Chapter 11: Stress, Health, and Coping Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards covering fundamental concepts, definitions, and theories from Chapter 11 on Stress, Health, and Coping.

Stress

Demand made on an organism to adapt, cope, or adjust.

Eustress

Healthful stress, such as starting a new job, going on a first date, or choosing between positive options.

Health Psychology

The study of the relationship between psychological factors and the prevention and treatment of physical health problems.

Pathogens

Microscopic organisms that can cause disease and interact with stress to influence the immune system.

Daily Hassles

Regularly occurring experiences that can threaten or harm one's well-being, such as household, health, time-pressure, financial, or work concerns.

Life Changes

Generally positive events that occur at irregular intervals, such as going to college, getting married, starting a new job, or starting a family.

Conflict

The feeling of being pulled in two or more directions by opposing motives.

Approach-Approach Conflict

The least stressful type of conflict, where both goals are desirable and within reach.

Avoidance-Avoidance Conflict

A more stressful type of conflict in which an individual is motivated to avoid each of two negative outcomes.

Approach-Avoidance Conflict

A type of conflict in which a single goal or choice has both pros and cons.

Multiple Approach-Avoidance Conflict

The most complex type of conflict, in which several alternatives each have both pros and cons.

Albert Ellis A-B-C Approach

A cognitive model demonstrating that Activating events lead to Beliefs, which then lead to Consequences (A -> B -> C).

Type A Individuals

Personality type characterized as highly driven, competitive, impatient, hostile, aggressive, and following a coronary-prone behavior pattern.

Type B Individuals

Personality type characterized as relaxed, focused on quality of life, less ambitious, and less impatient.

Resilience

A trait that affects one's ability to withstand stress.

Self-Efficacy

The belief that we can bring about desired change through our own efforts.

Psychological Hardiness

A characteristic that helps resist stress, defined by commitment, challenge, and an internal locus of control.

Emotional Concern

A form of social support involving listening to others, expressing feelings of sympathy, caring, understanding, and reassurance.

Instrumental Aid

A form of social support providing material supports and services that facilitate adaptive behavior.

General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)

Hans Selye's term for a group of bodily changes that occur in response to stress across three stages: alarm reaction, resistance stage, and exhaustion stage.

Alarm Reaction

The first stage of GAS, triggered by perception of a stressor, which mobilizes the body for action via fight-or-flight and releases corticosteroids, adrenaline, and noradrenaline.

Resistance Stage

The second stage of GAS, occurring if the stressor is not removed; endocrine and sympathetic activity remain higher than normal, though lower than during the alarm reaction.

Exhaustion Stage

The final stage of GAS, occurring when stress is not dealt with adequately; muscles fatigue, parasympathetic division may predominate, and continued stress can lead to diseases of adaptation or death.

Leukocytes

White blood cells produced by the immune system to kill pathogens and generate antibodies to battle antigens.

Benevolent Religious Reappraisal

Reappraising one's fears and troubles to find a lesson from God, escape from them, or perceive trials as spiritually beneficial.

Primary Appraisal

A cognitive process occurring when an individual evaluates an event as stressful, threatening, harmful, or challenging.

Secondary Appraisal

The evaluation of available resources and options for coping with a stressor.

Passive Coping

A coping style where individuals absolve themselves of responsibility for managing a stressor or controlling the situation.

Active Coping

A coping style where individuals work directly to manage stressors and control them using internal resources.

Emotion-Focused Coping

A stress management strategy in which a person focuses on regulating their negative emotional reactions to a stressor.

Mindfulness Meditation

A practice of focusing entirely on thoughts and physical sensations on a moment-to-moment basis.

Progressive Relaxation

A relaxation technique involving purposely tensing specific muscle groups before letting the tensions go.

Problem-Focused Coping

A stress management strategy in which a person directly confronts a stressor in an attempt to decrease or eliminate it.