Week 9 PSY10007 - Lecture and Module Video - Health, Stress, and Coping

Flashcards about the definition of health psychology, stress responses, mediators, coping mechanisms, and how to promote healthy behavior.

What is the focus of health psychologists?

How people get healthy and maintin their health

What are some activities a health psychologist might do?

Educate individuals on staying healthy, discuss warning signs of diseases, study the role of stress on health, and support people with chronic illnesses.

What are the three constructs to consider when looking at stress?

Stressor, stress mediator, and stress response.

Define a stressor.

A situation or event that gives us a feeling of stress.

Define a stress mediator.

A variable that influences how much stress we might feel as a result of a situation or event.

Define a stress response

The outcome of a stressful event.

What are some examples of stressors?

Catastrophic event, life change, chronic problem, acute problem, or daily hassles.

What can scales that measure stressors help determine?

Scales like the Social Readjustment Rating Scale can help predict the impact of stress on someone's psychological health.

What happens in the alarm stage of the general adaptation syndrome model?

The body initiates the fight or flight response.

What happens in the resistance stage of the general adaptation syndrome model?

The body resists the stressor, working hard to cope without obvious signs of alarm.

What happens in the exhaustion stage of the general adaptation syndrome model?

Burnout occurs, potentially leading to physiological health issues and a weakened immune system.

What are some emotional responses to stress?

Feeling angry, sad, or scared.

What can happen when emotional equilibrium isn't restored after stress?

Irritability, anxiety, sadness, and potential development of psychological disorders like anxiety, PTSD, or major depressive disorder.

How can cognitive ability be impaired by stress?

Rumination, catastrophizing, and impaired problem-solving ability can occur.

What are some potential behavioral responses to stress?

Looking tired, shaky voice, tremors, startled reflex, and potentially dangerous behaviors like alcohol abuse, overeating, self-harm, or suicidal attempts.

What are some examples of stress mediators?

How you perceive an event, predicitability, perception of control, and coping mechanisms.

How can personality mediate the relationship between a stressor and the stress response?

Optimism and positive thinking are associated with better health outcomes, while cognitive styles involving ignoring stressors or catastrophic thinking can lead to worse health.

How do problem focused and emotional focused coping differ?

Problem-focused coping includes trying to eliminate the stressor where emotional focused coping attempts to reduce negative consequences.

What are some behaviors that health psychologists might target?

Smoking, unsafe sex, obesity, unhealthy eating, and lack of exercise.

What are the four factors that guide our decision making process around behaviors that impact our health according to Rosenstock?

Perceiving a personal threat or susceptibility, perceiving the seriousness and consequences of an illness, belief that changing behavior will reduce the threat, and perceived costs and benefits of changing.

What are the five stages of change in the stages of readiness model?

Precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, and maintenance.

What are the 4 types of coping strategies?

Cognitive, Emotional, Behavioral, Physical

What is cognitive restructuring?

A type of cognitive coping strategy that is about changing the way someone views a situation, which is helpful for when the stressor cannot be controlled.

What is an example of an emotional coping strategy?

Finding social support by seeking to become involved in a community or group of some sort where one feels supported.

How is meditation and exercise beneficial for a stressed brain?

Both activities decrease stress and increase the size of the hippocampus thereby improving your memory.