Unit 5.1: Introduction to Health Psychology
AP Psychology | Unit 5: Mental and Physical Health
🎯 Exam Focus
Master biopsychosocial model (biological, psychological, social factors interact). Know stress types: eustress (positive, motivating) vs. distress (negative, harmful). CRITICAL: General Adaptation Syndrome (Selye) — alarm (fight-or-flight, sympathetic activation), resistance (coping, adapt), exhaustion (resources depleted, illness). Understand fight-or-flight vs. tend-and-befriend (Taylor — women nurture, seek support). Learn coping: problem-focused (change stressor) vs. emotion-focused (manage feelings). Know Type A (competitive, hostile, heart disease risk) vs. Type B (relaxed, easy-going). Understand hardiness (commitment, control, challenge) and social support benefits. Locus of control: internal (you control outcomes) vs. external (outside forces control). This foundational unit appears on multiple-choice and FRQ sections.
🏥 What is Health Psychology?
Health psychology is the study of how biological, psychological, and social factors interact to influence physical health, illness, and well-being. It examines the mind-body connection and how our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors affect our physical health.
Health psychologists investigate questions like: How does stress affect the immune system? Why do some people adopt healthy behaviors while others don't? How can psychological interventions help people manage chronic illness? What role does social support play in recovery?
This field bridges the gap between mental and physical health, recognizing that psychological factors profoundly influence physical well-being, disease development, recovery from illness, and longevity.
🧩 Biopsychosocial Model
The Three Interacting Factors
The biopsychosocial model proposes that health and illness result from the complex interaction of biological, psychological, and social factors. No single factor determines health — all three work together.
Biological Factors
- Genetics and heredity
- Brain chemistry and hormones
- Immune system functioning
- Physical injuries or infections
- Nutritional status
- Age and physical development
Psychological Factors
- Stress and coping strategies
- Emotions (anxiety, depression, anger)
- Beliefs and attitudes about health
- Personality traits (Type A, hardiness)
- Self-efficacy and locus of control
- Learned behaviors and habits
Social Factors
- Social support from family and friends
- Socioeconomic status and poverty
- Cultural beliefs and practices
- Access to healthcare
- Social relationships and isolation
- Community resources and environment
Example: Heart Disease
Biological: Genetic predisposition, high cholesterol. Psychological: Type A personality, chronic stress, depression. Social: Lack of social support, poverty limiting access to healthy food. All three interact to increase risk.
😰 Stress: Definition and Types
What is Stress?
Stress is the physical and psychological response to challenging or threatening situations (stressors). It involves physiological arousal, emotional reactions, and behavioral responses.
Key Point:
Stress isn't just the event itself (stressor) — it's your body's and mind's reaction to the event. The same situation can be stressful for one person but not another, depending on how they perceive and appraise it.
Eustress vs. Distress
Eustress (Good Stress)
Positive stress that is motivating, exciting, and manageable
- Energizes and motivates
- Improves performance
- Feels exciting, not overwhelming
- Short-term
- Perceived as within coping abilities
Examples: Getting married, starting new job, riding roller coaster, competing in sports, graduation
Distress (Bad Stress)
Negative stress that is overwhelming, unpleasant, and harmful
- Decreases performance
- Causes anxiety and worry
- Feels unmanageable
- Can be short or long-term
- Exceeds coping abilities
Examples: Death of loved one, divorce, serious illness, job loss, ongoing financial problems, chronic pain
Types of Stressors
Acute Stressors
Short-term, immediate threats or challenges
Examples: Taking exam, giving speech, near-accident while driving
Chronic Stressors
Long-term, ongoing sources of stress
Examples: Chronic illness, poverty, ongoing marital problems, caring for disabled family member
Daily Hassles
Minor, everyday annoyances that accumulate
Examples: Traffic jams, losing keys, computer crashes, long lines, noisy neighbors
⚡ General Adaptation Syndrome (Selye)
⭐ CRITICAL FOR AP EXAM
Hans Selye's General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS) describes the body's three-stage response to prolonged stress. Know all three stages and their characteristics — frequently tested!
Stage 1: Alarm Reaction (Fight-or-Flight)
The body's immediate reaction to a stressor. The sympathetic nervous system activates, preparing the body for action.
Physiological Changes:
- Adrenaline (epinephrine) and cortisol released
- Heart rate and blood pressure increase
- Breathing rate increases
- Pupils dilate
- Blood sugar increases (energy)
- Blood flows to muscles (away from digestion)
- Enhanced alertness and focus
Purpose:
Mobilizes body's resources for immediate action — either fight the threat or flee from it. This is an adaptive, survival response.
Stage 2: Resistance (Adaptation)
If the stressor continues, the body attempts to cope and adapt. Arousal remains elevated but not as high as alarm stage.
What Happens:
- Body tries to restore homeostasis while coping with stressor
- Continues to release stress hormones (cortisol)
- Maintains elevated heart rate and blood pressure
- Resources being used to cope with ongoing stress
- Outwardly may appear to be coping well
The Problem:
Prolonged resistance depletes the body's energy reserves. The body can't maintain this elevated state indefinitely. If stress continues without relief, exhaustion follows.
Stage 3: Exhaustion (Depletion)
Body's resources are depleted. The ability to resist stress collapses. Physical and psychological breakdown occurs.
Consequences:
- Immune system weakens (increased illness)
- Physical health problems develop (ulcers, hypertension, heart disease)
- Mental health problems (depression, anxiety, burnout)
- Extreme fatigue and decreased functioning
- Increased vulnerability to stress-related diseases
- Can lead to death if stress continues
Prevention:
Key is to reduce or eliminate stressor before reaching exhaustion stage. Use coping strategies, seek social support, practice stress management.
🏃 Stress Response Patterns
Fight-or-Flight Response
The fight-or-flight response is the body's automatic physiological reaction to perceived threats. Prepares you to either confront danger (fight) or escape from it (flight).
Triggered by:
- Sympathetic nervous system activation
- Hypothalamus signals adrenal glands
- Release of adrenaline and noradrenaline
- Rapid, automatic, and involuntary
Evolutionary advantage: Helped our ancestors survive immediate physical threats (predators, attacks). Today, activates for psychological stressors too (exams, public speaking).
Tend-and-Befriend Theory (Taylor)
Shelley Taylor's theory proposes that females often respond to stress differently than males — by nurturing others (tend) and seeking social support (befriend).
The Pattern:
- Tend: Nurture and protect offspring and others
- Befriend: Form alliances and seek social support
- More common in women but men can also exhibit this response
- Involves release of oxytocin (bonding hormone)
- May be evolutionary adaptation to protect offspring
Why the Difference?
Fighting or fleeing with young children is difficult and dangerous. Tending to children and building social networks may have been more adaptive for ancestral females. Sex hormones (estrogen) and oxytocin facilitate this response.
🛡️ Coping Strategies
What is Coping?
Coping refers to the cognitive and behavioral efforts to manage stressful situations. How we cope determines whether stress harms our health or whether we successfully adapt.
Two Types of Coping
Problem-Focused Coping
Directly addressing the stressor by taking action to change or eliminate it
- Change the situation causing stress
- Develop plan of action
- Solve the problem
- Seek information
- Learn new skills
Best when: Stressor is controllable
Examples: Studying for exam (stress from test), creating budget (financial stress), ending toxic relationship, getting medical treatment
Emotion-Focused Coping
Managing emotional reactions to the stressor rather than changing the situation
- Regulate emotional response
- Seek emotional support
- Reframe/reappraise situation
- Use relaxation techniques
- Distraction or avoidance
Best when: Stressor is uncontrollable
Examples: Deep breathing when anxious, talking to friend about feelings, meditation, exercising, journaling, accepting death of loved one
Key Point:
Both types are useful. Problem-focused works when you can change the situation. Emotion-focused helps when situation can't be changed (death, chronic illness). Often, people use both simultaneously.
⚡ Type A and Type B Personality
Personality and Heart Disease Risk
Friedman and Rosenman identified two personality patterns associated with different levels of coronary heart disease risk.
Type A Personality
Competitive, time-urgent, hostile
- Always rushing, impatient
- Highly competitive
- Workaholic tendencies
- Easily angered and hostile
- Multitasking constantly
- Perfectionistic
Health Risk: Higher risk of heart disease and hypertension, especially the hostility component
Type B Personality
Relaxed, easy-going, patient
- Relaxed and patient
- Less competitive
- Not easily angered
- Works steadily, not urgently
- Enjoys leisure time
- Flexible and adaptable
Health Benefit: Lower risk of heart disease and stress-related illness
Important Note:
Hostility is the toxic component. Not all aspects of Type A increase heart disease risk — competitiveness and time-urgency aren't as harmful. Chronic anger and hostility are the main problems.
💪 Hardiness
Psychological Resilience to Stress
Hardiness (Kobasa) is a personality trait that helps people cope with stress and remain healthy. Hardy individuals are resilient and view stress as manageable.
Three Components (The Three C's):
1. Commitment
Deep involvement and engagement in life activities. Find meaning and purpose. Not easily giving up.
2. Control
Belief that you can influence events and outcomes (internal locus of control). Not feeling helpless.
3. Challenge
View changes and stressors as opportunities for growth rather than threats. Embrace change.
Benefits:
- Less likely to become ill under stress
- Better psychological adjustment
- More effective coping strategies
- Greater life satisfaction
🤝 Social Support
The Power of Connection
Social support is the perception or reality that one is cared for, valued, and part of a supportive social network. It's one of the most powerful buffers against stress.
Types of Social Support:
- Emotional support: Empathy, love, caring, trust
- Instrumental support: Tangible aid (money, help with tasks)
- Informational support: Advice, guidance, information
- Companionship support: Sense of belonging, shared activities
Health Benefits:
- Reduces physiological stress responses
- Lowers risk of heart disease and other illnesses
- Speeds recovery from illness and surgery
- Improves immune system functioning
- Increases longevity (people with strong social ties live longer)
- Protects against depression and anxiety
- Provides buffering effect against stress
🎯 Locus of Control and Health
Control Beliefs and Well-Being
Locus of control (Rotter — covered in 4.5) affects health behaviors and stress responses. (Review from Unit 4, but important here too)
Internal Locus of Control
Believe you control your health outcomes
- Take responsibility for health
- More likely to adopt healthy behaviors
- Better stress management
- Feel empowered to change
Health outcome: Better health, longer life
External Locus of Control
Believe outside forces control health outcomes
- Attribute health to luck, fate, chance
- Less likely to engage in preventive care
- Feel helpless to change
- May not follow medical advice
Health outcome: Poorer health, more illness
📝 AP Exam Strategy
Multiple Choice Tips
- Know biopsychosocial model: Health influenced by biological, psychological, and social factors interacting
- Distinguish stress types: Eustress (positive, motivating) vs. distress (negative, harmful)
- Master GAS stages: Alarm (fight-or-flight), resistance (adaptation), exhaustion (depletion/illness)
- Understand tend-and-befriend: Female stress response — nurture and seek social support
- Know coping types: Problem-focused (change stressor) vs. emotion-focused (manage feelings)
- Identify Type A traits: Competitive, hostile, time-urgent — heart disease risk
- Remember hardiness 3 C's: Commitment, control, challenge
- Recognize locus of control: Internal (better health) vs. external (poorer health)
Free Response Question (FRQ) Tips
- Apply biopsychosocial model: Given health scenario, identify biological, psychological, and social factors
- Explain GAS stages fully: Describe what happens in each stage and progression through them
- Distinguish coping strategies: Explain when problem-focused vs. emotion-focused is appropriate
- Use proper terminology: "General Adaptation Syndrome" not "stress stages"
- Connect personality to health: Explain mechanism linking Type A to heart disease (chronic arousal, hostility)
- Show understanding of process: Don't just list — explain how stress affects health through specific pathways
- Provide concrete examples: Illustrate theoretical concepts with specific situations
✨ Quick Review Summary
🔑 The Big Picture
Health psychology studies mind-body connection and how biological, psychological, and social factors interact to influence health (biopsychosocial model). Stress types: eustress (positive, motivating) vs. distress (negative, harmful). General Adaptation Syndrome (Selye): alarm stage (fight-or-flight, sympathetic activation), resistance stage (coping, adapt but depleting resources), exhaustion stage (resources depleted, illness, breakdown). Fight-or-flight (confront or escape threat) vs. tend-and-befriend (Taylor — women nurture, seek support; involves oxytocin). Coping: problem-focused (change stressor, works when controllable) vs. emotion-focused (manage emotions, works when uncontrollable). Type A personality (competitive, hostile, time-urgent) has higher heart disease risk; Type B (relaxed, patient) has lower risk. Hardiness (3 C's): commitment, control, challenge — protects against stress. Social support buffers stress, improves health, increases longevity. Internal locus of control (you control outcomes) linked to better health; external locus (outside forces control) linked to poorer health.
💡 Essential Concepts
- Health psychology
- Biopsychosocial model
- Stress
- Stressors
- Eustress
- Distress
- Acute stressors
- Chronic stressors
- Daily hassles
- General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)
- Hans Selye
- Alarm stage
- Resistance stage
- Exhaustion stage
- Fight-or-flight response
- Tend-and-befriend theory
- Shelley Taylor
- Coping
- Problem-focused coping
- Emotion-focused coping
- Type A personality
- Type B personality
- Friedman and Rosenman
- Hardiness
- Commitment, control, challenge
- Social support
- Locus of control
- Internal locus of control
- External locus of control
📚 AP Psychology Unit 5.1 Study Notes | Introduction to Health Psychology
Master stress, coping, and health concepts for exam success!