chapter 3 key terms

alarm reaction

the first stage of the general adaptation syndrome characterized by the body’s immediate physiological reaction to a threat

beliefs

tenets or convictions that people hold to be true

cortisol

a stress hormone released by the adrenal glands in response to a stressor that provides a boost of energy

countercultures

groups that reject and oppose a society’s widely accepted cultural patterns

culture

shared beliefs

culture lag

the time gap between the introduction of material culture and the acceptance of corresponding nonmaterial culture

diffusion

the spread of material and nonmaterial culture from one culture to another

discoveries

things or ideas found from what already exists

distress

a negative form of stress that is high in intensity and associated with exhaustion

eustress

a positive form of stress that is low to moderate in intensity and linked to positive feelings and optimal performance

fight-or-flight response

a set of physiological reactions such as increased heart rate

folkways

norms that guide everyday appropriate behavior in a culture

formal norms

established and written rules of behavior

general adaptation syndrome

Hans Selye’s three-stage model of physiological responses to stress: alarm reaction

globalization

the integration of international trade and financial markets

health psychology

a subfield of psychology that studies how psychological factors influence health

high culture

the cultural patterns and practices of a society’s elite

hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis

a system involving the hypothalamus

ideal culture

the cultural standards that a society claims to value and strive toward

informal norms

casual and unwritten behaviors that are widely followed

innovations

new objects or ideas introduced into a culture for the first time

inventions

new combinations of existing ideas or materials into new forms

language

a symbolic system used for communication

mores

a group’s moral views and principles

norms

the visible and invisible rules of behavior that structure society

popular culture

mainstream and widely shared cultural patterns among the general population

primary appraisal

an individual’s judgment of how harmful or threatening a stressor may be

real culture

the actual cultural practices and behaviors that exist in society

sanctions

ways of approving or disapproving behaviors to enforce norms

Sapir-Whorf hypothesis

the idea that language shapes how people understand and experience the world

secondary appraisal

an individual’s evaluation of available coping options and their effectiveness

social control

mechanisms used to encourage conformity to cultural norms

society

people who live in a definable community and share a culture

stage of exhaustion

the third stage of the general adaptation syndrome in which the body’s ability to resist stress is depleted

stage of resistance

the second stage of the general adaptation syndrome in which the body adapts to a stressor for a time

stress

the process by which individuals perceive and respond to events they judge as overwhelming or threatening

stressors

environmental events or stimuli that trigger the stress response

subcultures

groups that share a distinct identity within a larger society

symbols

gestures or objects with shared meanings recognized within a culture

values

a culture’s standards for determining what is good