AP Psychology Unit Five: Mental & Physical Health

These flashcards cover key vocabulary terms and concepts from AP Psychology Unit Five, focusing on mental and physical health.

Stress

The process of appraising and responding to a threatening or challenging event.

Psychoneuroimmunology

The study of how psychological, neural, and endocrine processes together affect the immune system and resulting health.

General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)

A three-phase process (alarm reaction, resistance, exhaustion) that describes how the body responds to stress.

Type A Personality

A personality type that is competitive, hard-driving, impatient, verbally aggressive, and anger-prone, often linked to a higher risk of heart disease.

Positive Psychology

The scientific study of human flourishing, focused on discovering and promoting strengths and virtues that help individuals and communities thrive.

Adaptation-level Phenomenon

Our tendency to form judgments relative to a neutral level defined by prior experience.

Relative Deprivation

The perception that one is worse off than those with whom one compares oneself.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

An integrative therapy that combines changing one’s thinking with techniques to change one’s actions.

Dissociative Identity Disorder

A rare dissociative disorder in which a person exhibits two or more distinct and alternating personalities.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

An anxiety disorder marked by unwanted repetitive thoughts (obsessions) and/or actions (compulsions).