Chapter 14 Psychology: Health Psychology
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19 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 health psychology | subfield of psychology that is concerned with how psychological and social variables affect health and illness |
| resilience | a person's ability to bounce back or rebound psychologically after being confronted by stress |
| positive psychology | a movement within the field of psychology that stresses healthy psychological functioning, positive emotions, and resilient coping |
| stress | nonspecific response of the body to any demand made of it |
| stressor | anything that causes an organism to adjust and display the nonspecific stress response |
| general adaptation syndrome (GAS) | typical series of responses to stressful situations that includes the alarm, resistance and exhaustion stages |
| acculturative stress | the stress of adapting to a new culture |
| posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) | set of symptoms that may follow deeply disturbing events; symptoms include reliving the event, difficulty concentrating, sleep disturbances, anxiety, and guilt |
| primary appraisal | the first step in coping with stress; consists of determining whether the event is a threat or not |
| secondary appraisal | the second step in coping with stress; consists of deciding how to deal with the stress-producing situation |
| immune system | system that protects the body against foreign substances such as viruses and bacteria |
| antigens | foreign substances such as bacteria that trigger an immune response |
| human immunodeficiency virus (HIV | a virus that is usually contracted through the transfer of semen, blood, or vaginal secretions and is the cause of AIDS |
| acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) | viral disease transmitted via bodily fluids such as blood and semen, usually during sexual relations or by sharing needles used by a person infected with HIV; the virus attacks the body's immune system, resulting in vulnerability to infections and diseases, which eventually cause death |
| coping | cognitive and behavioral efforts that are used to reduce the effects of stress |
| social support | availability of comfort, recognition, approval, advice, money, or encouragement from others |
| progressive relaxation | series of exercises consisting of alternately tightening and relaxing major muscle groups |
| relaxation response | relaxation technique that involves the use of a mental device |
| biofeedback | providing information about some ongoing biological process such as muscle tension in the hope that the person will learn to adjust the process |
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