PSYCH101 Chapter Notes -Pituitary Gland, Cortisol, Biofeedback

• School: University of Waterloo
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYCH101
• Professor: Stephanie Denison

Document Summary

Module 16: body mass index: a statistic commonly used for estimating a healthy body weight that factors in an individuals height, set point: a hypothesized mechanism that serves to maintain body weight around a physiologically programmed level, social contagion: the often subtle, unintentional spreading of a behaviour as a result of social interactions, stress: a psychological & physiological reaction that occurs when perceived demands exceed existing resources to meet those demands, general adaptation syndrome (gas): a theory of stress responses involving stages of alarm, resistance & exhaustion, alarm reaction, resistance, exhaustion, hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (hpa) axis: a neural & endocrine circuit that provides communication between the nervous system (hypothalamus) & the endocrine system (pituitary & adrenal glands, cortisol: a hormone secreted by the adrenal cortex that prepares the body to respond to stressful circumstances, oxytocin: a stress sensitive hormone that is typically associated with maternal bonding & social relationships, psychoneuroimmunology: the study of the relationship between immune system.