Describe the factors associated with happiness, as well as those not associated with happiness
- Give some examples of stressors in your life, specifically catastrophes, life changes, and ‘daily hassles’. Why do stressors not necessarily lead to stress and/or illness? For one of the stressors mentioned above, describe your appraisal of the event and the stress reaction that resulted from it. What alternative appraisal would have resulted in less stress?
- For one of the stressors you described above, describe the phases of the General Adaptation Syndrome which you experienced
- Describe how stress increases the risk of illness in general . More specifically, how does stress influence the course of AIDS, cancer, heart disease, and the common cold? Do you think you will become ill as a result of stress? Why or why not? Would you describe yourself as a Type A personality?
- Give examples of emotion-focused and problem-focused coping, and examples where one form of coping is more appropriate than the other. Why are both necessary?
- Give examples of appraisals of stressors that reflect personal control (an internal locus of control) as well as appraisals that reflect an external locus of control. In what situations might an external sense of control reduce stress? Describe an experience of learned helplessness, or explain why you have never experienced it. Why are optimists healthier than pessimists? How can excessive optimism lead to greater stress and illness?
- How does social support decrease illness?
- What is the best form of stress management? Explain why.
- Why is spirituality associated with better health ? What reasons other than those cited in the text may explain the association?
*10. Describe a life event, such as a major life change, daily hassle, or conflict. Did you appraise this event as a threat or a challenge? Does this appraisal reflect your general personality type (e.g., hostile, depressed, pessimistic). Do you have personal habits that might help you cope with this event or make it worse? Do you have close and enduring relationships that might help you deal with this event? Considering the above, how likely do you think you are to have an illness in the near future?
- Describe the factors associated with happiness, as well as those not associated with happiness. Why do these correlations exist? How do ‘relative deprivation’ and the ‘adaptation level phenomenon’ explain why money does not buy happiness and why people think it does.