Stress, Health, and Coping – Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards covering the main terms and concepts from the lecture on Stress, Health, and Coping.

Stress

A negative emotional state that occurs when events are perceived as taxing or exceeding a person’s resources or ability to cope.

Cognitive Appraisal Model

Richard Lazarus’s view that stress depends on the individual’s evaluation (appraisal) of events and the resources available to handle them.

Health Psychology

Branch of psychology that studies how biological, behavioral, and social factors influence health, illness, treatment, and health-related behaviors.

Biopsychosocial Model

Perspective that physical health and illness result from the complex interaction of biological, psychological, and social factors.

Stressors

Events or situations perceived as harmful, threatening, or challenging.

Social Readjustment Rating Scale (SRRS)

Holmes & Rahe’s checklist that assigns Life-Change Units to major life events to estimate stress load.

Life Events Approach

Idea that any event requiring life adjustment—positive or negative—produces significant stress.

Traumatic Events

Negative, severe experiences far beyond normal expectations; can lead to PTSD in vulnerable individuals.

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

An anxiety disorder that may develop after exposure to intense or repeated trauma.

Resilience

The ability to adapt well and recover after moderate levels of adversity.

Daily Hassles

Common everyday annoyances that may be a major source of stress and a better illness predictor than major events.

Burnout

An unhealthy state of chronic work stress marked by exhaustion, cynicism, and a sense of failure or inadequacy.

Job Crafting

Proactively changing job demands or personal resources to reduce burnout.

Socioeconomic Status (SES)

A person’s economic and social position; lower SES links to more stressors and poorer health.

Microaggressions

Subtle, often unintentional instances of racism or discrimination that contribute to chronic stress.

Acculturative Stress

Stress resulting from the pressure of adapting to a new culture.

Integration (Acculturation)

Maintaining original culture while seeking positive relations with the new one; lowest stress pattern.

Assimilation (Acculturation)

Abandoning original culture to identify with the new one; moderate stress pattern.

Separation (Acculturation)

Maintaining original culture while rejecting new culture; high stress pattern.

Marginalization (Acculturation)

Loss of original culture without acceptance of the new culture; greatest stress pattern.

Fight-or-Flight Response

Walter Cannon’s term for the rapid physiological reactions that prepare the body to fight or flee a threat.

Catecholamines

Adrenal medulla hormones (adrenaline & noradrenaline) that produce rapid physiological arousal in acute stress.

Corticosteroids

Adrenal cortex hormones that release stored energy and suppress immune function during prolonged stress.

General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)

Hans Selye’s three-stage response to prolonged stress: alarm, resistance, exhaustion.

Alarm Stage

First GAS phase; intense arousal and mobilization of resources (catecholamine release).

Resistance Stage

Second GAS phase; body tries to adjust and cope with the continuing stressor.

Exhaustion Stage

Final GAS phase; energy reserves depleted, leading to illness or death if stress continues.

Telomeres

Protective DNA sequences at chromosome ends; shorten with cell division and chronic stress, linking stress to aging.

Immune System

Body’s defense network of cells and tissues that fight viruses, bacteria, and tumor cells.

Lymphocytes

Specialized white blood cells (e.g., B-cells, T-cells) that attack foreign invaders.

Psychoneuroimmunology (PNI)

Field studying interactions among psychological processes, the nervous system, and the immune system.

Placebo Effect

Health improvement produced by expectations and beliefs rather than an active treatment; involves opioid receptors.

Personal Control

Belief that one can influence stress-producing events; realistic control reduces distress and arousal.

Optimistic Explanatory Style

Attributing negative events to external, unstable, specific causes; tied to better health and immunity.

Pessimistic Explanatory Style

Attributing negative events to internal, stable, global causes; linked to poorer health outcomes.

Chronic Negative Emotions

Habitual states of anger, anxiety, or depression that increase risk for chronic disease.

Type A Behavior Pattern

Time urgency, hostility, and competitiveness; associated with higher risk of heart disease.

Type B Behavior Pattern

Relaxed, leisurely, and easygoing style; not linked to heart disease.

Social Support

Resources provided by others (emotional, tangible, informational) that help cope with stress.

Stress Contagion Effect

Tendency (more common in women) to become upset by negative events affecting friends or family.

Adaptive Coping

Realistic strategies that reduce stress or emotional impact effectively.

Maladaptive Coping

Thoughts or behaviors that intensify or prolong distress and produce self-defeating outcomes.

Coping

Behavioral and cognitive efforts to manage internal and external demands viewed as taxing or exceeding resources.

Problem-Focused Coping

Efforts aimed at managing or changing the stressor itself; best when control is possible.

Planful Problem Solving

Rational analysis of a stressor to identify and implement solutions.

Confrontational Coping

Direct, assertive—sometimes risky—tactics to change a stressor.

Emotion-Focused Coping

Efforts to regulate emotional reactions when the stressor seems unchangeable.

Escape–Avoidance

Emotion-focused strategy using distraction or fantasy to avoid thinking about the stressor.

Distancing

Emotion-focused strategy that involves acknowledging the stressor but downplaying its significance.

Denial

Refusing to acknowledge the reality of a stressor to protect oneself emotionally.

Positive Reappraisal

Cognitive reframing to see stressful events in a more positive light.

Positive Religious Coping

Seeking spiritual support, forgiveness, or reframing stress as part of a larger purpose.

Negative Religious Coping

Viewing stress as punishment from a higher power; linked to poorer adjustment.

Individualistic Cultures (Coping)

Favor personal autonomy; prefer problem-focused strategies and less likely to seek social support.

Collectivistic Cultures (Coping)

Emphasize group harmony; rely more on emotional coping and social support.

Overload (Work Stress)

Having too many job demands; a major cause of burnout.

Lack of Control (Work Stress)

Perceived inability to influence work tasks or environment; contributes to burnout.

Diverse Social Networks

Varied relationships (family, friends, work, community) associated with better immunity and longevity.

Effective Support Strategies

Listening, showing concern, inviting expression of feelings, and investing time to help.

Unhelpful Support Strategies

Unsolicited advice, self-focused talk, minimizing problems, or forced cheerfulness that can increase stress.

Stimulants (Stress Reduction)

Substances like caffeine or nicotine that can intensify stress reactions; minimizing use helps manage stress.

Mindfulness of Breathing

Relaxation technique that focuses attention on the breath to reduce physiological arousal.