Lecture Notes, Gabriel Psych101 Section 5 Page 1LECTURE NOTES FOR SECTION 5 OF CLASS START HEREHealth and Well-beingOutline of Topics- The self and well-being- Psychoneuroimmunologyo Introo Stresso Coping with Stresso Other factors that affect healthThe Self and Well-Being- The Need for Self-Esteem- The Self-Awareness “Trap”- Positive IllusionsThe Self-Esteem CycleSelf-Awareness TheoryPositive Illusions- Unrealistic Optimism- Unrealistically positive views of the self- Illusion of ControlLecture Notes, Gabriel Psych101 Section 5 Page 2Unrealistic Optimism- Students tend to rate their own chances as above average for positive events and below average for negative events. - Unrealistically Positive Views of the Self- Everyone thinks they are above average- Exp: high school students: 70% above average in leadership; 60% above average in athletic ability; 85% above average in ability to get along with others (25% said that were in top 1%!!!)- Exp: 94% of college professors think that they do above average workIllusion of ControlIllusions and Well-being- Depressed people more realistic- Many argue that illusions are necessary for mental health- Too many illusions are badPsychoneuroimmunology- Psychoneuroimmunology (PNI): The study of the relationships among psychology, the nervous and endocrine systems, and the immune systemThe Biomedical ModelThe Biopsychosocial ModelMind Over MatterLecture Notes, Gabriel Psych101 Section 5 Page 3- For a wide range of afflictions, 30 to 40 percent of patients experience relief after taking a placebo.Causes of Death, 1900-1995- Since 1900, heart disease, cancer, and stroke have replaced infectious diseases as the major causes of death- Behavioral factors contribute to each of these leading causes of deathHeart Disease Factors - Sedentary Life Style- Stress, Obesity- Smoking- High blood pressure- Family history of heart disease- Type A behaviorPersonality & Coronary Heart Disease- Type A Personality- Competitive- Impatient; Time-pressured- Quick to anger - hostile- Type B Personality- Easygoing- Relaxed- Laid back- Type A more prone to coronary heart diseasePersonality type is less predictive of health problems than is hostility.- Proneness to anger is a major risk factor.Cancer Risk Factors - Diet- Cigarette smoking- Excessive alcohol use- Promiscuous sexual behavior- Genetics- STRESS!!!!Sources of Stress - Conflict- Lack of Control & UnpredictabilityLecture Notes, Gabriel Psych101 Section 5 Page 4- Catastrophe & Post-Traumatic Stress DisorderSocial Readjustment Rating ScaleSRRS Scores & Health The Daily Hassles Scale117 items used to measure the frequency and severity of a person's transactions with the environment that are considered by the person to be stressful events.Example: How much of a hassle was this for you?0 = None or Did Not Occur 1 = Somewhat Severe 2 = Moderately Severe 3 = Extremely Severe A. Misplacing or losing things 0 1 2 3B. Troublesome neighbors 0 1 2 3Predicts illness better than the SRRSGeneral Adaptation Syndrome - Alarm: a threat mobilizes body resistance to stress- Resistance: stress resistance reaches its maximum- Exhaustion: The organism's resources for dealing with stress are exhausted -- stress resistance drops offGeneral Adaptation SyndromeLecture Notes, Gabriel Psych101 Section 5 Page 5Immune System - B-Cells:- Produce and carry antibodies- Produced in bone marrowPathways From Stress to Illness- Stress can lead to unhealthy behaviors- Stress triggers the release of hormones that suppress immune system activityPathways From Stress to CHD- Under stress, people engage in less-healthy behaviors and are more physiologically reactive- Both of these contribute to coronary heart diseaseStress Duration and Illness- Volunteers were interviewed about life stressors, then infected with virus for cold- As length of stress increased, so did the likelihood of catching the cold- Stress impairs immune system functioningCoping With Stress- Coping Strategies- The “Self-Healing Personality”- Social SupportLecture Notes, Gabriel Psych101 Section 5 Page 6Stress and Coping- Although stressful events have effects on the body, the way we cope can promote health or illness.Coping - Problem-focused coping: attempts to modify, reduce, or eliminate the source of stress- Emotion-focused coping: attempts to alter the emotional response to the stressor- Religious belief appears to aid in coping with stressful events such as death of a childRelaxation and the Heart- Heart attack patients were taught to relax their pace- A control group received standard medical care- After 3 years, relaxation-trained patients suffered 50% fewer second heart attacksHardiness - Resilience Under Stress- Commitment- Sense of purpose in work, family, and life- Challenge- Openness to new experiences and change- Control- Belief that one has the power to influence important future outcomesHeartfelt ForgivenessHugs and HealthExerciseLecture Notes, Gabriel Psych101 Section 5 Page 7Exercise Benefits - Improved heart efficiency- Higher HDL levels- Stronger bones, esp. in women- Burns more calories, aiding weight control- Moderates stress effectsFitness, Stress, and Health- In college students, life stress was linked with increased visits to the health center for low-fitness students- High-fitness students handled the stress with less illnessOther Factors that affect HealthLow Immune Response o Factors which can lower the immune response to illness:- Depression- Stress- Social problems- Loss of a spouse- Marital problemsLifestyle Factors - Lack of Sleep - Lack of Exercise- Smoking- Drinking & Drug AbuseLack of Sleep - The vast majority of Americans get too little sleep- This is especially true of college studentsHopelessness and Risk of Death- In Finland, middle-age men were rated for hopelessness- Six years later, higher ratings had predicted risk of death, cancer, and heart attackSocial PsychologyLecture Notes, Gabriel Psych101 Section 5 Page 8Outline- Definition- Social Influence- Social Perception- Group Processes- Relationships- Culture- GenderDefinition- The effects of the actual, imagined, or implied presence of others on affect, behavior, and cognition.Social Influence- Obedience- Conformity- Attitudes and attitude change- Cognitive DissonanceExperimenter Prompts- Please continue.- The experiment requires that you continue.- It is absolutely essential that you continue.- You have no other choice, you must go