Health Psychology
This is the difference between Eustress and Distress
Distress is unhealthy, long-term, feelings of helplessness
Eustress is healthy and motivating
Challenging but not unpleasant. Controlled
How to psychologists MEASURE happiness?
What is one example operational definition of happiness?
They give assessments like the Authentic Happiness Scale at UPenn.
The score on this assessment could operationally define happiness.
These are the 3 D's needed to classify something as a disorder AND what they mean
Deviance: Abnormal
Dysfunction: Interferes with ability to live a normal daily life
Distress: Causes physical/mental discomfort, stress, anxiety
How might the behavioral perspective explain something like a phobia or OCD
Pos/neg reinforcement for anxiety reducing behaviors ex: if you feel uncomfortable in social situations you avoid them at all costs (neg reinforcement).
This perspective would focus on childhood conflicts resulting in symptoms of mental illness
Psychodynamic
Define ACEs and explain how they can impact health
Aversive Childhood Experiences
The more you have, the more likely you will experience negative health outcomes like high blood pressure, heart disease etc.
This could relate to the damage of stress over time.
What does Positive Psychology Study?
The scientific study of human strengths and virtues
What is needed for optimal flourishing of people
What are the 2 main diagnostic tools used to diagnose mental disorders AND how do they differ from one another?
DSM V and ICD
DSM is primarily based on Western culture, only mental illness. Very detailed list of symptoms and explanations.
ICD is international, broader and includes medical illnesses too.
How might the cognitive perspective explain a disorder like depression
What are 2 strategies to help people with ADHD to cope with their symptoms?
Break down instructions, allow for fidgeting......medication as needed but perhaps not first
Explain the 3 stages of Selye's GAS model
Alarm: Fight or flight response
Resistance: body activates resources like adrenaline to deal with increasing energy demands
Exhaustion: Body reaches its limit, immune system weakens and people get sick
This is the dif b/w objective and subjective emotion
Subjective emotions are INDIVIDUALLY felt based on how someone may perceive things. These are internal.
The same situation can elicit different feelings for different individuals.
Objective emotions are universally, outwardly expressed and recognized
Why is it harder to get proper mental health care if you aren't white? Give 2 different reasons
Lack of Cultural Competency by doctors (misdiagnosing based on different symptoms based on culture from white people. Also relates to dif symptoms than on DSM)
Stigma prevents people of some cultures from seeking help. View mental illness as"bad". Minorities may not want to seek help because it's not acceptable in their culture.
What are neuro-developmental disorders and why are they called this?
What are the 2 main neurodevelopmental disorders we study in this course?
They start to show up during childhood and are diagnoses based on not exhibiting the common milestones of development in the same way as most of the population.
ADHD and ASD are the 2 main ones of focus in AP Psych
Others like Down Syndrome are also in this category
Discuss the evolutionary perspective of disorders and give an example of evidence that suggests its potential role in one disorder
Genetic predisposition to things like Schizophrenia as evidenced by investigating rates of the disorder in identical twins etc.
Explain the "tend-and-befriend" strategy and explain who this tends to be more effective with
Seeking out social relationships to help cope with stress and comfort others who may also be going through difficult times.
Most often used by women. Perhaps due to a greater need for social connection and caring for children
What are 4 of the 12 keys to well-being
Altruism, Awe, Bridging Differences, Compassion, Diversity, Empathy, Forgiveness, gratitude, social connection, intellectual humility, mindfulness, purpose
Explain the diathesis stress model and give an example of how it might be used to explain potential causes of PTSD.
People might be genetically predisposed to get certain disorders but genes alone do not cause disorders.
For some disorders, there needs to be exposure to some kind of stressor along with a predisposition.
Studies like Garrison et al look at the diagnosis of one identical twin with PTSD because that twin may have a predisposition to the disorder but only experiences it after the trauma of war....
Why is Autism considered a spectrum disorder? What does that mean?
What are some common symptoms of ASD?
How does the autistic brain work differently than the neurotypical brain?
Impaired Social and Communication skills
Restrictive and Repetitive behavior
They have more neurological activity in regions related to sensations, perhaps less activity in areas related to emotion perception
What did Rosenhan's research teach us about the impact of diagnosis of mental illness and issues related to institutionalization in general
Bias related to prior diagnosis in seeing symptoms when they might not actually be related to mental illness.....etc
Explain the difference between problem focused coping and emotion focused coping and give an example of each.
Problem focused: Deal with the source of the stress directly.
Emotion focused: Reduce emotional response to stress: Meditate, take a walk, medication.
What are signature strengths?
What are 3 of the main categories (there are 6)
How might knowing your signature strengths impact your wellbeing?
Unique personality traits that are positive
Categories: Wisdom, Courage, Humanity and Love, Justice, Temperance, Transcendance
Answers will vary
Use the biopsychosocial model to explain why someone may develop substance abuse disorder (addiction)
What are the aspects of the model in real terms
Bio: Genetic predisposition or existing brain/hormonal abnormalities ie. dopamine pathway abnormalities
Social: Environmental factors (Low socioeconomic status, poor neighborhood, exposure to trauma/abuse etc esp in early life.....)
Psycho: Way that people think (cognition). Pessimistic explanations for life events, depressive thought patterns, feeling hopeless etc.
What are some examples of behaviors that people with ADHD may exhibit that are not typical of others of their age and maturity level?
Why might ADHD be beneficial to someone?
Inability to focus
Hyperactivity
Trouble following directions etc
Can lead people to be creative etc.
Discuss the positive and negative consequences of diagnosing a disorder, including the nature of the disorder, the individual, and cultural/societal norms, stigma, racism, sexism, ageism, and discrimination.
Answers will vary