Psychology Module 35: Health and Happiness

Coping

The process of using conscious and unconscious strategies to reduce stress and solve problems

Problem-focused coping

When we address stressors directly; often used when we feel a sense of control over a situation and think we can change the circumstances, or at least change ourselves to deal with the circumstance more capably

Emotion-focused coping

Often used when we believe we cannot change a situation

Personal control

The belief that one can significantly alter events

Learned helplessness

A mental state in which a person or animal feels unable to control or change a situation, even when they have the opportunity to do so

External locus of control

The belief that external forces, rather than one’s own actions, determine the outcomes of situations

Internal locus of control

The belief that a person’s actions and personal decisions guide their life outcomes

Self-control

The ability to control impulses and delay short-term gratification for longer-term rewards

Aerobic exercise

Sustained, oxygen-consuming exertion

Mindfulness meditation

The practice of relaxing and silently attending to your inner state, without judging it

Feel-good, do-good phenomenon

The idea that doing good deeds helps boost your mood

Positive psychology

Using scientific methods to study human flourishing

Subjective well-being

A person’s perception and evaluation of their life, including their emotional reactions and cognitive judgments

Adaptation-level phenomenon

The idea that we adjust our “natural” levels - the points at which sounds seem neither loud nor soft, temperatures neither hot nor cold, events neither pleasant nor unpleasant - based on our experiences

Relative deprivation

The phenomenon that when comparing ourselves to others, believing that others have more friends or are more socially successful makes us feel worse