Z AP Psychology (ALL VOCAB)

Health psychology

the study of how psychological factors influence health illness and behavior

Stressors

events or situations that produce stress

Eustress

positive stress that motivates and improves performance

Distress

negative stress that harms functioning

General adaptation syndrome

three stage stress response including alarm resistance and exhaustion

Fight-flight-or-freeze response

physiological reaction to threat preparing the body for action

Tend and befriend theory

response to stress involving nurturing and seeking social support

Problem-focused coping

directly addressing the source of stress

Emotion-focused coping

reducing emotional distress without changing the stressor

Positive psychology

the study of human strengths well being and positive functioning

Posttraumatic growth

positive psychological change following adversity

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders

standard classification system for psychological disorders

Biopsychosocial model

approach that explains behavior through biological psychological and social factors

Diathesis-stress model

disorders result from a predisposition combined with stress

ADHD

a disorder characterized by inattention hyperactivity and impulsivity

Autism spectrum disorder

a disorder involving deficits in social communication and restricted behaviors

Schizophrenia

a disorder characterized by disturbed perceptions and disorganized thinking

Delusions

false beliefs maintained despite evidence

Hallucinations

sensory experiences without external stimuli

Disorganized thinking

disturbed and illogical thought processes

Flat affect

reduced emotional expression

Bipolar I disorder

disorder involving full manic episodes often with depression

Bipolar II disorder

disorder involving hypomanic and depressive episodes

Manic episode

period of elevated mood energy and activity

Hypomanic episode

less severe form of mania

Anxiety disorders

disorders characterized by excessive fear and anxiety

Specific phobia

irrational fear of a specific object or situation

Panic disorder

recurrent unexpected panic attacks

Generalized anxiety disorder

persistent excessive worry about multiple aspects of life

Obsessive compulsive disorder

disorder involving unwanted thoughts and repetitive behaviors

Obsession

persistent intrusive thoughts

Compulsion

repetitive behaviors performed to reduce anxiety

Posttraumatic stress disorder

disorder triggered by traumatic events involving reexperiencing and hyperarousal

Anorexia nervosa

eating disorder characterized by restriction and low body weight

Bulimia nervosa

eating disorder involving binge eating followed by compensatory behaviors

Major depressive disorder

disorder characterized by persistent sadness and loss of interest

Persistent depressive disorder

chronic low level depression lasting at least two year

Psychodynamic view of personality

the theory that personality is shaped by unconscious conflicts and early childhood experiences

Role of the unconscious

the idea that much of behavior is influenced by thoughts and desires outside of awareness

Ego defense mechanisms

unconscious strategies used to reduce anxiety by distorting reality

Denial

refusing to accept reality

Projection

attributing one’s own unacceptable thoughts to others

Rationalization

justifying behavior with logical but false reasons

Regression

reverting to earlier developmental behaviors

Repression

unconsciously pushing distressing thoughts out of awareness

Sublimation

channeling unacceptable impulses into socially acceptable activities

Humanistic psychology

the perspective that emphasizes personal growth and self-fulfillment

Unconditional positive regard

accepting and valuing a person without conditions

Self-actualizing tendency

the drive to reach one’s full potential

Social-cognitive view of personality

the theory that personality is shaped by interactions between behavior, cognition, and environment

Reciprocal determinism

the mutual influence of behavior, personal factors, and environment

Self-efficacy

belief in one’s ability to succeed

Self-concept

overall perception of oneself

Self-esteem

one’s sense of self-worth

Trait view of personality

the theory that personality is composed of stable traits

Big Five theory

model identifying five broad personality traits

Openness

trait characterized by curiosity and creativity

Conscientiousness

trait characterized by organization and responsibility

Extraversion

trait characterized by sociability and energy

Agreeableness

trait characterized by kindness and cooperation

Emotional stability

trait characterized by calmness and low anxiety

Drive-reduction theory

motivation to reduce physical discomfort and maintain homeostasis

Homeostasis

the body’s tendency to maintain internal balance

Arousal theory

motivation to maintain an optimal level of alertness

Yerkes-Dodson law

performance increases with arousal up to an optimal point then decreases

Self-determination theory

motivation influenced by need for autonomy, competence, and relatedness

Intrinsic motivation

engaging in behavior for its own sake

Extrinsic motivation

engaging in behavior for external rewards

Incentive theory

behavior is motivated by external rewards and punishments

Approach-approach conflict

choosing between two desirable options

Approach-avoidance conflict

one option has both positive and negative aspects

Avoidance-avoidance conflict

choosing between two undesirable options

Ghrelin

hormone that increases hunger

Leptin

hormone that signals satiety

Hypothalamus

brain structure that regulates hunger and body weight

Facial-feedback hypothesis

facial expressions influence emotional experience

Universality of emotional expression

the idea that basic emotions are expressed similarly across cultures

Health psychology

study of how psychological factors affect health and illness

Stressors

events that cause stress

General adaptation syndrome

three-stage response to stress including alarm, resistance, and exhaustion

Fight-flight-or-freeze response

physiological reaction to threat preparing the body for action

Problem-focused coping

dealing directly with the source of stress

Emotion-focused coping

reducing emotional distress rather than solving the proble

Learning

A relatively permanent change in behavior or knowledge caused by experience

Behavioral perspective

An approach that explains behavior as learned through interaction with the environment

Classical conditioning

Learning in which a neutral stimulus becomes associated with a stimulus that naturally produces a response

Acquisition

The initial stage of conditioning when a learned response is first formed

UCS (unconditioned stimulus)

A stimulus that naturally triggers a response without prior learning

UCR (unconditioned response)

An automatic, unlearned reaction to an unconditioned stimulus

CS (conditioned stimulus)

A previously neutral stimulus that triggers a learned response after association

CR (conditioned response)

A learned response to a conditioned stimulus

Extinction

The weakening or disappearance of a conditioned response when reinforcement stops

Spontaneous recovery

The reappearance of an extinguished conditioned response after a pause

Stimulus generalization

Responding similarly to stimuli that resemble the conditioned stimulus

Stimulus discrimination

The learned ability to distinguish between relevant and irrelevant stimuli

Higher order conditioning

Conditioning in which a new stimulus becomes associated with an already conditioned stimulus

Classical conditioning of emotions

Learning emotional reactions through stimulus associations

Classical conditioning in therapy (counterconditioning)

A therapy method that replaces unwanted responses with healthier conditioned responses

Taste aversions

Learned avoidance of foods linked to illness or discomfort

One trial conditioning

Learning that occurs after a single pairing of stimuli