PSYCH 240 Lecture Notes - Lecture 14: Stress (Biology), Behavioral Medicine, Rush Hour
Document Summary
Behavioral medicine- interdisciplinary field that integrates behavioral and medical knowledge and applies that knowledge to health and disease. Health psychology- subfield of psychology that provides psychology"s contribution to behavioral medicine. Stress- the process by which we perceive and respond to events, called stressors, that we appraise as threatening or challenging. General adaptation syndrome- selye"s concept of the body"s adaptive response to stress as composed of three stages. Life changes- death of a loved one, divorce, loss of a job, promotion. Daily hassles- rush hour traffic, long lines, job stress, burnout. Perceived control- loss of control can increase stress hormones. Burnout- physical, emotional and mental exhaustion brought on by persistent job-related stress. Coronary hear disease- clogging of the vessels that nourish the heart muscle; leading cause of death in the us. Type a- friedman and rosenman"s term for people who are competitive, hard-driving, impatient, verbally aggressive, anger-prone. Type b- friedman and rosenman"s term for easygoing, relaxed people.
