Mathematics 1228A/B Chapter Notes - Chapter 3: Witch Doctor, Perceived Control, Cardiac Surgery
29 Apr 2018
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Department
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Psych 990A- Chapter : Health Psychology
Elvira Toews 76 yo:
- How is she so upbeat, cheerful and resilient after:
o Husband and daughter committed suicide
o Heart surgery
o Arthritis
o Daily chronic health problems from inability for physical activity
Stress and Human Health
Stress can affect the body in dramatic ways:
▪ Eats piece of fruit and then learns it’s a forbidden supply. Fine fruit; she dies
▪ Eats ild he, foridde i a’s ulture, finds out 1 year later, trembles and dies
within 24 hours
▪ Witch doctor casts a spell, recovers only when witch doctor removes spell
Sudden death following a psychological trauma:
- E.g., Losing a spouse, declaring bankruptcy, being forced to resettle in a new culture=
chance of dying
- long-term health care= often become withdrawn and fade into death as if they have
given up
- pshologial distress e.g., aiet, depressio higher aog studets tha i Caada’s
geeral pop’… BUT distress delied ith eah suessie ear i ui! ☺
physical + psychological health is closely tied to the amount of stress in our lives
Effects of Negative Life Events
- Stress= od’s phsiologial respose to threateig eets
o change required= stress
o E.g., spouse dies, graduating from uni, retirement
- Social Readjustment Rating Scale: life hage sore
o score= worse their physical and mental health
- We need better understanding of community and cultural level variables
o Eg. poverty and racism not considered; only stressors by middle class
- Life changes and health problems= correlation (not causation)
- Rather people argue certain personality traits are more likely to experience life
difficulties and to have health problems
o Negative moods, optimism or hardiness
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Perceived Stress and Health
- An event is stressful for people ONLY if they interpret it as stressful
Stress= negative feelings and beliefs that occur whenever people feel unable to cope
with demands from their environment
o E.g., gay men: # of stressful events= risk of HIV infection (more likely to
engage in risky behaviour)
- levels of interpersonal stress= report health problems
- Negative interpretations of events= stress= immunity to disease= susceptible to
disease (e.g., catching a cold)
Feeling in Charge: The Importance of Perceived Control
- Feelig that e do’t hae otrol= psych and physical health
o E.g., women who believed that their cancer was controllable better adjusted
psychologically
- Perceived control= belief that we can influence our env in ways that determine whether
we experience +/- outcomes
o perceived control= good mental and physical health
Examples:
- 1st yr stu with perceived control= anxiety/stress/boredom/depression= grades
- rape victims believe of control over outcomes= depression and PTSD
- postop coronary angioplasty of diseased arteries sense of control over futures= later
heart problems
- older ppl felt greater loss of control over stressors than younger ppl
o also have resources (e.g. support from friends) when older
o perceived sense of control= physical activity b/c belief of risk of hip
fractures= lived longer
Study on the importance of perceived control: noise and tasks
- no one actually pressed the button
- BUT when people knew they could turn off the noise at any point, the noise was much
easier to tolerate and did not impair later performance (performed the same as those in
control group who worked in peace and quiet)
Increasing Perceived Control in Nursing Homes
- Director gave 2 speeches
1) ou hae a lot of resposiilit oer our life, deide hat da of oie ight ou at,
our resposiilit to take are of the plat
2) assiged oie ight, urse ill take are of the plat
Results: #1 did a lot better and lived longer
- Undergraduate students visited residents
1) Residents decided when the visits would occur and how long they would last
2) Students decided when the visits would occur and how long they would last
Results: More har tha good after the ed… health and zest for life. Likely to have died
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
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MATH 1228A/B Full Course Notes
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Document Summary
How is she so upbeat, cheerful and resilient after: husband and daughter committed suicide, heart surgery, arthritis, daily chronic health problems from inability for physical activity. Stress can affect the body in dramatic ways: eats piece of fruit and then learns it"s a forbidden supply. Fine fruit; she dies: eats (cid:449)ild he(cid:374), for(cid:271)idde(cid:374) i(cid:374) (cid:373)a(cid:374)"s (cid:272)ulture, finds out 1 year later, trembles and dies within 24 hours, witch doctor casts a spell, recovers only when witch doctor removes spell. E. g. , losing a spouse, declaring bankruptcy, being forced to resettle in a new culture= chance of dying long-term health care= often become withdrawn and fade into death as if they have given up. Ps(cid:455)(cid:272)hologi(cid:272)al distress (cid:894)e. g. , a(cid:374)(cid:454)iet(cid:455), depressio(cid:374)(cid:895) higher a(cid:373)o(cid:374)g stude(cid:374)ts tha(cid:374) i(cid:374) ca(cid:374)ada"s ge(cid:374)eral pop"(cid:374) but distress de(cid:272)li(cid:374)ed (cid:449)ith ea(cid:272)h su(cid:272)(cid:272)essi(cid:448)e (cid:455)ear i(cid:374) u(cid:374)i! Physical + psychological health is closely tied to the amount of stress in our lives.
