Chapter 12: Stress, Adjustment, and Health Differences This multimedia product and its contents are protected under copyright law. The following are prohibited by law: (1) Any public performance or display, including transmission of any image over a network; (2) Preparation of any derivative work, including the extraction, in whole or in part, of any images; (3) Any rental, lease, or lending of the program. Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Disease-Prone Personalities Health Behaviors Activities and actions that have implications for health People with certain personalities take greater risks with their health Smoking is related to rebelliousness, aggressiveness, low self-esteem, and impulsivity Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Links between Personality and Health Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Health Behaviors--Risk Taking Risk taking and sensation seeking are related to personality Zuckerman's sensation seeking Farley’s Type T theory (“Thrill”) Psychobiological need for stimulation Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

The Sick Role Certain people respond to stressful life events by entering the sick role e.g., see a doctor, don’t go to work/school, act moody, stay in bed, take medication Behaviorist explanations Rewards of the sick role Cognitive explanations Interpretations of bodily sensations Neuroticism and negative mood increase illness reporting Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Disease-Caused Personality Changes Somatopsychic effect from soma (body) to psyche Disease or genetic predispositions to illness can affect personality oxygen deprivation Down syndrome Angelman syndrome Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Personality Disorders Personality disorders include ongoing patterns of behavior that impair the person's functioning and well-being “Borderline personality disorder” serious problems of impulsive, self-destructive behavior, fragile self-identity, and stormy relationships Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Diathesis-Stress Diathesis—the predisposition of the body to a disease or disorder However, the disease or disorder does not materialize unless it is also elicited from the environment (stress) Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Diathesis-Stress Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Sudden Cardiac Death Bernard Lown’s model: Electrical instability (Diathesis) A pervasive negative emotional state (Diathesis) A triggering event (Stress) Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Personality and Coronary-Proneness Type A Behavior Pattern A tense, competitive style that is especially likely to be associated with coronary heart disease Hostility and “struggle” are harmful to health Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

The Human Termites Longitudinal study of 856 males and 672 females that Lewis Terman started in 1921 Followed throughout their lives, from 1921 to the present Provides insight into which aspects of personality are related to longevity Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

The Human Termites: Conscientiousness Children who were conscientious lived significantly longer than their unconscientious peers 30% less likely to die in any given year Less likely to suffer an early death from injury Less likely to engage in unhealthy habits Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

The Human Termites: Sociability Many theories emphasize the importance of psychosocial factors and health The Terman study found NO link between sociability and longevity Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

The Human Termites: Cheerfulness Children who were more cheerful died sooner These children grew up to be more likely to smoke, drink, and take risks Cheerfulness might be good for handling stress, but harmful if it leads to careless or carefree behavior Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

The Human Termites: Stressed Termites Parental divorce Children whose parents divorced before they were 21 were more likely to: Die sooner Have their own marriages end in divorce Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Effects of Parental Divorce on Longevity in the Terman Study Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

The Human Termites: Mental Health Males who experienced mental health problems or difficulties in adjustment were at an increased risk for early mortality Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Blaming the Victim It is unfair to place too much responsibility on individuals for their illnesses We tend to do this because: It is reassuring to assume we are different from those who are ill We want to believe in a predictable world Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

The Self-Healing Personality Control Do not feel powerless in the face of external challenges Commitment Feel committed to something important and meaningful Challenge Respond to life with excitement and energy Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Two Type of Self-Healing Personalities 1) The active healthy personality Functions best in a somewhat stressful environment Outgoing and spontaneous 2) The relaxed healthy personality Functions best in a low-stress environment Calm and philosophical Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Humanistic and Existential Aspects of Self-Healing Growth Orientation Characteristics associated with self-actualization are related to the self-healing personality Broaden-and-build model Positive emotions broaden possible actions Allows building greater social resources Identity and Purpose Life philosophies often change after a serious illness or traumatic experience Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Humanistic and Existential Aspects of Self-Healing Sense of Coherence Part of Antonovsky’s salutogenesis (how people stay healthy) Belief that the world is understandable and meaningful is central to health Associated with longer life Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Health and the Eight Aspects of Personality Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Health and the Eight Aspects of Personality Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Health and the Eight Aspects of Personality Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Health and the Eight Aspects of Personality Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.