Health Psychology and Stress Review

Vocabulary flashcards covering key definitions, models, and theories of health, addiction, stress, and behavioral psychology from the lecture.

Health (WHO Definition)

A state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.

Biomedical Model

A model that views health in terms of physical or biological factors, defines ill health as a disease diagnosed by a doctor, and treats illness with physical methods such as drugs or surgery.

Biopsychosocial Model

An approach proposed by George Engel (1977) suggesting health and ill health are outcomes of interacting biological (genes, neurochemistry), psychological (stress, attitudes), and social (family, culture) factors.

Health Continuum

The concept that health is not a binary state of healthy or ill, but varies over time on a spectrum between extremely good health and extremely poor health.

Stress

An emotional, physical, and psychological response to situations of threat or stress.

Stressor

Any feature of the environment that causes a stress response, including work-related factors, everyday minor hassles, and major life changes.

Perceived Ability to Cope

An individual's assessment of how well they can manage stressors; higher perceived ability lowers experienced stress levels.

Internal Coping Resources

Psychological factors within oneself used to cope with stress, including resilience and self-efficacy (confidence).

External Coping Resources

Social factors outside oneself used to cope with stress, primarily social support from family, friends, and networks.

Addiction

A mental health issue in which a person takes a substance or engages in a behaviour that is pleasurable but eventually becomes compulsive with harmful consequences.

Behavioural Addiction

An addiction occurring when someone compulsively continues a behaviour (such as gambling or video gaming) and experiences withdrawal when stopping.

Physiological Addiction

Dependence on a chemical substance indicated by tolerance and physical withdrawal symptoms when the person abstains.

Salience

A component of addiction occurring when a substance or behaviour dominates an individual's life to the point where leading a normal life without it becomes impossible.

Tolerance

A decreased biological or psychological response to a drug or activity over time, requiring larger doses or intensity to achieve the original effect.

Withdrawal

A set of physical or psychological symptoms that develop when an addicted person abstains from or reduces their substance use or behaviour.

Relapse

Reverting repeatedly to earlier dependent patterns of addictive behavior after a period of giving them up.

Conflict (in Addiction)

Competing demands in addiction, occurring either between the addicted person and others (interpersonal) or within the individual (intrapersonal).

Mood Alteration

Changes in emotional state produced by addictive substances or activities, which can vary across occasions based on expectations.

Genetic Predisposition

An inherited pre-existing biological tendency or vulnerability to health or ill health that requires environmental triggers to manifest.

Neurotransmitters

Chemical messengers that transfer signals between neurons; imbalances caused by genetics or stress are linked to altered behavior and mental illnesses.

Positive Reinforcement (Operant Conditioning)

A learning process in operant conditioning where a behaviour is more likely to be repeated because it leads to a pleasurable or rewarding outcome.

Negative Reinforcement (Operant Conditioning)

A learning process in operant conditioning where a behaviour is more likely to be repeated because it removes or avoids an unpleasant stimulus or outcome.

Cues

Environmental stimuli that become rewarding in themselves because they are linked to the pleasure experienced from an addictive or habitual behavior.

Cognitive Dissonance

A concept proposed by Leon Festinger (1957) referring to the psychological discomfort experienced when holding conflicting beliefs or engaging in a behavior that contradicts one's beliefs.

Health Belief Model (HBM)

A health model developed by Rosenstock (1966) that explains health behaviors based on perceived seriousness, perceived susceptibility, cost-benefit analysis, demographic variables, cues to action, and self-efficacy.

Perceived Seriousness

A element of the Health Belief Model referring to an individual's evaluation of how severe the consequences of a specific disease or illness are.

Perceived Susceptibility

An element of the Health Belief Model referring to an individual's evaluation of their personal risk of contracting a disease or illness.

Cost-Benefit Analysis (HBM)

The process in the Health Belief Model of balancing the perceived benefits of a health action against the perceived obstacles or barriers to adopting it.

Cues to Action (HBM)

Internal triggers (such as pain or cancer scares) or external triggers (such as advice or government campaigns) that prompt a person to change health behaviors.

Internal Locus of Control

A personality trait measured by Rotter (1966) where individuals believe that events and health outcomes are direct results of their own actions and efforts.

External Locus of Control

A personality trait measured by Rotter (1966) where individuals believe that events and health outcomes are controlled by external forces such as luck, fate, or powerful others.

Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB)

Ajzen's (1985) theory asserting that deliberate behavior is directly determined by behavioral intentions, which are formed by personal attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control.

Subjective Norms

A component of TPB referring to a person's belief about whether significant social groups approve or disapprove of a specific behavior.

Perceived Behavioural Control (PBC)

A component of TPB referring to an individual's perception of how easy or difficult it is to carry out a specific behavior.

Self-Efficacy Theory

Bandura's (1977) theory referring to an individual's confidence in their own capability to successfully perform specific tasks or behavior changes.

Mastery Experiences

The primary source of self-efficacy based on an individual's history of successfully performing a task or overcoming small challenges.

Vicarious Reinforcement (Self-Efficacy)

A source of self-efficacy where observing others successfully complete a task increases one's belief in their own ability to achieve it.

Social Persuasion

A source of self-efficacy where external encouragement or discouragement from a credible source affects an individual's belief in their performance ability.

Transtheoretical Model (TTM)

Prochaska and DiClemente's (1983) model stating that behavior change occurs progressively through stages: Precontemplation, Contemplation, Preparation, Action, and Maintenance.

Precontemplation Stage

The first stage of TTM where an individual is not thinking about changing their behavior in the near future, often due to denial or lack of motivation.

Contemplation Stage

The second stage of TTM where an individual acknowledges a problem and considers changing their behavior within the next six months.

Preparation Stage

The third stage of TTM where an individual decides benefits outweigh costs and plans to make a change within the next month, though exact plans are unfinalized.

Action Stage

The fourth stage of TTM where an individual has actively modified their behavior within the past six months through formal or informal steps.

Maintenance Stage

The fifth stage of TTM where an individual has sustained behavior change for over six months and focuses on relapse prevention using learned coping skills.

Social Readjustment Rating Scale (SRRS)

A 43-item scale created by Holmes and Rahe (1967) that measures life events in Life Change Units (LCUs) to estimate the probability of developing stress-related illness.

Daily Hassles and Uplifts

Kanner et al.'s (1981) scale where hassles are minor daily frustrating events causing stress, while uplifts are minor positive events that reduce stress.

Intra-Role Conflict

Workplace stress arising from competing demands within a single job role, such as reporting to two managers with conflicting goals.

Inter-Role Conflict

Workplace stress arising when the requirements of two separate roles conflict, such as worker responsibilities versus parental responsibilities.

Hardy Personality

Kobasa's (1979) personality structure that protects against stress and illness, defined by three components: Commitment, Challenge, and Control.

Type A Personality

Friedman and Rosenman's personality classification characterized by extreme competitiveness, time urgency, and hostility, leading to higher stress vulnerability and risk of heart disease.

Type B Personality

Friedman and Rosenman's personality classification characterized by a relaxed, tolerant, non-competitive, and non-hostile disposition that copes effectively with stress.

General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)

Hans Selye's (1936) three-stage physiological stress model consisting of Alarm Reaction, Resistance, and Exhaustion.

SAM System

The Sympatho-Medullary Pathway responsible for acute stress responses: the hypothalamus activates the sympathetic nervous system and the adrenal medulla releases adrenaline and noradrenaline.

HPA System

The Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal axis responsible for chronic stress responses: the hypothalamus releases CRF, triggering the pituitary to release ACTH, which signals the adrenal cortex to secrete cortisol.