Psychology 2030A/B Lecture : Chapter 9.docx

• School: Western University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: Psychology 2030A/B
• Professor: David Vollick

Document Summary

Psychological approaches to health and disease: behavioural medicine: prevention, diagnosis, treatment of medical illness, health psychology: psychological factors in promotion of health change life styles, psychosomatic: problem: suggests no biological component (it"s in your mind) Dsm-iv and physical disorders: coded on axis iii (physical disorder, recognize that psychological factors can affect medical conditions. Nature of stress: stress: physiological response of an individual to a stressor: varies from person to person. The function of the hippocampus in hypac-stress response cycle: stress activates the sympathetic branch of the ans (automatic nervous system, hypothalamus secretes corticotropin releasing factor, which activates the pituitary gland, which secretes cortisol: hpa axis activation. The hippocampus is very sensitive to cortisol, and if stimulated, helps turn off the stress response. Chronic stress may damage cells in hippocampus => interfering with stopping the hpa loop. Psychological and social factors: their relation to stress physiology. Primate research: high and low social status: high cortisol is associated with low social status.