Relationships, Gender, Power, and Health Review

These vocabulary flashcards cover key psychological theories, relationship scripts, power dynamics, violence classifications, health disparities, and mental health concepts as presented in the lecture transcript.

Evolutionary theory

The perspective that social behavior is shaped by survival genes.

Social Role Theory

The theory that men’s & women’s behavior is a function of the rules that they hold in society.

Script

A schema or cognitive representation for a sequence of events.

Sexual double standard

The societal norm that it is more acceptable for men than women to have sex.

Orgasm gap

The phenomenon where men report a greater frequency of orgasms than women.

Demand–withdraw pattern

An interaction episode characterized by one person demanding or initiating and the other person not responding or withdrawing/avoiding.

Double-shot hypothesis

A forced-choice setup where people assume that one type of cheating automatically includes the other.

Gender tension line

The point at which people feel uncomfortable with further change in terms of gender roles.

Stress buffering

A process where marriage indirectly affects health by providing resources to cope with stress.

Power-over

The use of domination or coercion to force an effect despite resistance.

Power-to

The ability to effect change using personal wisdom & experience.

Self-determination

The ability to take action independently.

Self-esteem

The power to define who you are without needing someone else’s permission.

Power-with

The use of cooperation & connection with others to produce an effect.

Sexual Harassment

Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, & other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature.

Precarious masculinity

The concept that one’s masculinity is constantly challenged, requiring constant proof to maintain man’s status.

Quid pro quo

A form of sexual harassment when one person offers work benefits or threatens work repercussions in exchange for sexual favors.

Hostile environment

Sexual harassment characterized by an intimidating environment.

Systemic privilege

A design intended to keep certain groups over others by making it easier for them to get jobs, stay healthy, and build wealth.

Stalking

A course of conduct directed at a specific person that would cause a reasonable person to feel fear.

Attachment theory (Stalking)

The idea that people with an insecure attachment style engage in persistent behaviors to preserve a relationship due to fear of abandonment.

Coercive control theory

Explains stalking as a form of dominance & aggression used to control the behavior of another person.

Intimate terrorism

A situation where a perpetrator attempts to control their victim through often escalating threats and physical and psychological aggression.

Violent resistance

Responding with violence towards an abuser who is enacting intimate terrorism.

Situational couple violence

Occasional violent episodes that follow a stressful event, rather than being rooted in a power imbalance.

Rape culture

An environment where rape is prevalent & sexual violence is normalized through sociocultural norms.

Minority Stress

The internal and external pressure of living in a society that marginalizes certain groups.

Mortality

The state of being subject to death; men are more likely to die at every age.

Morbidity

The condition of suffering from a disease or medical condition; women have higher rates than men.

Actual effects

Differences in health based on biological factors.

Apparent effects

Differences in health based on the way things are measured or the society we live in.

Unmitigated communion

Being excessively concerned with others and relationship harmony to the complete exclusion or neglect of the self.

Gender dysphoria

The distress or impairment caused by the mismatch between one’s experienced gender and their sex assigned at birth.

Major depressive disorder

Experiencing a set of depressive symptoms for a period of at least two weeks.

Distal stressors

External stressors such as violence, victimization, discrimination, rejection, and nonaffirmation.

Proximal stressors

Internal stressors such as internalized trans/homophobia, expectation of rejection, and concealment.

Anhedonia

The state of no longer being interested in things one used to enjoy.

Dissociation

Feeling like an observer in your own life instead of a participant.

Body objectification

Viewing a person as a tool or an ornament instead of a whole human being with feelings.

Body monitoring

A process where a person is constantly checking their appearance, such as sucking in their stomach or worrying about camera angles.

Colorism

Discrimination where people with lighter skin tones are treated more favorably than those with darker skin tones.

Extreme male brain theory

A perspective that defines autism purely through a masculine lens, potentially making diagnosis harder for women.

Masking/camouflaging

A survival mechanism where autistic individuals hide their traits to meet societal expectations, which can be mentally and physically draining.

Hedonic well-being

A form of well-being focused on maximizing pleasure and minimizing pain, often temporary.

Eudaimonic well-being

A form of well-being focused on living a life of meaning, virtue, and purpose.

Mindfulness

Being aware of the present moment without judgmental observation.

Aliveness

The feeling that your life is worth living as you are.