unit 8 second 23

emotion

a response of the whole organism, involving

1. physiological arousal,

2. expressive behaviors, and

3. conscious experience.

James-Lange theory

the theory that our experience of emotion is our awareness of our physiological responses to an emotion-arousing stimulus: stimulus → arousal

→ emotion.

Cannon-Bard theory

the theory that an emotion-arousing stimulus simultaneously triggers

1. physiological responses and

2. the subjective experience of emotion

two-factor theory

the Schachter-Singer theory that to experience emotion one must

1. be physically aroused and

2. cognitively label the arousal.

polygraph

a machine used in attempts to detect lies that measures several of the physiological responses (such as perspiration, heart rate, and breathing changes)

accompanying emotion.

facial feedback effect

the tendency of facial muscle states to trigger corresponding feelings such as fear, anger, or happiness.

behavior feedback effect

the tendency of behavior to influence our own and others' thoughts, feelings, and actions.

stress

the process by which we perceive and respond to certain events, called stressors, that we appraise as threatening or challenging.

general adaptation syndrome

Selye's concept of the body's adaptive response to stress in three phases—alarm, resistance, exhaustion.

tend-and-befriend response

under stress, people (especially women) often provide support to others (tend) and bond with and seek support from others (befriend).

health psychology

a subfield of psychology that provides psychology's contribution to behavioral medicine.

psychoneuroimmunology

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

coronary heart disease

the clogging of the vessels that nourish the heart muscle; the leading cause of death in many developed countries.

Type A

Friedman and Rosenman's term for competitive, hard-driving, impatient, verbally aggressive, and anger-prone people.

Type B

Friedman and Rosenman's term for easygoing, relaxed people.

catharsis

in psychology, the idea that releasing" aggressive energy (through action or fantasy) relieves aggressive urges.

aerobic exercise

sustained exercise that increases heart and lung fitness; also helps alleviate depression and anxiety.

mindfulness meditation

a reflective practice in which people attend to current experiences in a nonjudgmental and accepting

manner.

feel-good, do-good phenomenon

people's tendency to be helpful when in a good mood.

positive psychology

the scientific study of human flourishing, with the goals of discovering and promoting strengths and virtues that help individuals and communities to thrive.

subjective well-being

self-perceived happiness or satisfaction with life. Used along with measures of objective wellbeing (for example, physical and economic indicators) to evaluate people's quality of life.

adaptation-level phenomenon

our tendency to form judgments (of sounds, of lights, of income) relative to a neutral level defined by our prior expenience.

relative deprivation

the perception that one is worse off relative to those with whom one compares oneself.