sympathetic activation can have adverse effects on
body organs, mental functions, and the immune
system.
systematic desensitizationA respondent
method for reducing anxiety in which patients
practice relaxation while visualizing anxiety-
provoking situations of increasing intensity. This
technique is based on the principle that one cannot
be relaxed and anxious simultaneously.
threat appraisalIn protection motivation theory,
the evaluation of negative factors (e.g., the
potential for harm) that affect the likelihood of
engaging in a particular behavior. If one concludes
that there is little immediate threat to oneself, one
will be more likely to engage in the behavior.
transactional model of stressAmodelthat
views stress as a process that involves an environ-
mental event, its appraisal (as threatening or
benign) by the individual, the individual’sphy-
siological, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral
responses to the event, and the reappraisal of the
event that occurs secondary to the person’s
responses as well as to changes in the stressor.
Type A behavior patternA personality pattern
that has been associated with increased risk for
coronary heart disease. Among other things, Type
A individuals exhibit a great sense of time urgency,
work near maximum capacity even when there is
no time deadline, become aggressive and hostile
when frustrated, and are motivated to master their
environments and to maintain control.WEB SITES OF INTERESTTo visit any of the following Web sites, go to
http://www.wadsworth.com and click Links.
17-1Division 38 of the American Psychological
Association (Health Psychology)
http://www.health-psych.org/
17-2Division 54 of the American Psychological
Association (Pediatric Psychology)
http://www.societyofpediatricpsychology.org/
17-3Guide to Becoming a Health Psychologist
http://www.health-psych.org/AboutHowto-
Become.cfm
17-4Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
http://www.cdc.gov/
17-5Society of Behavioral Medicine
http://www.sbm.org/
17-6Health Psychology and Rehabilitation
http://www.healthpsych.com/
17-7National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and
Alcoholism
http://www.niaaa.nih.gov
17-8American Obesity Association
http://www.obesity.org
17-9National Cancer Institute
http://www.nci.nih.gov512 CHAPTER 17