2. Defined*: the interactions between biological, psychological, and social variables. Health Psychology* : the study of determining the importance of psychological factors in illness, & prevention and health maintenance.

3. Defined*: a circumstance that threatens or is perceived to threaten people’s well being and affects their coping ability

4. Frustration: occurs in any situation when things don’t go your way Change: any noticeable change in your life that requires a readjustment Pressure: expectations or demands that you behave in a certain way, such as pressure to perform or to comply Conflict: when two or more incompatible motivations or behavioral impulses compete for expression.

5. The Social Readjustment Rating Scale* (SRRS): developed to measure life change as a form of stress, giving higher points (life change units) for more stressful events.  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

7. 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

8.  Defined: Coping refers to efforts to master, reduce, or tolerate the demands created by stress.

9. Constructive Coping: healthy behavioral efforts to deal with stressful events. 1. Changing cognitive appraisals 2. Confronting problems actively and directly 3. Learning to manage stress-related emotions more effectively. ‪‪ Defensive Coping: unhealthy behavioral efforts/avoidance to deal with stressful events 1. Defense Mechanisms (Freud) 2. Self-Deception 3. Distorting Reality

10. Stress responses are complex and varied, and can lead to several different emotions  Negative reaction:  self-blame  guilt, helplessness to sadness, etc.  Positive reaction:  Adapt and overcome  use and improve problem solving skills and reduce the bad effects of stress “Mind over matter, if you don’t mind, it don’t [sic] matter” -D.S. Hunt

11. Stress has also been shown to decrease the immune response  Defensive reaction to invasion by:  Bacteria  Viral agents  Other foreign substances  Decreasing white blood cells called lymphocytes.

12.  Individual Differences  Age  Exercise  Diet  Social Support  Health  Genes