Chapter 11: Stress, Health, and Human Flourishing
What is the feel-good, do-good phenomenon?
people's tendency to be helpful when already in a good mood
The number of short-term illnesses and stress-related psychological disorders was higher than usual in the months following an earthquake. Such findings suggest that
experiencing a very stressful event increases a person's vulnerability to illness.
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 (internal/external) locus of control.
internal
One reason why Type A personalities may be more prone to heart disease is that they are more often combat ready, which leads to increased activity by the sympathetic nervous system and interferes with the:
liver's ability to remove cholesterol and fat from the blood
what is personal control?
our sense of controlling our environment rather than feeling helpless
what is a stress reaction?
physical and emotional responses to the stressor
psychology is a scientific field of study focused on how humans thrive and flourish.
positive
what is aerobic exercise?
sustained, oxygen-consuming exertion that increases heart and lung fitness.
The stress response system: When alerted to a negative, uncontrollable event, our ____________ nervous system arouses us. Heart rate and respiration (increase/decrease). Blood is diverted from digestion to the skeletal __________ . The body releases sugar and fat. All this prepares the body for the _____________- ____________- ___________response.
sympathetic; increases; muscles; fight-or-flight
What is biofeedback?
use of feedback about biological conditions to bring involuntary responses such as blood pressure and relaxation under voluntary control
Which one of the following is an effective strategy for reducing angry feelings?
wait or simmer down
Maggie just started her fourth year of medical school and is an avid cyclist. During her summer off of medical school she had a bike accident that produced a large contusion on her knee. If Maggie had the same accident during finals week, what would one expect to happen?
She would heal more slowly than in the summer.
happiness seems not much related to...
age; gender (women are more often depressed, but also more often joyful); physical attractiveness
_____ is alleviating stress using emotional, cognitive, or behavioral methods.
coping
One effective strategy for reducing angry feelings is to:
count to 10
What are some of the tactics we can use to successfully manage the stress we cannot avoid?
Aerobic exercise, relaxation procedures, mindfulness meditation, and religious engagement.
What are the causes and consequences of anger?
Facing a threat or a challenge may trigger anger, and our culture can influence how we express that anger. Chronic hostility is a key negative emotion linked to heart disease. Emotional catharsis may be temporarily calming, but it does not reduce anger; expressing anger can make us angrier. Experts suggest reducing the level of physiological arousal of anger by waiting, finding a healthy distraction or support, and trying to move away from the situation mentally. Controlled assertions of feelings may resolve conflicts, and forgiveness may rid us of angry feelings.
Which component of the Type A personality has been linked most closely to coronary heart disease?
Feeling angry and negative much of the time
A month ago, Mark lost his job due to circumstances beyond his control, making him very concerned about his financial situation. Since then, he has learned that not only will his wife not be able to return to the United States because of immigration complications, but also that his rent-controlled apartment is being sold and he will have to find another place to live. Given what happens when people feel unable to control their environment, which of the following do you think is happening to Mark?
His immune response is dropping
Jennifer was driving her car to school when it broke down. Which statement is true?
Jennifer's feelings of frustration are a stress reaction
Jenny's mother sets Jenny's clothes out the night before school. Her father allows Jenny to choose the clothes that she wants to wear. Jenny's grandmother noticed that Jenny was more cooperative with her father than with her mother when getting ready for school. Which of these is the MOST likely explanation?
Jenny experiences more personal control when her father gets her ready for school.
Which of the following is NOT one of the three main types of stressors?
Pessimism
How does stress make us more vulnerable to disease?
Psychoneuroimmunology is the study of how psychological, neural, and endocrine processes together affect the immune system and resulting health. Stress diverts energy from the immune system, inhibiting the activities of its B and T lymphocytes, macrophages, and NK cells. Stress does not cause illness, but by altering our immune functioning it may make us more vulnerable to diseases and influence their progression.
In what ways might relaxation and meditation influence stress and health?
Relaxation and meditation have been shown to lower stress, improve immune functioning, and lessen anxiety and depression. Mindfulness meditation is a reflective practice of attending to current experiences in a nonjudgmental and accepting manner. Massage therapy also relaxes muscles and reduces depression.
Why is self-control important, and can our self-control be depleted?
Self-control requires attention and energy, but predicts good health, higher income, and better school performance; it does better than an intelligence test score in predicting future academic and life success. Self-control varies over time. Researchers disagree about the factors influencing self-control, but strengthening it can lead to a healthier, happier, and more successful life.
So, does stress cause illness?
Stress may not directly cause illness, but it does make us more vulnerable, by influencing our behaviors and our physiology.
what is coping?
alleviating stress using emotional, cognitive, or behavioral methods
what is a stressor?
an event or situation that causes stress
What is emotion-focused coping?
attempting to alleviate stress by avoiding or ignoring a stressor and attending to emotional needs related to our stress reaction.
What is problem-focused coping?
attempting to alleviate stress directly, by changing the stressor or the way we interact with that stressor
Brendan must give an oral presentation in 10 minutes at the start of his class. In response to this threat:
blood flow increases to Brendan's muscles
Sydney is on her way to a meeting with her boss. In response to this anxiety-provoking situation, her:
blood flows to her muscles
Researchers have found that happy people tend to:
-have high self-esteem (in individualistic countries) -be optimistic, outgoing, and agreeable -have close friendships or a satisfying marriage -have work and leisure that engage their skills -have an active religious faith -sleep well and exercise
Anders has just received devastating news about the coffee shop he owns. Things seem very bleak because a nationally known competitor is moving in on the same block. Anders has many debts to pay off and his wife is expecting their fourth child. When he hears the bad news, his heart rate zooms and he feels faint, as if he is in shock. According to Selye's general adaptation syndrome, Anders is in Phase:
1, experiencing an alarm reaction.
Roger has a good amount on his plate. He works full time, he also has a part-time job, and has a new consulting company in response to his son's special needs. He seems to be coping with everything quite well, for the moment anyway. In Selye's general adaptation syndrome, Roger is in Phase:
2, in a state of resistance
How effective is aerobic exercise as a way to manage stress and improve well-being?
Aerobic exercise is sustained, oxygen-consuming activity that increases heart and lung fitness. It increases arousal, leads to muscle relaxation and sounder sleep, triggers the production of neurotransmitters, and enhances self-image. It can relieve depression and, in later life, is associated with better cognitive functioning and longer life.
What is the feel-good, do-good phenomenon, and what is the focus of positive psychology research?
Happy people tend to be healthy, energized, and satisfied with life, making them more willing to help others (the feel-good, do-good phenomenon). Positive psychologists use scientific methods to study human flourishing, aiming to discover and promote strengths and virtues that help individuals and communities to thrive.
Derek's psychologist has asked him to write about a personal trauma he experienced as a child. How might this writing exercise influence his health?
He will have fewer health problems in the coming months.
what are three possible explanations for the religiosity-longevity correlation?
Healthy behaviors - religion promotes self-control; social support; positive emotions
How does our appraisal of an event affect our stress reaction, and what are the three main types of stressors?
Stress is the process by which we appraise and respond to stressors that challenge or threaten us. If we appraise an event as challenging, we will be aroused and focused in preparation for success; if we appraise it as a threat, we will experience a stress reaction, and our health may suffer. The three main types of stressors are catastrophes, significant life changes, and daily hassles and social stress.
What general effect does stress have on our health?
Stress tends to reduce our immune system's ability to function properly, so that higher stress generally leads to greater risk of physical illness.
How do time, wealth, adaptation, and comparison affect our happiness levels?
The moods triggered by good or bad events seldom last beyond that day. Even significant good events, such as sudden wealth, seldom increase happiness for long. Happiness is relative to our own experiences (the adaptation-level phenomenon) and to others' success (the relative deprivation principle).
A Chinese proverb warns, "The fire you kindle for your enemy often burns you more than him." How is this true of Type A individuals?
Type A individuals frequently experience negative emotions (anger, impatience), during which the sympathetic nervous system diverts blood away from the liver. This leaves fat and cholesterol circulating in the bloodstream for deposit near the heart and other organs, increasing the risk of heart disease and other health problems. Thus, Type A individuals actually harm themselves by directing anger at others.
How do we respond and adapt to stress?
Walter Cannon viewed the stress response as a fight-or-flight system. Hans Selye proposed a general three-phase (alarm, resistance, exhaustion) general adaptation syndrome (GAS). Facing stress, women may have a tend-and-befriend response; men may withdraw socially, turn to alcohol, or become emotionally insensitive.
In what two ways do people try to alleviate stress?
We use problem-focused coping to change the stressor or the way we interact with it. We use emotion-focused coping to avoid or ignore stressors and attend to emotional needs related to stress reactions.
What is mindfulness meditation?
a reflective practice in which people attend to current experiences in a nonjudgemental and accepting manner
What is health psychology?
a subfield of psychology that provides psychology's contribution to behavioral medicine
Hillary rates her satisfaction with her life satisfaction with her life as an 8 out of 10.
subjective well-being
With each new accomplishment, each career advance, and each raise, Joe somehow feels that it is still not enough. Joe's example BEST illustrates:
adaptation level phenomenon
Which of the following factors does NOT predict self-reported happiness?
age
what are the benefits of social support?
calms us and reduces blood pressure and stress hormones; foster stronger immune functioning; close relationships give us an opportunity for "open heart therapy" - a chance to confide painful feeling
Reeghan was diagnosed with high cholesterol, which led to a heart attack at the age of 52. According to research, which factor increases her likelihood of having further heart problems?
depression
In the 1990s, Alanis Morissette sang that "a traffic jam when you're already late" is ironic. While it actually may not be ironic, this situation is indeed a(n):
daily hassle
When faced with a situation over which you feel you have little control, you are more likely to turn to (emotion/problem)-focused coping.
emotion
Lorna examines how social support may buffer the negative effects of stigma on the well-being of HIV-positive gay men of color. Lorna is MOST likely a(n) _____ psychologist.
health
what are the benefits of mindfulness?
strengthens connections among regions in our brain; activates brain regions associated with more reflective awareness; calms brain activation in emotional situations;
which choice correctly pairs a stress-related concept with a description?
stress - process
Although Juanita's legs became paralyzed following a car accident, she is now able to minimize the stress she initially felt about her inability to walk by viewing it as a challenge rather than a threat. This illustrates the importance of:
stress appraisal
A challenging or threatening situation is called _______
stressor
what are some suggestions for a happier life?
take control of your time; act happy; seek work and leisure that engage your skills; buy shared experiences rather than things; join the "movement" movement; give your body the sleep it wants; give priority to close relationships; focus and find meaning beyond self; challenge your negative thinking; count your blessing and record your gratitude; nurture your spiritual self;
Mandisa is under an extreme amount of stress. She is battling with her ex-husband about money and their children. In this time of stress, Mandisa turns to her friends for support and spends as much time with her children as possible. Taylor and colleagues would say that she is responding to stress according to which model?
tend and befriend
When faced with stress, women are more likely than men to show a ________-and-_______ response.
tend; befriend
what is self-control?
the ability to control impulses and delay short-term gratification for longer-term rewards.
The field of ______________ studies mind-body interactions, including the effects of psychological, neural, and endocrine functioning on the immune system and overall health.
psychoneuroimmunology
the field that studies one's mind-body interactions is called:
psychoneuroimmunology
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.
relative deprivation
what is faith factor?
religiously active people tend to live longer than those who are not religiously active
Research on the faith factor has found that
religiously active people tend to outlive those who are not religiously active.
The ability to bounce back from adversity is called:
resilience
Selye's general adaptation syndrome (GAS) consists of an alarm reaction followed by ____________ , then _____________ .
resistance; exhaustion
what is subjective well-being?
self-perceived happiness or satisfaction with life
This association with the risk of death is equivalent to smoking.
social isolation
People who have close relationships are less likely to die prematurely than those who do not, supporting the idea that
social support has a beneficial effect on health
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 create cancer cells, but it weakens the body's natural defenses against them
After the terrorist attacks of 9/11, many people from around the country went to New York City to lend aid. This response to stress is an example of:
tend-and-befriend response
Maya owes the credit card company $20,000, her adjustable-rate mortgage has just gone up, and she has been out of work for 3 months. Her husband of 15 years came home today to tell her he was having an affair and wants a divorce. With that news, she collapsed and had to be taken to the emergency room. In Selye's general adaptation syndrome, Maya is in Phase:
3, in a state of exhaustion.
How does a perceived lack of control affect health?
A perceived lack of personal control provokes an outpouring of hormones that put people's health at risk. Being unable to avoid repeated aversive events can lead to learned helplessness. People who perceive an internal locus of control achieve more, enjoy better health, and are happier than those who perceive an external locus of control.
Why are some of us more prone than others to coronary heart disease?
Coronary heart disease has been linked with the reactive, anger-prone Type A personality. Compared with relaxed, easygoing Type B personalities, who are less likely to experience heart disease, Type A people secrete more stress hormones. Chronic stress also contributes to persistent inflammation, which is associated with heart and other health problems, including depression.
How does social support promote good health?
Social support promotes health by calming us, by reducing blood pressure and stress hormones, and by fostering stronger immune functioning. We can significantly reduce our stress and increase our health by building and maintaining relationships, and by confiding rather than suppressing painful feelings.
What predicts happiness, and how can we be happier?
Some individuals, because of their genetic predispositions and personal histories, are happier than others. Cultures, which vary in the traits they value and the behaviors they expect and reward, also influence personal levels of happiness. Tips for increasing happiness levels: take charge of your schedule, act happy, seek meaningful work and leisure, buy shared experiences rather than things, exercise, sleep enough, foster friendships, focus beyond the self, challenge negative thinking, and nurture gratitude and spirituality.
How does an optimistic outlook affect health and longevity?
Studies of people with an optimistic outlook show that their immune system is stronger, their blood pressure does not increase as sharply in response to stress, their recovery from heart bypass surgery is faster, and their life expectancy is longer, compared with their pessimistic counterparts.
Jane and Sue leave a building and see a dog running toward them. Jane assumes that the dog wants to play. Sue assumes the dog is going to attack. Which of these is MOST likely?
Sue's stress reaction will be more negative than Jane's.
What is the faith factor, and what are some possible explanations for the link between faith and health?
The faith factor is the finding that religiously active people tend to live longer than those who are not religiously active. Possible explanations may include intervening variables such as the healthy behaviors, social support, or positive emotions often found among people who regularly attend religious services.
Eric eats lunch at his desk, goes to the bathroom only when he can no longer hold it, has to have his cell phone with him at all times (checking it the moment he wakes up), and puts in 14 hours a day at the office. Eric is a:
Type A personality
People who are easygoing and relaxed and who don't let things get to them are classified as:
Type B personalities
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
adaptation-level phenomenon
Because it triggers the release of mood-boosting neurotransmitters such as norepinephrine, serotonin, and the endorphins, exercise raises energy levels and helps alleviate depression and anxiety.
aerobic
People tend to use emotion-focused, rather than problem-focused, coping strategies when they:
believe they cannot change a stressful situation
what is stress? (formal)
process by which we related to the threat (stressor)
Julia is awoken in the middle of the night to the sound of breaking glass. Her increased heart rate and respiration can BEST be explained as:
fight-or-flight
Davis is a consultant hired to give advice to operators of assisted living facilities. The advice he was hired to give is meant to improve the health of residents. What type of advice would Davis provide in order to positively influence the health of residents?
give residents more control over social activities and cafeteria food offerings
After breaking up with his longtime girlfriend, James came down with a severe respiratory infection. He might have experienced a milder form of the infection, if not for his breakup prompting a(n) decrease in his body's release of ________.
lymphocytes
Stress can suppress the immune system by prompting a decrease in the release of ____________, the immune cells that ordinarily attack bacteria, viruses, cancer cells, and other foreign substances.
lymphocytes
One of the most consistent findings of psychological research is that happy people are also
more likely to help others
Seligman's research showed that a dog will respond with learned helplessness if it has received repeated shocks and has had
no control over the shocks
A researcher defines subjective well-being as the ratio of positive to negative emotion words that participants check on a list. This precise _____ definition should allow subsequent researchers to replicate her work.
operational
What is the adaptation-level phenomenon?
our tendency to judge various stimuli in comparison with our past experiences.
what are three pillars of positive psychology?
positive well-being; positive groups, communities, and cultures; positive traits
To cope with stress when we feel in control of our world, we tend to use (emotion/problem) -focused strategies. To cope with stress when we believe we cannot change a situation, we tend to use (emotion/problem) -focused strategies.
problem; emotion
What is learned helplessness?
the hopelessness and passive resignation an animal or person learns when unable to avoid repeated aversive events.
what is external locus of control?
the perception that chance or outside forces control their fate
what is relative deprivation?
the perception that one is worse off relative to those with whom one compares oneself.
what is internal locus of control?
the perception that we control our own fate
what is stress?
the process of appraising and responding to events which we consider threatening or challenging
what is positive psychology?
the scientific study of human functioning, with the goals of discovering and promoting strengths and virtues that help individuals and communities to thrive
Since 1950, Americans' happiness has remained constant, even though their buying power has
tripled
