Shared Flashcard Set

Details

Chapter 12 - Stress, Coping, and Health
final exam prep
61
Psychology
Undergraduate 1
04/14/2014

Additional Psychology Flashcards

 


 

Cards

Term
stress
Definition
The tension, discomfort, or physical symptoms that arise when a situation strains our ability to cope is called ______.
Term
stressors as stimuli approach
Definition
Survivors of Hurricane Katrina might be of particular interest to researches who study stress from which viewpoint?
Term
transaction
Definition
People's varied reactions to the same event suggest that we can view stress as a _________ between people and their environments.
Term
primarly appraisal
Definition
When we encounter a potentially threatening event, we initially engage in ____________________ to decide whether the event is harmful.
Term
secondary appraisal
Definition
We make a ______________ to determine how well we can cope with a harmful event.
Term
Problem-focused coping
Definition
________________ is a coping strategy people use to tackle life's challenges head-on.
Term
emotion-focused coping
Definition
When we try to put a positive spin on our feelings or predicaments and engage in behaviours to reduce painful emotions, we are engaging in _________________.
Term
Social Readjustment Rating
Definition
The ___________________ Scale is based on 43 life events ranked in terms of how stressful participants rated them.
Term
Daily hassles and minor annoyances can add up and strain our ability to cope.
Definition
How can daily hassles such as traffic, a difficult relationship with a boss, or getting the wrong order at a drive-through restaurant affect our health?
Term
better
Definition
The frequency and perceived severity of hassles are (better/worse) predictors of physical health than are major life events.
Term
Describe Selye's General Adaptation Syndrome.
Definition
G.A.S. consists of three stages: (1) alarm: the autnomic nervous system is activated; (2) resistance: adaptation and coping occurs; and (3) exhaustion: when resources and coping abilities are depleted, which can damage organs and contribute to depression and PTSD.
Term
[image]
Definition
Term
The alarm reaction involves the excitation of the autonomic nervous system, the discharge of the stress hormone adrenalin, and physical symptoms of anxiety.
Definition
Identify the brain and body components activated in the alarm reaction proposed by Selye's GAS.
Term
flight-or-flight
Definition
The _____________ response is a set of physiological or psychological reactions that mobilize us to either confront or escape a threatening situation.
Term
resistance
Definition
During the ___________ stage of GAS, we a adapt to the stressor and try to find a way to cope with it.
Term
exhaustion
Definition
During the _________ stage of the GAS, resources and coping abilities are limited, and stress can damage organs and engender depression and PTSD.
Term
tend-and-befriend
Definition
The _______________ response is when a person relies on social supports and the nurturing abilities of others in times of stress. It tends to occur more in women than in men.
Term
oxytocin
Definition
The hormone _________ further counters stress and promotes the tend-and-befriend response.
Term
65 percent
Definition
In a survey of New York City area residents after September 11, 2001, researchers found that (25 percent/65 percent) of the sample were resilient to the obvious stress.
Term
high
Definition
People who cope well in the aftermath of a stressor tend to display relatively (high/low) levels of functioning before the event.
Term
Post-traumatic Stress
Definition
The severity, duration, and nearness to the stressor affect people's likelihood of developing ______________ Disorder.
Term
flashbacks
Definition
The telltale symptoms of PTSD include vivid memories, feelings, and images of traumatic experiences, known commonly as ___________.
Term
The immune system is the body's defensive barrier against disease. Phagocytes and lymphocytes neutralize antigens, such as viruses and bacteria, and produce proteins called antibodies that fight infection. Diseases of the immune system include AIDS and autoimmune diseases in which the immune system is overactive. Stress can decrease resistance to illness, delay healing, and impair the immune system.
Definition
Describe how the immune system is affected by stress.
Term
human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
Definition
AIDS is a life-threatening, incurable, yet treatable condition in which the ____________________ attacks and damages the immune system.
Term
arthritis
Definition
An example of an autoimmune disease in which the immune system is overactive is (arthritis/alcoholism).
Term
central nervous
Definition
Psychoneuroimmunology is the study of the relationship between the immune system and the __________________ system.
Term
can
Definition
Research has shown that stress (can/can't) decrease resistance to the cold virus.
Term
Psychologists use the term "psychophysiological" to describe illnesses like ulcers in which emotions and stress contribute to maintain or aggravate physical conditions. Ulcers, which appear to be caused by the H. pylori bacterium and exacerbated by stress, can be understood in terms of a biopsychosocial perspective, which considers both physical and psychological factors.
Definition
Identify how physical disorders such as ulcers are related to stress.
Term
are not
Definition
Ulcers (are/are not) caused by hot, spicy foods.
Term
psychological
Definition
A biopsychosocial perspective proposes that most medical conditions are neither all physical nor all ____________.
Term
coronary heart disease
Definition
Scientists have learned that psychological factors, including stress and personality traits, are key risk factors for ___________________.
Term
chronic hostility
Definition
For many years, the Type A personality was thought to promote risk of coronary heart disease (CHD), but more recent work points to ________________ as a more central risk factor.
Term
Type A personality type describes people who are competitive, driven, hostile, ambitious, and impatient. Research indicates that the anger component of Type A personality can be deadly, increasing our risk for CHD.
Definition
What are the characteristics of a Type A personality, and what health risks are associated with such a personality?
Term
cause
Definition
Although job stress is correlated with CHD, it may not __________ it in all circumstances.
Term
strong
Definition
Researchers have established a (weak/strong) correlation between poverty and poor health.
Term
Social support and the following types of stress control are important: (1) behavioural control (taking action to reduce stress), (2) cognitive control (reappraising stressful events that can't be avoided), (3) decisional control (choosing among alternatives), (4) informational control (acquiring information about a stressor), and (5) emotional control (suppressing and expressing emotions at will). Flexible coping (adjusting coping strategies to specific situations) is also helpful.
Definition
Describe the role of social support and different types of control in coping with stress.
Term
Social support
Definition
____________ ecompasses our reltionships with people and groups that provide emotional and financial assistance as we contend with important decisions or stressful situations.
Term
Social support can provide us with emotional comfort, financial assistance, and information to make decisions, solve problems, and contend with stressful situations.
Definition
What are the benefits of a strong social network when an individual is undergoing stressful or challenging life events?
Term
behavioural control
Definition
The ability to step up and take action to reduce the impact of a stressful situation is an example of _________________.
Term
Cognitive control
Definition
________________ is the ability to think differently about negative emotions that arise in respone to stress-provoking events.
Term
proactive coping
Definition
We engage in _______________ when we anticipate stressful situations and take steps to prevent or minimize difficulties before they arise.
Term
Crisis debriefing sessions, in which a facilitator structures a group discussion of people's reactions to a shared traumatic event, may actually increase PTSD risk.
Definition
What is crisis debriefing, and how effective is it for people who have experienced a traumatic event?
Term
Hardiness
Definition
_______ is a set of attitudes, marked by a sense of control over events, commitment to life and work, and motivation and courage to confront stressful events.
Term
better
Definition
Optimistic people are (better/worse) at handling frustration than pessimists.
Term
Spirituality
Definition
__________ is the search for the sacred, which may or may not extend to belief in God.
Term
counterproductive
Definition
Spending a good deal of time ruminating is a (productive/counterproductive) way of reacting to a stressful situation.
Term
health psychology
Definition
The field of psychology that integrates the behavioural sciences with the practie of medicine is called ______________.
Term
smoking
Definition
Health psychologists make the treatment and prevention of __________ a high priority, because it's the leading cause of preventable disease and deaths in the USA.
Term
drinking
Definition
Research has shown that heavy __________ is associated with significant increases in many different types of cancer, serious and sometimes fatal liver problems, and brain shrinkage and other neurological problems.
Term
play
Definition
Genes (play/do not play) a role in people's tendency to become overweight.
Term
personal inertia, misestimating risk, aand feelings of powerlessness
Definition
Identify three reasons why it's difficult to change our lifestyles.
Term
availability
Definition
Because of the ___________ heuristic, we tend to underestimate certain risks to our health and overestimate others.
Term
Alternative medicine approaches include biologically based therapies (vitamins, herbs, food supplements), manipulative and body-based methods (chiropractic medicine), mind-body medicine (biofeedback and meditation), energy medicine (acupuncture), and whole medical systems (homeopathy). Many alternative approaches are no more effective than placebos.
Definition
Describe different alternative and complementary medical approaches and compare their effectiveness with placebos.
Term
Alternative medicine
Definition
_________________ refers to health care practices and products that are used in place of conventional medicine.
Term
Herbs, vitamines, and dietary supplements (are/are not) regulated by Health Canada and the FDA for safety, purity, and effectiveness.
Definition
are not
Term
Positive effects include increases in creativity, empathy, alertness, and self-esteem, as well as decreases in anxiety, interpersonal problems, and recurrence of depression. It can also enhance blood flow in the brain and immune function. Its positive effects may derive from a greater acceptance of our troubling thoughts an feelings. The effects may not be due to mediation itself, but from sititing quietly, resting, and relaxing with eyes closed. Positive attitudes, beliefs, and expectancies about meditation may also account for why it's beneficial.
Definition
List some os the positive effects of meditation and possible explanations for each.
Term
Homeopathic medicine
Definition
_________________ is based on the premise that consuming an extremely diluted dose of an illness-inducing substance will activate the body's own natural defences against it.
Term
[image]
Definition
Term
corticosteroid
Definition
The _____________ is a stress hormone that activates the body and prepares us to respond to stressful circumstances.
Term
peptic ulcer
Definition
An inflamed area in the gastrointestinal tract that can cause pain, nausea, and loss of appetite is called a ______________.
Term
biofeedback
Definition
Feedback by a device that provides almost an immediate output of a biological function, such as heart rate or skin temperature is called ______________.
Supporting users have an ad free experience!