Health Psychology Ch. 1, 2 & 5

Front 1

chronic diseases

Back 1

diseases that develop or persist over a long period of time

Front 2

biomedical model

Back 2

a perspective that considers disease to result from exposure to a specific disease-casing organism

Front 3

pathogen

Back 3

any disease-causing organism

Front 4

biopsychosocial model

Back 4

the approach to health that includes biological, psychological, & social influences

Front 5

psychosomatic medicine

Back 5

the field inquiry that searches for psychological or emotional causes for illness

Front 6

behavioral medicine

Back 6

an interdisciplinary field concerned with developing & integrating behavioral & biomedical sciences

Front 7

health psychology

Back 7

a field of psychology that contributes to both behavioral medicine and behavioral health; the scientific study of behaviors that relate to health enhancement, disease prevention, & rehabilitation

Front 8

placebo

Back 8

an inactive substance or condition that has the appearance of an active treatment and that may cause improvement or change due to people's belief in the placebo's efficacy

Front 9

nocebo effect

Back 9

adverse effect of a placebo

Front 10

double-blind

Back 10

an experimental design in which neither the subjects nor those who dispense the treatment condition have knowledge of who receives the treatment and who receives the placebo

Front 11

single-blind

Back 11

a design in which the participants do not know if they are receiving the active or inactive treatment, but the providers are not blind to treatment conditions

Front 12

correlational studies

Back 12

studies designed to yield information concerning the degree of relationship between two variables

Front 13

descriptive research

Back 13

a type of research that describes the relationship between variables rather than determining causation

Front 14

correlation coefficient

Back 14

any positive or negative relationship between two variables. Correlational evidence cannot prove causation, but only that two variables vary together

Front 15

risk factor

Back 15

any characteristic or condition that occurs with greater frequency in people with disease than it does in people free from that disease

Front 16

cross-sectional studies

Back 16

a type of research design in which subjects of different ages are studied at one point in time

Front 17

longitudinal studies

Back 17

a type of research design in which one group of subjects is studied over a period of time

Front 18

independent variable

Back 18

a variable that is manipulated by the experimenter in order to assess its possible effect on behavior-that is, on the dependent variable

Front 19

dependent variable

Back 19

a variable within an experimental setting whose value is hypothesized to change as a consequence of changes in the independent variable

Front 20

atherosclerosis

Back 20

the formation of plaque within the arteries

Front 21

ex post facto design

Back 21

a scientific study in which the values of the independent variable are not manipulated, but selected by the experimenter AFTER the groups have naturally divided themselves

Front 22

subject variable

Back 22

a variable chosen (rather than manipulated) by a researcher to provide levels of comparison for groups of subjects

Front 23

epidemiology

Back 23

a branch of medicine that investigates the various factors that contribute either to positive health or to the frequency & distribution of a disease or disorder

Front 24

prevalence

Back 24

the proportion of a population that has a disease or disorder at a specific point in time

Front 25

incidence

Back 25

a measure of the frequency of new cases of a disease or disorder during a specified period of time

Front 26

prospective studies

Back 26

longitudinal studies that begin with a disease-free group of subjects and follow the occurrence of disease in that population or sample

Front 27

cohort

Back 27

a group of participants starting an experience at the same time

Front 28

retrospective studies

Back 28

longitudinal studies that look back at the history of a population or sample

Front 29

case-control study

Back 29

a retrospective epidemiological study in which people affected by a given disease (cases) are compared to others not affected (controls)

Front 30

self-selection

Back 30

a condition of an experimental investigation in which subjects are allowed, in some manner, to determine their own placement in either the experimental or the control group

Front 31

clinical trial

Back 31

a research design that tests the effects of medical treatment. Many clinical trials are randomized, controlled trials that allow researchers to determine whether a new treatment is or is not effective

Front 32

absolute risk

Back 32

a person's chances of developing a disease or disorder independent of any risk that other people may have for that disease or disorder

Front 33

relative risk

Back 33

the risk a person has for a particular disease compared with the risk of other people who do not have that person's condition of lifestyle

Front 34

dose-response relationship

Back 34

a direct, consistent relationship between an independent variable, such as a behavior, & a dependent variable, such as an illness. E.g. the greater the # of cigarettes one smokes, the greater the likelihood of developing lung cancer

Front 35

theory

Back 35

a set of related assumptions from which testable hypothesis can be drawn

Front 36

model

Back 36

a set of related principles or hypotheses constructed to explain significant relationships among concept or observations

Front 37

reliability

Back 37

the extent to which a test or other measuring instrument yields consistent results

Front 38

validity

Back 38

accuracy; the extent to which a test or other measuring instrument measures what is is suppose to measure

Front 39

neurons

Back 39

nerve cells

Front 40

neurotransmitters

Back 40

chemicals that are released by neurons & that affects the activity of other neurons

Front 41

synaptic cleft

Back 41

the space between neurons

Front 42

central nervous system (CNS)

Back 42

all those neurons within the brain & spinal cord

Front 43

peripheral nervous system (PNS)

Back 43

the nerves that lie outside the brain & spinal cord

Front 44

somatic nervous system

Back 44

the part of the PNS that serves the skin & voluntary muscles

Front 45

autonomic nervous system (ANS)

Back 45

the part of the peripheral nervous system that primarily serves internal organs

Front 46

sympathetic nervous system

Back 46

a division of the autonomic nervous system that mobilizes the body's resources in emergency, stressful, & emotional situations

Front 47

parasympathetic nervous system

Back 47

nervous system that promotes relaxation & functions under normal, nonstressful conditions

Front 48

acetylcholine

Back 48

one of the major neurotransmitters of the autonomic nervous system

Front 49

norepinephrine

Back 49

one of the two major neurotransmitters of the autonomic nervous system

Front 50

endocrine system

Back 50

the system of the body consisting of ductless glands

Front 51

neuroendocrine system

Back 51

those endocrine glands that are controlled by & interact w/ the nervous system

Front 52

hormones

Back 52

chemical substances released into the blood & having effects on other parts of the body

Front 53

pituitary gland

Back 53

an endocrine gland that lies within the brain & whose secretions regulate many other glands

Front 54

adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)

Back 54

a hormone produced by the anterior portion of the pituitary gland that acts on the adrenal gland & is involved in the stress response

Front 55

adrenal glands

Back 55

endocrine glands, located on top of each kidney, that secrete hormones & affect metabolism

Front 56

adrenal cortex

Back 56

the outer layer of the adrenal glands; secretes glucocorticoids

Front 57

adrenal medulla

Back 57

the inner layer of the adrenal glands; secretes epinephrine & norepinephrine

Front 58

adrenocortical response

Back 58

the response of the adrenal cortex, prompted by ACTH, that results in the release of glucocorticoids including cortisol

Front 59

glucocorticoids

Back 59

hormones secreted by the adrenal cortex that increase the concentration of liver glycogen & blood sugar

Front 60

cortisol

Back 60

a type of glucocorticoid that provides a natural defense against inflammation & regulates carbohydrate metabolism

Front 61

adrenomedullary response

Back 61

the response of the adrenal cortex, prompted by ACTH, that results in the release of glucocorticoids including cortisol

Front 62

catecholamines

Back 62

a class of chemicals containing epinephrine & norepinephrine

Front 63

epinephrine

Back 63

a chemical manufactured by the adrenal medulla that accounts for much of the hormone production of the adrenal glands; sometimes called adrenaline

Front 64

general adaptation syndrome (GAS)

Back 64

the body's generalized attempt to defend itself against stress; consists of alarm reduction, resistance, & exhaustion

Front 65

alarm reaction

Back 65

the first stage of the general adaptation syndrome (GAS), in which the body's defenses are mobilized against a stressor

Front 66

resistance stage

Back 66

the second stage of the general adaptation syndrome (GAS), in which the body adapts to a stressor

Front 67

exhaustion stage

Back 67

the final stage of the general adaptation syndrome (GAS), in which the body's ability to resist a stressor has been depleted

Front 68

primary appraisal

Back 68

one's initial appraisal of a potentially stressful event (Lazarus & Folkman)

Front 69

secondary appraisal

Back 69

one's perceived ability to control or cope with harm, threat, or challenge (Lazarus & Folkman)

Front 70

reappraisal

Back 70

one's nearly constant reevaluation of stressful events (Lazarus & Folkman)

Front 71

life events

Back 71

major events in a person's life that require change or adaptation

Front 72

daily hassles

Back 72

everyday events that people experience as harmful, threatening, or annoying

Front 73

posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

Back 73

an anxiety disorder caused by experience with an extremely traumatic event and characterized by reoccurring and intrusive reexperiencing of the event

Front 74

urban press

Back 74

the many environmental stressors that affect city living, including noise, crowding, crime, & pollution

Front 75

population density

Back 75

a physical condition in which a large population occupies a limited space

Front 76

crowding

Back 76

a person's perception of discomfort in a high-density environment

Front 77

coping

Back 77

strategies that individuals use to manage the distressing problems & emotions in their lives

Front 78

social support

Back 78

both tangible & intangible support a person receives from other people

Front 79

social contacts

Back 79

number & kinds of people with whom one associates; members of one's social network

Front 80

social network

Back 80

number and kinds of people with whom one associates; social contacts

Front 81

social isolation

Back 81

the absence of specific role relationships

Front 82

personal control

Back 82

confidence that people have in their ability to control the events that shape their lives

Front 83

hardy personality model

Back 83

the theory that suggests some people are buffered against the potentially harmful effects of stress by their hardy personality

Front 84

problem-focused coping

Back 84

coping strategies aimed at changing the source of the stress

Front 85

emotion-focused coping

Back 85

coping strategies oriented toward managing the emotions that accompany the perception of stress

Front 86

proactive coping

Back 86

a coping strategy that involves anticipating a problem & taking steps to avoid it