Final Exam Review, pt. 4 Chapters 7 & 8

STRESS & HEALTH Chapter 7

General Adaptation Syndrome Three stage response to long-term stress. 1. Alarm * Body releases stress hormones, 2. Resistance * Body adapts to threat; tries to return to normal functions 3. Exhaustion * Reserves gone; immunity & organs fail

Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome * Response to an extreme stressor, e.g. war, natural disaster, life-threatening event Symptoms include : anxiety, insomnia, nightmares, intrusive thoughts, emotional problems Substance abuse & family problems common

COPING Problem-focused coping Trying to change situation or problem that is causing the stress. Emotion-focused coping * Trying to reduce the effects of stress by controlling emotions. ‪

Causes of Stress Social Readjustment Rating Scale * Life events rated for their stress potential. Predictive for illness Daily Hassles * Minor events – an argument, lost keys Predictive for mental and physical health problems

Biopsychosocial Model * Explanations in terms of interactions between biological, psychological, and social variables. Psychoneuroimmunology * Studies interaction between immune system, nervous system & psychological processes; Effects of psychological factors on resistance to disease Health Psychology * Focus on how interactions of biology, behavior & social situation influence health & illness. Conclusion: Stress makes it more difficult to resist mental and physical illness.

Factors Affecting Resistance to Stress Individual differences Age exercise diet social support health genes

Chapter 8 - Personality An individual’s consistent patterns of feeling, thinking, and behaving.

Freud and the Psychodynamic Approach * Unconscious mind * Memories outside awareness/not accessible Repressed memories and emotions. Preconscious mind * Thoughts just beneath surface Voluntary access Conscious mind * Thoughts you are aware of Currently processing

Components of Personality (Freud) A) Id Primitive impulses, unconscious pleasure principle B) Ego * Conscious, decision maker Reality Principle C) Superego * Unconscious; conscience Sense of morality; constraints of society

Defense Mechanisms Freud’s theory Self-protective “distortions” of the truth Unconscious strategies to defend against anxiety

Freud’s Psychosexual Stages Oral (0-18mo) Dependency; oral gratification Anal (18mo-3y) Control issues; toilet training Phallic (3-6y) Attraction to opposite sex; identification with same sex Latency (6-puberty) Associate with same sex Genital (Adult) Mature Sexuality

Five Factor (Big Five) Model * Traits -- Relatively enduring characteristics that influence our behavior across many situations. Big Five - 5 Underlying Trait dimensions Stable over time Cross culturally shared Explain substantial proportion of behavior CANOE: Conscientiousness; Agreeableness; Neuroticism; Open to Experience; Extraversion

Humanistic Psychology * Key Concepts: Free Will Self Concept – our beliefs about who we are Self Esteem – Positive feelings about the self Maslow – Hierarchy of Needs Self-Actualization – motive to reach our full potential Esteem Needs Love, Belonging Safety Physiological Needs

Behavioral Genetics * Scientific Research on Heredity , Environment and the Interaction between the two. Twin, Family, Adoption Studies Molecular Genetics (DNA) Epigenetics (environmental influences on gene expression) Conclusion: Environment & Genes Interact to influence personality and behavior

Personality Tests * Objective Tests * Projective Tests * Personality Inventories = questionnaires, e.g. MMPI T/F or MC; answers associated with trait or diagnosis Projective Tests * Ask for meaning of ambiguous stimuli Rorschach – ask to explain image in Inkblots Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) – ask to tell stories about ambiguous pictures

Social Cognitive Theory Bandura Reciprocal Determinism * The complex interaction between personality, environment, and behavior.