Stress 1 Selye s general adaptation syndrome consists of an alarm reaction followed 2 When faced with stress women are more likely than men to experience the by resistance and exhaustion tend and befriend response 3 The number of short term illnesses and stress related psychological disorders was higher than usual in the months following an earthquake Such findings suggest that experiencing a very stressful even increases a person s vulnerability to illness 4 The three main types of stressors are catastrophes significant life changes and daily hassles 5 Stress hormones released in response to a signal from the brain suppress lymphocytes the immune cells that ordinarily attack bacteria viruses cancer cells and other foreign substances 6 Research has shown that people are at increased risk for cancer a year or so after experiencing depression helplessness or bereavement In describing this link researchers are quick to point out that stress does not create cancer cells but it weakens the body s natural defenses against them 7 The components of the Type A personality that have been linked most closely to coronary heart disease are anger and other negative feelings 8 When faced with a situation over which you feel you have no sense of control it is most effective to used emotion focused coping 9 Seligman s research showed that a dog will respond with learned helplessness if it has reveived repeated shockes and has had no control over the shocks 10 People who have close relationships are less likely to die prematurely than those who do not supporting the idea that social support has a beneficial effect on health 11 When elderly patients take an active part in managing their own care and surroundings their morale and health tend to improve Such findings indicate that people do better when they experience and internal locus of control 12 Because it triggers the release of mood boosting neurotransmitters such as norepinephrine serotonin and the endorphins aerobic exercise raises energy levels and helps alleviate depression and anxiety 13 Research on the faith factor has found that religiously active people tend to outlive those who are not religiously active 14 One of the most consistent findings of psychological research is that happy people are also more likely to help others 15 Positive psychology is a scientific field of study focused on how humans thrive and flourish 16 After moving to a new apartment you find the street noise irritatingly loud but after a while it no longer bothers you This reaction illustrates the adaptation level phenomenon 17 A philosopher observed that we cannot escape envy because there will always be someone more successful more accomplished or richer with whom to compare ourselves In psychology this observation is embodied in the relative deprivation principle Social Psychology 1 if we encounter a person who appears to be high on drugs and we make the fundamental attribution error we will probably attribute the person s behavior to moral weakness or an addictive personality 2 Celebrity endorsements in advertising often lead consumers to purchase products through peripheral route persuasion 3 We tend to agree to a larger request more readily if we have already agreed to a small request This tendency is called the foot in the door phenomenon 4 Researchers have found that a person is most likely to conform to a group if the person admires the group s status In Milgram s experiments the rate of compliance was highest when the learner was at a distance from the teacher In a group situation that fosters arousal and anonymity a person sometimes loses self consciousness and self control This phenomenon is called deindividualization 7 Sharing our opinions with like minded others tends to strengthen our view a phenomenon referred to as group polarization 8 Prejudice toward a group involves negative feelings a tendency to discriminate and overly generalized beliefs referred to as stereotypes If several well publicized murders are committed by members of a particular group we may tend to react with fear and suspicion toward all members of that group In other words we overgeneralize from vivid memorable cases 10 The other race effect occurs when we assume that other groups are more 5 6 9 homogeneous than our own group 11 Evidence of a biochemical influence on aggression is the finding that a higher than average level of the hormone testosterone is associated with violent behavior in males 12 Studies show that participants of delinquent young people tend to use beatings to enforce discipline This suggests that aggression can be learned through observation of aggressive models 13 A conference of social scientists studying the effects of pornography unanimously agreed that violent porn leads viewers to be more accepting of coercion in sexual relations 14 The aspect of x rated films that most directly influences men s aggression towards women seems to be the depictions of sexual violence 15 The more familiar a stimulus becomes the more we tend to like it This exemplifies the mere exposure effect 16 A happy couple celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary is likely to experience deep companionate love even though their passionate love has probably decreased over the years 17 After vigorous exercise you meet an attractive person and you are suddenly seized by romantic feelings for that person This response supports the two factor theory of emotion which assumes that emotions such as passionate love consist of physical arousal plus our interpretation of that arousal 18 The bystander effect states that a particular bystander is less likely to give aid if other people are present 19 Our enemies often have many of the same negative impressions of us as we have of them This exemplifies the concept of mirror image perceptions 20 One way of resolving conflicts and fostering cooperation is by giving rival groups shared goals that help them override their differences Theses are called superordinate goals Psychological Disorders 1 Although some psychological disorders are culture bound others are universal For example in every known culture some people have schizophrenia 2 A therapist says that psychological disorders are sicknesses and people with theses disorders should be treated as patients in a hospital This therapist believes in the medial model 3 Many psychologists reject the disorders as illness view and instead contend that other factors may also be involved for example the