Unit 8: Heath & Personality

Eustress

A positive form of stress that can motivate and enhance performance and well-being.

Distress

A negative form of stress that can cause anxiety, decrease performance, and lead to health problems.

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)

Traumatic events occurring before the age of 18 that can lead to long-term health consequences.

General Adaptation Syndrome

A three-stage response to stress (alarm, resistance, exhaustion) that describes how the body reacts to stressors.

Fight-flight-or-freeze response

An automatic physiological reaction to perceived threats, preparing individuals to confront or escape danger.

Tend and befriend theory

A behavioral response to stress characterized by seeking social support and nurturing others.

Problem-focused coping

Strategies aimed at tackling the stressor directly.

Emotion-focused coping

Strategies that involve regulating emotional responses to stress.

Internal locus of control

The belief that one has control over their life and outcomes.

External locus of control

The belief that external factors influence life events.

Positive Psychology

A branch of psychology focusing on strengths, well-being, and fulfilling life factors.

Wisdom

Cognitive strengths involving acquiring and using knowledge to navigate life.

Courage

Emotional strengths involving the will to accomplish goals despite opposition or fear.

Humanity

Interpersonal strengths related to kindness and empathy.

Justice

Civic strengths that promote fair treatment and healthy community connections.

Temperance

Strengths that encompass self-restraint and moderation in behaviors.

Transcendence

Strengths that connect individuals to the larger universe and provide meaning to life.

Psychodynamic view of personality

A perspective emphasizing the role of unconscious processes in shaping personality.

Role of the unconscious

The part of the mind that contains thoughts and memories not accessible to awareness.

Id

The primitive and instinctive component of personality operating according to the pleasure principle.

Ego

The rational part of personality mediating between id desires and external realities.

Superego

The ethical component of personality representing internalized ideals.

Ego defense mechanisms

Psychological strategies used by the ego to protect against anxiety.

Denial

Refusal to accept reality to avoid painful emotions.

Displacement

Redirecting emotions from the original source to a substitute target.

Projection

Attributing one’s own unacceptable thoughts to others.

Rationalization

Justifying actions or feelings with logical reasons.

Reaction formation

Converting unwanted thoughts into their opposite.

Regression

Reverting to previous behaviors effective in dealing with stress.

Repression

Unconsciously blocking unpleasant thoughts from awareness.

Sublimation

Channeling unacceptable impulses into socially acceptable activities.

Projective tests

Psychological assessments using ambiguous stimuli to elicit responses.

Humanistic psychology

A psychological perspective emphasizing personal growth and self-actualization.

Unconditional (positive) regard (UPR)

Acceptance and support of a person regardless of their actions.

Self-actualizing tendency

The innate drive to realize and fulfill one's potential.

Social-Cognitive view of personality

A theory emphasizing the role of social interactions in shaping personality.

Reciprocal determinism

The concept that personal, behavioral, and environmental factors shape behavior.

Self-efficacy

Belief in one’s ability to succeed in specific situations.

Self-concept

The perception and understanding of oneself.

Self-esteem

The overall value one places on oneself.

Self-serving bias

The tendency to attribute positive events to oneself and negative events to external factors.

Trait view on personality

A perspective focusing on identifying and measuring stable personality characteristics.

Big Five Theory

A personality model identifying five major dimensions: Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Emotional stability.

Personality inventories

Standardized questionnaires used to assess various aspects of personality traits.

Factor analysis

A statistical method used to identify clusters of related variables in personality assessment.