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Understanding Psychology Book Cover Image
Understanding Psychology, 6/e
Robert S. Feldman, University of Massachusetts, Amherst

Health Psychology: Stress, Coping, and Health


background stressors ("daily hassles")  Everyday annoyances, such as being stuck in traffic, that cause minor irritations that can have long-term ill effects if they continue or are compounded by other stressful events
cataclysmic events  Strong stressors that occur suddenly, affecting many people at once (e.g., natural disasters)cataclysmic_events (138.0K)
coping  Efforts to control, reduce, or learn to tolerate the threats that lead to stress
defense mechanisms  Unconscious strategies people use to reduce anxiety by concealing the source of the anxiety from themselves and others
general adaptation syndrome (GAS)  A theory developed by Selye that suggests that a person's response to stress consists of three stages: alarm and mobilization, resistance, and exhaustion
hardiness  A personality characteristic associated with a lower rate of stress-related illness, consisting of three components: commitment, challenge, and control
health psychology  The branch of psychology that investigates the psychological factors related to wellness and illness, including the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of medical problems
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 their aversive circumstances, even if they actually could exert some influence on them
personal stressors  Major life events, such as the death of a family member, that have immediate negative consequences that usually fade with time
posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)  A phenomenon in which victims of major catastrophes reexperience the original stress event and associated feelings in vivid flashbacks or dreams
psychoneuroimmunology (PNI)  The study of the relationships among psychological factors, the immune system, and the brainpsychoneuroimmunology (191.0K)
psychophysiological disorders  Medical problems influenced by an interaction of psychological, emotional, and physical difficultiespsychophysiological (176.0K)
reactance  A negative emotional and cognitive reaction to a restriction of one's freedom that can be associated with medical regimens
social support  A mutual network of caring, interested others
stress  The response to events that are threatening or challenging
subjective well-being  People's evaluations of their lives in terms of both their thoughts and their emotions; how happy people are
Type A behavior pattern  A pattern of behavior characterized by competitiveness, impatience, tendency toward frustration, and hostility
Type B behavior pattern  A pattern of behavior characterized by cooperation, patience, noncompetitiveness, and nonaggression
uplifts  Minor positive events that make one feel good