AP Psychology AMSCO Guided Notes
5.1: Introduction to Health Psychology
AP Psychology Guided Notes
AMSCO 5.1 - Introduction to Health Psychology
Essential Questions
- How does health psychology address issues of physical health and wellness as they apply to behavior and mental processes?
I. Introduction to Health Psychology
1. What is health psychology and how does it differ from behavioral medicine?
2. What are the main areas that health psychologists study and how do they collaborate with other professionals?
II. Stress
1. How is stress defined from a psychological perspective and what is a stress reaction?
2. What is the fight-flight-or-freeze response and why was it adaptive for early humans but problematic today?
III. Stress and Physiological Issues
1. How can prolonged stress contribute to hypertension and cardiovascular disease?
2. What are the mechanisms by which stress can trigger headaches and migraines?
3. How does chronic stress affect the immune system, digestive system, sleep, and hormone balance?
IV. Stressors
1. What is a stressor and what are examples of typical stressors in daily life?
2. How does eustress differ from distress and what are examples of each?
3. What are Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and what are the three major categories?
4. How can ACEs have lasting effects on a person's physical and mental health?
V. Mental and Physical Health: A Multicultural Perspective
1. How do cultural factors influence health beliefs and health behaviors according to the Health Belief Model?
2. How might health interventions differ between collectivistic and individualistic cultures?
3. How can cultural competence in health care providers improve patient outcomes and trust among diverse communities?
VI. Reactions to Stress
A. General Adaptation Syndrome
1. What are the three stages of the general adaptation syndrome and what happens during each stage?
2. What is burnout and why is it increasingly common in helping professions?
3. How does chronic stress lead to immunosuppression and increased susceptibility to illness?
B. Tend-and-Befriend Theory
1. What is the tend-and-befriend theory and how does it differ from the fight-flight-or-freeze response?
2. What are the 'tend' and 'befriend' aspects of the theory and how do they promote well-being during stress?
VII. Coping with Stress
1. What is coping and what are emotional and behavioral signs of trouble coping with chronic stress?
2. How do self-defeating fears and irrational thinking make coping with stress more difficult?
A. Varieties of Coping Strategies
1. What is problem-focused coping and what are examples of how it addresses the source of stress?
2. What is emotion-focused coping and when is it most likely to be used?
3. How do adaptive emotion-focused strategies differ from maladaptive distractions in managing stress?
Key Terms
abuse
adverse childhood experiences (ACEs)
burnout
coping
distress
emotion-focused coping
eustress
fight-flight-or-freeze response
general adaptation syndrome (GAS)
health psychology
household dysfunction
neglect
problem-focused coping
stress
stressor
tend-and-befriend theory