Psychology 101, Health Psychology

Terms from th e Health

18 cards   |   Total Attempts: 196
  

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Health Psychology
The branch of Psychology that invetigates the psychological factors related to wellness and illness, including the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of medical problems
Stress
A person's response to events that are threatening or challenging
Psychophysiological disorders
Medical problems influenced by an interaction of psychological, emotional and physical difficulties
General adaptation syndrome (GAS)
A theory developed by selye that suggests that a person's response to a stressor consists of three stages; alarm and mobilization, resistance, and exhaustion
Psychoneuroimmunology (PNI)
The study of the relationship among psychological factors, the immune system and the brain
Cataclysmic Events
Strong Stressors that occur suddenly, affecting many people at once
Personal Stressors
Major life events, such as death of a family member, that have immediate negative consequences that generally fade with time
Posttramatic Stress Disorder
A phenomenon in which victims of major catasrophes or strong personal stressors feel long-lasting effects that may include reexperiencing the event in vivid flahbacks or dreams
Background Stressors
Everyday annoyances, such as being stuck in traffics, that causes minor irritations and may have long term ill effects if they continue or are compounded by other stressful events
Uplifts
Minor positive events that make one feel good
Learned Helplessness
A state in which people conclude that unpleasant or aversive stimuli cannot be controlled- a view of the world that becomes so ingrained that they cease trying to remedy the aversive circumstances, even if they actually can exert some influence
Coping
Efforts to control, reduce, or learn to tolerate the threats that lead to stress
Hardiness
A personality characteristic associated with a lower rate if stress-related illness, consisting of three components: commitment, challenge, and control
Social Support
A mutual network of caring, interested others
Type A behavior pattern
A pattern of behavior characterized by competitiveness, impatience, a tendency toward frustration, and hostility