Contents
The book «Introduction to Psychology». Authors — R.L. Atkinson, R.S. Atkinson, E.E. Smith, D.J. Boehm, S. Nolen-Hoeksema. Under the general editorship of V.P. Zinchenko. 15th international edition, St. Petersburg, Prime Eurosign, 2007.
Mediators of stress responses
As already mentioned, uncontrollable and unpredictable events, as well as events that challenge a person’s idea of himself, are experienced as stressful. Some people are more likely than others to view certain events in this way and experience them accordingly as stressful. There are three main theories that explain why some people tend to view events as stressful: psychoanalytic, behavioral, and cognitive. See →
Type «A» behavior
A type of behavior, or personality style, called the Type A pattern has received much attention. For years, doctors have observed that victims of heart attacks are often hostile, aggressive, impatient people, too absorbed in their work. In the 50s, two cardiologists compiled a list of the Type A behaviors that characterize patients with coronary artery disease (Friedman & Rosenman, 1974). Type A people are too competitive and successful; they feel short of time, find it difficult to relax, and become impatient and angry when meeting time delays or people they consider incompetent. See →
Stress Coping Skills
Emotions and physiological arousal caused by stressful situations are extremely unpleasant, and this discomfort motivates the individual to do something to reduce them. The process by which a person tries to cope with stressful demands is called coping and occurs in two main forms. A person may focus on a particular problem or situation in an attempt to change or avoid it in the future. This is called problem-oriented coping. The person may also focus on reducing the emotions associated with the stressful situation, even if the situation itself cannot be changed. This is called emotionally oriented coping (Lazarus & Folkman, 1984). Most people in a stressful situation use both of these types of coping. See →
Stress management
So far, we have mainly talked about the intrapersonal factors that influence perception and the impact of stressful events on it. Emotional support — and other people’s involvement also help to endure stress. A divorce, the death of a loved one, or a serious illness is usually more devastating when you have to endure it alone. When examining Israeli parents who lost their son (during an accident or war), it was found that this loss was harder for those who were already divorced or widowed. Among such people, the mortality rate over the next 10 years was higher than among those parents who could share their grief with each other (Levav et al., 1988). See →
Are optimistic illusions good for health?
The Dangers of Unrealistic Optimism
Are you more or less prone to alcohol addiction than other people? What about your chances of contracting a sexually transmitted disease or having a heart attack? Not many people who are asked these questions admit to having an above-average percentage of risk. Typically, 50-70% of those surveyed say they are at below average risk, another 30-50% say they are at average risk, and less than 10% say they are at above average risk. See →
Unrealistic optimism can be good for your health
Is unrealistic optimism bad for your health? At first glance, it seems that it should be harmful. After all, if people believe they are relatively immune to problems ranging from tooth decay to heart disease, shouldn’t that be a barrier to a healthy lifestyle? Enough evidence indicates that most people are indeed unrealistically optimistic about their health. But no matter what, unrealistic optimism appears to be good for your health. See →
Chapter 15
In this chapter we will look at the stories of some individuals who suffer from serious mental disorders, and focus on individual patients who lead a lifestyle that destroys their personality. See →