Unit 5 Vocab

Health Psychology – The study of how biological, psychological, and social factors influence health and illness. Example: A health psychologist might study how stress at work increases the risk of heart disease.

Psychoneuroimmunology – The study of how the mind, nervous system, and immune system interact and affect health. Example: Research shows that chronic stress weakens the immune system, making people more vulnerable to colds.

Stress – The body's response to perceived threats or challenges. Example: You feel stress before a big exam, causing your heart to race and palms to sweat.

Approach and Avoidance Motives – The drive to seek out positive experiences (approach) or avoid negative outcomes (avoidance). Example: You study hard (approach) to get a good grade or avoid failing (avoidance).

Kurt Lewin – A psychologist known for studying motivation and behavior, including approach-avoidance conflict. Example: You want to ask someone out (approach) but fear rejection (avoidance).

Hans Selye – Developed the General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS) model of stress. Example: A student cramming for finals may first feel energized (alarm), then exhausted after prolonged stress (resistance and exhaustion).

General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS) – The three-stage response to stress: alarm, resistance, and exhaustion. Example: A firefighter responding to an emergency feels an adrenaline rush (alarm), remains focused during the fire (resistance), and feels drained afterward (exhaustion).

Tend-and-Befriend Response – A stress response where individuals seek social support and care for others, more common in females. Example: After a stressful day, a mother calls a friend to vent and feel better.

Coronary Heart Disease – A condition where arteries become clogged, often linked to stress. Example: A high-pressure job with constant deadlines increases the risk of heart disease.

Type A Personality – Competitive, urgent, and aggressive personality type linked to higher stress and heart disease. Example: A lawyer who always rushes and gets angry in traffic is more prone to heart problems.

Type B Personality – Relaxed, easygoing personality with lower stress-related illness risk. Example: A laid-back artist takes life one day at a time and rarely gets stressed.

Catharsis – The release of strong emotions to reduce stress. Example: Punching a pillow or crying after a breakup helps relieve pent-up emotions.

Coping – The strategies people use to manage stress. Example: Some cope with stress by exercising, others by talking to a friend.

Problem-Focused Coping – Dealing with stress by solving the issue directly. Example: If failing a class, you study more or get a tutor.

Emotion-Focused Coping – Managing stress by changing emotional reactions instead of fixing the issue. Example: Listening to music to calm down after an argument.

Personal Control – The belief that you have power over your own life and decisions. Example: A student who believes hard work leads to good grades studies consistently.

Learned Helplessness – Giving up after repeated failures. Example: A student who fails multiple math tests stops trying because they believe they’ll never understand it.

External Locus of Control – Belief that fate or outside forces determine life events. Example: Blaming bad grades on a strict teacher rather than studying more.

Internal Locus of Control – Belief that personal choices determine life outcomes. Example: A runner believes training hard will improve race performance.

Self-Control – The ability to regulate impulses and emotions for long-term goals. Example: Resisting the urge to eat junk food while on a diet.

Martin Seligman – Psychologist known for learned helplessness and positive psychology. Example: His studies showed that dogs exposed to unavoidable shocks later didn’t try to escape, demonstrating learned helplessness.

Positive Psychology – The study of human strengths and well-being. Example: Research on gratitude journals shows they increase happiness.

Subjective Well-Being – A person’s perception of their happiness and life satisfaction. Example: Someone with close friends and a fulfilling job feels high well-being.

Feel-Good, Do-Good Phenomenon – The tendency to help others when in a good mood. Example: After receiving a promotion, you donate to charity.

Adaptation-Level Phenomenon – Judging experiences based on past expectations. Example: A $500 bonus seems amazing at first but feels small after getting used to it.

Relative Deprivation – Feeling worse off when comparing yourself to others. Example: You feel unhappy with your salary after seeing a friend earn more.

Broaden-and-Build Theory – Positive emotions expand thinking and help build lasting resources. Example: Happiness encourages creativity and social connections, leading to long-term success.

Character Strengths and Virtues – A classification of positive traits that contribute to a fulfilling life, developed by Martin Seligman and Christopher Peterson. It includes six core virtues: wisdom, courage, humanity, justice, temperance, and transcendence, which are further divided into 24 character strengths.

Example: Someone high in perseverance (a strength under courage) continues working toward their goals despite obstacles.

Resilience – The ability to recover from setbacks. Example: A student who fails a test but studies harder next time.

Aerobic Exercise – Sustained physical activity that improves health and reduces stress. Example: Jogging three times a week improves mood and heart health.

Mindfulness Meditation – A practice of focusing on the present moment to reduce stress. Example: A person uses deep breathing exercises to calm anxiety.

Gratitude – Appreciating what one has, leading to increased happiness. Example: Writing down three things you’re grateful for each day boosts well-being.

Psychological Disorder – A condition characterized by abnormal thoughts, feelings, or behaviors that cause significant distress or interfere with daily life.
Example: Depression affects mood, energy levels, and motivation, making it difficult to complete daily tasks.

Medical Model – The view that psychological disorders have biological causes and can be diagnosed and treated like physical illnesses.
Example: A psychiatrist prescribes medication for schizophrenia based on brain chemistry imbalances.

Diathesis-Stress Model – The theory that psychological disorders develop due to a genetic predisposition (diathesis) combined with environmental stressors.
Example: Someone with a family history of depression may only develop it after experiencing a traumatic event.

Epigenetics – The study of how environmental factors influence gene expression without changing DNA sequences.
Example: Childhood neglect may turn on genes linked to anxiety disorders later in life.

DSM-5-TR (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition, Text Revision) – The standard classification system for diagnosing mental disorders.
Example: A clinician uses DSM-5-TR criteria to determine whether a patient’s symptoms meet the definition of major depressive disorder.

Anxiety Disorders – A category of mental disorders characterized by excessive fear, worry, or nervousness.
Example: Someone with an anxiety disorder may avoid social situations due to overwhelming fear.

Social Anxiety Disorder – An intense fear of being judged or embarrassed in social situations.
Example: A person avoids speaking in meetings because they fear being ridiculed.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) – Chronic and excessive worry about everyday life events, often without a clear cause.
Example: Constantly worrying about finances, health, and work despite having no immediate problems.

Panic Disorder – A condition involving sudden and repeated episodes of intense fear (panic attacks) without an obvious trigger.
Example: A person experiences heart palpitations, sweating, and dizziness out of nowhere.

Agoraphobia – A fear of situations where escape might be difficult, leading to avoidance of crowded or open spaces.
Example: Someone with agoraphobia may refuse to leave their home due to fear of having a panic attack in public.

Specific Phobia – An intense, irrational fear of a specific object or situation.
Example: A person with arachnophobia (fear of spiders) refuses to enter a room if they think a spider is inside.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD): A disorder where people have unwanted, repetitive thoughts (obsessions) and behaviors (compulsions).
Example: Someone might wash their hands repeatedly to relieve anxiety about germs.

Hoarding Disorder: A condition where people excessively collect items and have difficulty discarding them, causing clutter and distress.
Example: A person might keep old newspapers because they feel they might need them someday.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): A disorder that occurs after someone experiences a traumatic event, leading to flashbacks, nightmares, or severe anxiety.
Example: A soldier might relive battlefield experiences and feel tense in crowded places.

Depressive Disorders: Mental health conditions marked by persistent sadness or a lack of interest in activities.
Example: Someone with Major Depressive Disorder might feel hopeless, have trouble sleeping, and struggle with daily tasks.

Bipolar Disorders: These involve extreme mood swings between depression and mania (elevated mood).
Example: A person with Bipolar I Disorder may experience periods of intense energy and grandiosity followed by deep depression.

Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders: Conditions that cause abnormal thinking, perception, and behavior.
Example: A person with Chronic Schizophrenia may experience delusions and hallucinations for years.

Dissociative Disorders: Disorders involving disruptions in memory, consciousness, or identity.
Example: Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) involves a person having two or more distinct identities or personalities.

Personality Disorders: Long-term patterns of behavior and thinking that differ significantly from what is expected in society.
Example: Antisocial Personality Disorder involves a disregard for the rights of others, often leading to criminal behavior.

Feeding and Eating Disorders: Disorders related to persistent eating behaviors that affect health.
Example: Anorexia Nervosa involves extreme restriction of food intake due to a fear of gaining weight.

Neurodevelopmental Disorders: Disorders that affect the development of the nervous system.
Example: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) involves difficulty with social interactions and communication.

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): A disorder characterized by persistent inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity.
Example: A child with ADHD may struggle to sit still and focus on tasks.

Dorothea Dix: An activist who worked to improve conditions for people with mental illnesses, leading to the establishment of mental health hospitals in the U.S.

Deinstitutionalization: The process of moving individuals with mental illness out of large institutions and into community-based care.
Example: This led to the closure of many mental hospitals, though some individuals lacked sufficient community support.

Psychotherapy: A treatment method involving talking to a trained therapist to help manage mental health issues.

Biomedical Therapy: Using medical interventions like drugs to treat psychological disorders.
Example: Antidepressant drugs are often prescribed to people with depression.

Sigmund Freud: The father of psychoanalysis, a method for exploring the unconscious mind through techniques like dream analysis.
Example: Freud believed that childhood experiences influence adult behavior.

Psychoanalysis: A therapy based on Freud’s ideas that involves uncovering repressed memories and feelings.
Example: A therapist may use interpretation to help a patient understand unconscious thoughts.

Psychodynamic Therapy: A therapy influenced by Freud that focuses on exploring unconscious drives and early life experiences.

Insight Therapies: Therapies aimed at helping clients gain awareness and understanding of their feelings and behaviors.

Person-Centered Therapy: A therapy developed by Carl Rogers, focusing on creating a non-judgmental environment where the client feels accepted.
Example: The therapist shows unconditional positive regard and active listening to support the client.

Behavior Therapy: A therapy focused on changing harmful behaviors through conditioning.
Example: Aversive conditioning might use unpleasant stimuli to reduce unwanted behaviors like smoking.

Cognitive Therapy: A therapy that focuses on changing negative thought patterns to improve emotional well-being.
Example: Rational-Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) helps clients challenge irrational beliefs.

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT): A combination of cognitive and behavioral techniques to address dysfunctional thoughts and behaviors.
Example: A therapist helps a client replace negative thoughts with healthier, more realistic ones.

Group Therapy: A type of therapy where people with similar issues meet together under the guidance of a therapist.

Family Therapy: A form of therapy that involves family members in the treatment process, focusing on improving relationships.

Confirmation Bias: The tendency to search for, interpret, and remember information that confirms one’s preexisting beliefs.

Meta-Analysis: A research method that combines results from multiple studies to identify trends and draw more general conclusions.

Evidence-Based Practice: A therapeutic approach based on the best available scientific evidence.
Example: A therapist may use treatments proven effective for anxiety disorders, like CBT.

Therapeutic Alliance: The collaborative relationship between a therapist and a client, crucial for effective therapy.

Psychopharmacology: The study of how medications affect the mind and behavior.
Example: Antipsychotic drugs are used to treat schizophrenia and other severe mental illnesses.

Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT): A medical treatment involving electrical stimulation of the brain, often used for severe depression.

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS): A non-invasive therapy that uses magnetic fields to stimulate areas of the brain involved in mood regulation.

Psychosurgery: A surgical procedure that alters the brain to treat psychological disorders, often seen in extreme cases.
Example: Lobotomy was once used to treat severe mental disorders, though it is now largely discredited.

Hypnosis: A technique used to induce a trance-like state to help with various mental health conditions.
Example: Posthypnotic suggestion involves giving a suggestion while the person is in a hypnotic state, helping them make changes after the session.

Posttraumatic Growth: The positive change people experience after struggling with a major life challenge or trauma.
Example: After surviving a traumatic event, someone may develop a greater appreciation for life or a stronger sense of purpose.