proposed that individuals possess certain somatotypes (body types) which are largely genetically determined and predispose the individual toward certain personality traits

What does OCEAN stand for

Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, Neuroticism

Openness

Adjusts to new ideas, activities; adventurous; creative; easy-going

Conscientiousness

Achievement/goal-oriented; self-disciplined; determined; strong-willed; systematic

Extraversion

Outgoing, social, impulsive, optimistic

Agreeableness

Compatible with others

Neuroticism

Tense, anxious, moody, excitable, worried, indecisive

Intensity-preference

A predisposition to select a particular exercise intensity when given the opportunity

Intensity-tolerance

A trait that influences one’s ability to continue exercising at an imposed level of intensity even when the activity becomes uncomfortable or unpleasant

Self-perception

A reflection of how we think and feel about ourselves, our attributes, and our abilities

Self-concept

How someone thinks about or perceives themselves

The types of self-concept

* actual self
* ideal self
* social self
* expected self
* ideal social self

Actual Self

How people perceive themselves

Ideal Self

How people would like to become

Social Self

How people feel other see them

Expected Self

How people expect to see themselves at some future time

Ideal Social Self

How people would like to see them

Factors that influence body image

* Interpersonal Experiences
* Psychological Factors
* Behaviours
* Physical Characteristics
* Sociocultural Influences
* Physical Changes

Perceptual Measures

Assess the level of accuracy of someone’s judgments about the size of their body parts or the body as a whole

Cognitive Measures

Assess an individual’s satisfaction, attitudes, beliefs, and thoughts about their body shape, size, function

Affective/emotional measures

Assess feelings such as worry, shame, anxiety, comfort, embarrassment, and pride in relation to the body

Behavioural Measures

Assess the frequency with which one engages in specific behaviours that might indicate body image disturbance

Stress

Any emotional, physical, or psychological strain placed on a person

Stressor

Anything that causes emotional, physical, or psychological strain

Eustress

Positive stress (Good, healthy stress)

Distress

Unpleasant stress; Physical, mental, or emotional strain, or tension that is experienced when a person perceives that demands exceed their personal and social resources

3 Clusters of Stress Cues

* Cluster A: Change in mood
* Cluster B: Change in habits and patterns
* Cluster C: Physical Changes

Pressures

External forces that create expectations or demands for behaviours

Four Types of Conflict

* Approach-Approach
* Avoidance-Avoidance
* Approach-Avoidance
* Mulitple-Approach-Avoidance

Approach-Approach

Win-Win situation; The easiest and least stressful type of conflict because it involves choosing between 2 desirable goals

Avoidance-Avoidance

Lose-lose situation; a conflict in which we are required to choose between 2 distasteful goals (most stressful type of conflict)

Approach-Avoidance

A conflict that only involves moving toward one goal. It’s a conflict because we struggle to integrate the positive and negative aspects of the single choice

Multiple-Approach-Avoidance

Most complex; occurs when one has to choose between 2 things that have both negative and positive aspects on both sides

Causes of Psychological Stress

Biological, psychological, interpersonal, and experience

Allostasis

Adapting to stressors by achieving a ‘new physiological normal’ or stability through the change

Allostatic Load

The physiological cost of adapting to chronic stressors

State Anxiety

A transient emotional state characterized by feelings of apprehension, doom, impending threat

Trait Anxiety

General predisposition to respond with apprehension, worry, and nervousness across various situations

ABC’s of CBT

A = Activating Event

B = Beliefs, Thoughts, Attitudes, Assumptions

C = Consequences, Feelings, Emotions, Behaviours, Actions

2 Types of Short-Term Memory

* Episodic
* Semantic

Episodic

Allows us to recall specific events or experiences from our past, typically lasting for a few seconds to a few minutes. It involves the conscious awareness of the memory and the ability to retrieve it when needed.

Semantic Short-Term Memory

The temporary storage of information related to meaning, such as words, concepts, and facts, can be quickly retrieved and used for a short period of time, usually up to 30 seconds.

Implicit Memory

Memory that does not require any conscious retrieval

Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor

A substance that is found in your brain and helps to maintain the life of your brain cells, as well as grows new ones through a brain protein

Serotonin

Neurotransmitter that helps with mood regulation, memory, sleep, sexual function, bone health, and blood clotting; hinders impulsive behaviour

Dopamine

A chemical messenger. Involved in voluntary movement, learning, arousal, and feeling of pleasure; Strongly determines motivation; establishes reward pathways

Noreponephrine

Hormone that gives the body sudden energy in times of stress; AKA the “Fight or Flight” response