Health Psychology

A

Abstinence violation effect

A feeling of loss of control that results when one has violated self-imposed rules, such as not to smoke or drink is known as abstinence violation effect.

Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS)

Progressive impairment of the immune system by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV); is known as acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), a diagnosis of AIDS is made on the basis of presence of one or more specific opportunistic infections.

Acupuncture

A technique of healing and pain control, developed in china, in which long, thin needles are inserted into designated areas of body to reduce discomfort in a target area is known as acupuncture.

Acute disorders

Illness of other medical problems that occur over a short time, that are usually the result of an infectious process, and that are reversible are known as acute disorders .

Acute pain

Short-term pain that usually results from a specific injury is known as acute pain.

Acute stress paradigm

A laboratory procedure whereby an individual goes through  moderately stressful procedures (such as counting backwards rapidly by 7s), so that stress-related changes in emotions and physiological and/or neuroendocrine processes may be assessed  is known as acute stress paradigm.

Addiction

The state of physical or psychological dependence on the substance that develops when that substance is used over a period of time is known as addiction.

Adherence

The degree to which an individual follows a recommended health-related or illness-related recommendation is known as adherence.

Adrenal glands

Two small glands, located on the top of the kidneys, that are part of endocrine system and secretes several hormones, including cortisol, epinephrine, and norepinephrine, that are involved in responses to stress are known as adrenal glands.

Aerobic exercise

High-intensity, long-duration, and high endurance exercise, believed to contribute to cardiovascular fitness and other health outcomes is known as aerobic exercise. Examples are jogging, bicycling, running, and swimming.

Aftereffects of stress

Performance and attentional decrements that occur after a stressful event has subsided; believed to be produced by the residual physiological, emotional, and cognitive draining in response to stressful events is known as aftereffects of stress.

Alcoholism

The state of physical addiction to alcohol that manifests through such symptoms as stereotyped drinking to maintain blood alcohol at a particular level, increasing frequency and severity of withdrawal, drinking early in the day and in the middle of the night, a sense of loss of control over drinking, and a subjective craving for alcohol is known as alcoholism.

Allostatic load

The accumulating adverse effects of stress, in conjunction with preexisting risks, on biological stress regulatory systems is known as allostatic load.

Angina pectoris

Chest pain that occurs because the muscle tissue of the heart is deprived of adequate oxygen or because removal of carbon dioxide and other wastes interferes with the flow of blood and oxygen to the heart is known as angina pectoris.

Anorexia Nervosa

A condition produced by excessive dieting and exercising that yields body weight grossly below optimal level, most common among adolescent girls is known as anorexia nervosa.

Appraisal delay

The time between recognizing that a symptom exists and deciding that it is serious is known as appraisal delay.

Approach (confrontative, vigilant) copying style

The tendency to cope with stressful events by tackling them directly and attempting to develop solutions; may ultimately be an especially effective method of coping, although it may produce accompanying distress is known as approach copying style.

Assertiveness training

Techniques that train people how to be appropriately assertive in social situations; often included as part of health behaviour modification programs, on the assumption that some poor health habits, such as excessive alcohol consumption or smoking, develop in part to control difficulties in being appropriately assertive is known as assertive training.

Atherosclerosis

A major cause of heart disease; caused by the narrowing of the arterial walls due to the formation of plaques that reduce the flow of blood through the arteries and interfere with the passage of nutrients from the capillaries into the cells is known as atherosclerosis.

At risk

A state of vulnerability to a particular health problem by virtue of heredity, health practices, or family environment is known as at risk.

Autoimmunity

A condition in which a body produces an immune response against its own tissue constituents is known as autoimmunity.

Avoidant (minimizing) copying style

The tendency to cope with threatening events by withdrawing, minimizing, or avoiding them; believed to be an effective short-term, thought not an effective long-term, response to stress is known as avoidant copying style.

B

Behavioral assignments

Home practice activities that clients performs on their own as a part of an integrated therapeutic intervention for behaviour modification is known as behavioral assignments.

Behavioral delay

The time between deciding to seek treatment and actually doing so is known as behavioral delay.

Behavioral immunization

Programs designed to inoculate people against adverse health habits by exposing them to mild versions of pervasive communications that try to engage them in a poor health practice and giving them techniques that they can use to respond effectively to these efforts is known as behavioral immunization.

Behavioral inoculation

Providing a person with a weak form of an argument, thus giving them or her the opportunity to develop counterarguments and successfully resist the message; similar to inoculation against disease is known as behavioral inoculation.

Biofeedback

A method whereby an individual is provided with ongoing, specific information or feedback about how a particular physiological process operates, so that he or she can learn how to modify that process is known as biofeedback.

Biomedical model

A viewpoint that illness can be explained on the basis of aberrant somatic process and that physiological and social process are largely independent of the disease process; the dominant model in medical practice until recently is known as biomedical model.

Biopsychosocial model

The viewpoint that biological, psychological and social factors all are involved in any given state or health or illness is known as biopsychosocial model.

Blood pressure

The force that blood exerts against vessel walls is known as blood pressure.

Body image

The perception and evaluation of one's body, one's physical functioning, and one's appearance is known as body image.

Breast self-examination (BSE)

The monthly practice of checking the breasts to detect alternations in the underlying tissue; a chief method of detecting breast cancer is known as breast self-examination.

Broad-spectrum cognitive-behavioral therapy

The use of a broad array of cognitive-behavioral intervention techniques to modify an individual's health behaviour is known as broad-spectrum cognitive-behavioral therap.

Buffering hypothesis

The hypothesis that coping resources are useful primarily under conditions of high stress and not necessarily under conditions of low stress is known as buffering hypothesis.

Bulimia

An eating syndrome characterized by alternating cycle of binge eating and purging through such techniques as vomiting and extreme dieting is known as bulimia.

C

Cardiac invalidism