Chapter 10: Stress, Health, and Human Flourishing

psychoneuroimmunology

study of how psychological, neural, and endocrine processes combine to affect our immune system and health

relative deprivation

the perception that we are worse off relative to those with whom we compare ourselves

resilience

the personal strength that helps most people cope with stress and recover from adverstiy and even trauma

lymphocytes

the two types of white blood cells that are part of the body's immune system; one releases antibodies that fight bacterial infections (B __________); the other attacks cancer cells, viruses, and foreign substances (T _________).

tend-and-befriend response

under stress, people (especially women) often provide support to others and body with and seek support from others

internal

When elderly patients take an active part in managing their own care and surroundings, their morale and health tend to improve. Such findings indicate that people do better when they experience an _________ locus of control.

emotion

When faced with a situation over which you feel you have no control, it is most effective to use _________-focused coping.

tend; befriend

When faced with stress, women are more likely than men to expeirence the ________-and-_________ response

optimism

anticipation of positive outcomes; people who expect the best and expect their efforts to lead to good things

emotion-focused coping

attempting to reduce stress by avoiding or ignoring a stressor and attending to emotional needs related to our stress reaction

problem-focused coping

attempting to reduce stress directly by changing the stressor or the way we interact with that stressor

mindfulness meditation

attending to current experiences in a nonjudgmental and accepting manner

stressor

challenge or event

coronary heart disease

clogging of the vessels that nourish the heart muscle; leading cause of death in the United States and many other countries

flight-or-fight response

emergency response, including activity of the sympathetic nervous system, that mobilizes energy and activity for attacking or escaping a threat

personal control

our sense of controlling our environment rather than feeling helpless

feel-good, do-good phenomenon

our tendency to be helpful when already in a good mood; or tendency to be in a good mood when we've been helpful

adaptation-level phenomenon

our tendency to form judgments relative to a neutral level defined by our own experiences

external locus of control

perception that chance or outside forces beyond our personal control determine our fate

stress

process by which we perceive and respond to certain events that we appraise as threatening or challenging

coping

reducing stress using emotional, cognitive, or behavioral methods

subjective well-being

self-perceived happiness or satisfaction with life; used along with measures of objective well-being (physical and economic indicators) to judge our quality of life

How does stress influence our immune system?

Stress influences our immune system by suppressing it. A suppressed immune system caused by stress hormones can cause wounds to heal more slowly, colds to develop more easily, decreased effectiveness of vaccinations, increased progression of AIDS in individuals with HIV, and can weaken the body's natural defenses against cancer cells, passively facilitating the growth of these cells.

pessimism

anticipation of negative outcomes; people who expect the worst and doubt that their goals will be achieved

internal locus of control

perception that we control our own fate

aerobic exercise

sustained activity that increases heart and lung fitness; may also reduce depression and anxiety

learned helplessness

the hopelessness and passive resignation an animal or person learns when unable to avoid repeated aversive events

stressors

Catastrophes, significant life changes, and daily hassles are the three main types of ________.

relative deprivation

A philosopher observed that we cannot escape envy, because there will always be someone more successful, more accomplished, or richer with whom to compare ourselves. In psychology, this observation is embodied in the __________ ________ principle.

How well does aerobic exercise help manage stress and improve well-being?

Aerobic exercise helps manage stress and improve well-being very well. Aerobic exercise increases arousal and increases the brain's serotonin activity, reducing depression, heart disease, obesity, and anxiety. It's pretty much a cure-all to add both quantity and quality to your life and well-being.

adaptation-level phenomenon

After moving to a new apartment, you find the street noise irritatingly loud, but after a while, it no longer bothers you. This reaction illustrates the __________-__________ __________.

aerobic

Because it triggers the release of mood-boosting neurotransmitters such as serotonin ___________ exercise raises energy levels and helps alleviate depression and anxiety.

What are the causes and consequences of happiness?

Causes and consequences of happiness include: higher self-esteem and optimism, more close friends, a more satisfying marriage, work or leisure more likely to engage their skills, meaningful religious faith, and enough sleep and exercise. Happiness is not caused by age, gender, attractiveness, education, or wealth beyond what is needed to support hunger, comfort, and security.

type A

Friedman and Rosenman's term for competitive, hard-driving, impatient, verbally aggressive, and anger-prone people

type B

Friedman and Rosenman's term for easygoing, relaxed people

help

One of the most consistent findings of psychological research is that happy people are also more likely to _______ others.

How do optimists and pessimists differ?

Optimists and pessimists differ in their outlook. Optimists generally expect the best, they expect their efforts to lead to good things. Pessimists often expect the worst and believe that they knew it all along, they didn't have the necessary skills, or the situation prevented them from doing well.

How does our appraisal of an event affect our stress reaction?

Our appraisal of an event affects our stress reaction depending on whether we label an event as challenging or threatening. Appraising an event as challenging will have less of a health impact than labeling an event as threatening.

Why does our outlook on life matter?

Our outlook on life matters as demonstrated by several studies that have shown people with optimistic outlooks tend to live longer than those with more pessimistic outlooks.

How does our sense of control influence stress and health?

Our sense of control influence stress and health in many ways. People who have an internal locus of control believe that they control their own destiny and they often are more successful in their careers and academics and experience less stress. People who have an external locus of control believe that chance or outside forces control their fate and often experience more depression and other psychological disorders. Exerting and practicing self-control can help to relieve future feelings of stress.

social support

People who have close relationships are less likely to die prematurely than those who do not, supporting the idea that ________ _________ has a beneficial effect on health.

In what ways might relaxation and meditation influence stress and health?

Relaxation and meditation might influence stress and health in the several ways. A change to a more relaxing lifestyle resulted in fewer heart attacks in one study. Meditation helps individuals practice mindfulness, in which current experiences are attended to without judgment and with acceptance. Mindfulness meditation can strengthen areas of the brain associated with focusing attention, processing and reflecting. It activates areas of the prefrontal cortex, associated with more reflective awareness, instead of the amygdala. It also has a calming effect on brain activation in emotional situations.

Does religious involvement relate to health?

Religious involvement does relate to health. Correlation is not causation. There is a correlation between religious involvement and overall health, this could be due to the fact that religious involvement often promotes healthy behaviors, offers social support, and facilitates positive emotions and an overall stable worldview.

control

Research has shown that a dog will respond with learned helplessness if it has received repeated shocks and has had no ______ over the shocks.

create; weakens; defenses

Research has shown that people are at increased risk for cancer a year or so after experiencing depression, helplessness, or bereavement. In describing this link, researchers are quick to point out that stress does not _________ cancer cells, but it _________ the body's natural ________ against them.

outlive

Research on the faith factor has found that religiously active people tend to __________ those who are not religiously active.

general adaptation syndrome (GAS)

Selye's concept of the body's adaptive response to stress in three stages - alarm, resistance, exhaustion

resistance; exhuastion

Seyle's general adaptation syndrome (GAS) consists of an alarm reaction followed by ________, then __________.

How do social support and finding meaning in life influence health?

Social support and finding meaning in life influence our health dramatically. Those who have social support, who feel liked and encouraged by friends, family, coworkers, or even pets, tend to live longer, experience less stress, age better, and have stronger immune systems than those who lack social support. Finding meaning in life is significant to coping with stress. Studies found that those who were more able to talk freely about their trauma or grief were able to make sense of their stress and find meaning in it, and had less health problems.

lymphocytes

Stress hormones released in response to a signal from the brain suppress _________, the immune cells that ordinarily attack bacteria, viruses, cancer cells, and other foreign substances.

How does stress increase coronary heart disease risk?

Stress increases coronary heart disease risk when people respond to continuous stress with negative emotions such as anger. Because of this, these individuals' sympathetic nervous system is often active, redirecting blood from their internal organs to the skeletal muscles. This leaves the liver unable to remove fat and cholesterol from the blood, and it will continue circulating and will deposit around the heart. The risk of coronary heart disease is also increased by unhealthy behaviors, such as poor nutrition and sleep, smoking, and drinking, which are also common behaviors in those who tend to react negatively to stress.

How does the body respond to stress?

The body responds to stress by signaling an alarm reaction mobilizing the body for action. Heart and breathing rate increases, blood moves to the skeletal muscles, fat, sugar, and stress hormones are released, and the body prepares for the flight-or-fight response.

negative

The components of the Type A personality that have been linked most closely to coronary heart disease are anger and other ________ feelings.

stressful; vulnerability

The number of short-term illnesses and stress-related psychological disorders was higher that usual in the months following an earthquake. Such findings suggest that experiencing a very _________ event increases a person's _________ to illness.

What are the three main types of stressors?

The three main types of stressors are catastrophes, significant life changes, and daily hassles

What are two basic ways that people cope with stress?

Two basic ways that people cope with stress are problem-focused coping when we feel in control of the situation and emotional-focused coping when we do not feel in control of the situation.