Stress and Illness
Stressors fall into which 3 main categories
1) catastrophes
2) significant life changes
3) daily hassles and social stress
What is the feel-good, do-good phenomenon? Give an example.
People’s tendency to be helpful when in a good mood.
What is the medical model? How does it contrast with previous models?
The concept that diseases, in this case psychological disorders, have physical causes that can be diagnosed, treated, and, in most cases, cured.
In earlier times, people viewed strange behaviours as evidence of demonic powers and were given immoral treatment, such as drilling through the skull.
Fear or avoidance of situations, such as crowds or wide-open spaces, in which one has felt a loss of control.
Agoraphobia
Define biomedical therapy
prescribed medications or procedures that act directly on the person's physiology
Approach and avoidance motives include approach-approach conflicts and avoidance-avoidance conflicts. Give an example of each.
Approach-approach conflicts (in which two attractive but incompatible goals pull us) — to choose tacos or pizza, the green or the gray hoodie.
Avoidance-avoidance conflict (between two undesirable alternatives) - do you avoid studying a disliked subject, or avoid failure by doing your reading?
What are three ways in which social support improves health
1) it calms us and reduces blood pressure and stress hormones
2) it fosters stronger immune functioning (e.g. more resistant to colds)
3) close relationships give us an opportunity for "open heart therapy"
How would the biopsychosocial approach explain the development of psychological disorders?
1) biological influences (evolution, genes, and brain structure)
2) psychological influences (stress, trauma, learned helplessness)
3) social-cultural influences (roles, expectations)
all work together to cause psychological disorders
OCD is characterized by _____________, _______________, or both.
unwanted repetitive thoughts, actions, or both.
What is the eclectic approach
An approach to psychotherapy that uses techniques from various forms of therapy
What are the three phases of the general adaptation syndrome (GAS)
1) alarm
2) resistance
3) exhaustion
What is aerobic exercise? How does it improve health?
It is sustained, oxygen-consuming exertion (such as jogging, swimming, or biking) that increases heart and lung fitness.
It helps fight disease by strengthening the heart, increasing blood flow, and keeping blood vessels open.
(Anaerobic exercises are high-intensity, short-duration activities. Examples include sprinting, heavy weightlifting, HIIT, jumping rope, and circuit training, which build muscle, strength, and power)
Why do psychologists classify disorders? Give 3 reasons.
Classification aims to predict a disorder’s future course, suggest appropriate treatment, and prompt research into its causes.
Many studies have found enlarged, fluid-filled ventricles and a corresponding shrinkage and thinning of cerebral tissue in people with which disorder?
Schizophrenia
What are the basic themes of humanistic therapy?
growth. Humanistic therapists focus not on illness, but on helping people grow in self-awareness and self-acceptance. Thus, they call those in therapy “persons” or “clients” rather than “patients” (a change many other therapists have adopted).
the present. The path to growth is not uncovering hidden causes, but rather taking immediate responsibility for one’s feelings and actions. The present and future are more important than the past. Therapy thus focuses on exploring feelings as they occur, rather than on achieving insight into the childhood origins of those feelings.
the conscious mind. Conscious thoughts are more important than unconscious thoughts.
Describe the difference between type A and type B people and explain why one is more likely to get coronary heart disease.
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.
As Type A individuals’ often-active sympathetic nervous system redistributes blood flow to their muscles, it pulls blood away from their internal organs. The liver, which normally removes cholesterol and fat from the blood, can’t do its job. Thus, excess cholesterol and fat may continue to circulate in the blood and later get deposited around the heart.
What are 3 things that happy people tend to have/be
The textbook lists 6
- Have high self-esteem (in individualist countries).
- have an optimistic, outgoing, and agreeable personality and have a humorous outlook.
- Have close, positive, and lasting relationships.
- Have work and leisure that engage their skills.
- Have an active religious faith (especially in more religious cultures).
- Have good sleep and exercise.
What are 3 things that a person can do if someone talks of suicide
1) Listen and empathize
2) Connect the person with your school psychologist
3) Protect someone who appears at risk by seeking help from a trusted adult
What are the three main eating disorders?
1) Anorexia
2) bulimia nerovosa
3) binge-eating disorder
What is rational-emotive behavior therapy (REBT)?
And who was it developed by?
A confrontational cognitive therapy, developed by Albert Ellis, that vigorously challenges people’s illogical, self-defeating attitudes and assumptions.
Stress can leave you less able to fight off disease. What are the roles of B lymphocytes, T lymphocytes, macrophage cells, and natural killer cells in fighting diseases? You can pick 3 out of the 4 to explain.
B lymphocytes release antibodies that fight bacterial infections
T lymphocytes attack cancer cells, viruses, and foreign substances
Macrophage cells identify, pursue, and ingest harmful invaders and worn-out cells
Natural killer cells attack diseased cells (such as those infected by viruses)
What are 3 ways in which meditation and mindfulness improve mental health?
1) strengthens connections among brain regions (especially brain regions associated with focus and processing sensory input)
2) activates brain regions associated with more reflective awareness (e.g., more activation in the prefrontal cortex, which aids in emotional regulation)
3) calms brain activation in emotional situations
Name 3 risk factors and 3 protective factors for mental disorders.
Risk Factors
Academic failure
Birth complications
Caring for those who are chronically ill or who have a neurocognitive disorder
Child abuse and neglect
Chronic insomnia
Chronic pain
Family disorganization or conflict
Low birth weight
Low socioeconomic status
Medical illness
Neurochemical imbalance
Parental mental illness
Parental substance abuse
Personal loss and bereavement
Poor work skills and habits
Reading disabilities
Sensory disabilities
Social incompetence
Stressful life events
Substance abuse
Trauma experiences
Protective Factors:
Aerobic exercise
Community offering empowerment, opportunity, and security
Economic independence
Effective parenting
Feelings of mastery and control
Feelings of security
High self-esteem
Literacy
Positive attachment and early bonding
Positive parent-child relationships
Problem-solving skills
Resilient coping with stress and adversity
Social and work skills
Social support
The DSM-5 classifies major depressive disorder as the presence of at least 5 of the following symptoms over two weeks.
Name 5 of these symptoms. There are 9 of them.
1) depressed mood most of the time
2) dramatically reduced interest or enjoyment in most activities most of the time
3) significant challenges regulating appetite and weight
4) significant changes regulating sleep
5) physical agitation or lethargy
6) feeling listless or with much less energy
7) feeling worthless, or feeling unwarranted guilt
8) problems in thinking, concentrating, or making decisions
9) thinking repetitively of death and suicide.
What are 2 main criticisms that people have of behavior therapy? Especially token economy behaviour therapy
Critics maintain that (1) techniques such as those used in token economies may produce behavior changes that disappear when rewards end, and (2) deciding which behaviors should change is authoritarian and unethical.