centenarians
people who have reached the age of 100 years old or older.
chronological age
age as measured in years from date of birth.
commitment
a decision adhered to for the long term.
drives
motivations that are not learned.
health
freedom from physical disease, poor physical condition, social maladjustment, and other negative states.
infectious disease
diseases caused and transmitted from person to person, by microorganisms or their toxins.
motivation
the force that moves people to act.
physiological age
age as estimated from the body's health and probable life expectancy.
self-efficacy
the belief in one's ability to take action and sucessfully change a behavior.
wellness
maximum well-being, the top of the range of health states.
will
a person's intent, which leads to action.
aggressive
to be overly demanding of others.
alienation
withdrawing from others because of differences that cannot be resolved.
assertive
to possess the characteristic of appropriately expressing feelings, wants, and needs while respecting those of others.
communication
a two-way exchange of ideas or thoughts.
conflict
a struggle or opposition between people, especially when people compete for something in the belief that only one can have what he or she wants, at the expense of the other.
confrontation
an interaction in which one person expresses feelings to another.
cortex
the outermost layer of your brain.
emotion
a feeling that occurs in response to an event as experienced by an individual.
emotional health
the state of being free of mental disturbances that limit functioning.
emotional intelligence
the ability to recognize and appropriately express one's emotions in a way that enhances living.
feud
a bitter, continuing hostility, often involving groups of people.
mediator
a neutral third person who helps two people in conflict.
mentor
a wise person who gives advice and assistance.
nonconformist
a person who does not share society's values and therefore behaves in unconventional ways.
ostracism
rejection and exclusion from society.
passive
not expressing feelings appropriately.
resentment
anger that has built up due to failure to express it.
status
a person's standing or rank in relation to others, many times falsely based on wealth, power, or influence.
support system
a network of individuals or groups with which one identifies and exchanges emotional support.
suppress
to hold back or restrain.
thoughts
those mental processes of which a person is always conscious.
tolerance
accommodation and acceptance of differenes between oneself and others.
values
what the person thinks of as right and wrong, or sees as important.
violence
brutal physical force intended to damage or injure another.
adolescence
the period of growth from the beginning of puberty to full maturity.
body image
the way a person thinks his or her body looks.
clique
a peer group that rejects newcomers and judges both their members and nonmembers harshly.
cults
groups of people who share intense admiration or adoration of a particular person or principle.
deviant
outside the normal system.
femininity
traits, including biological and social traits, associated with being female.
gangs
groups that exist largely to express aggression against other groups.
gender identity
that part of a person's self image that is determined by the person's gender.
gender roles
roles assigned by society to people of each gender.
gender
the classification of being male or female.
hierarchy
a ranking system in which each thing is placed above or below others.
masculinity
traits, including biological and social traits, associated with being male.
needs
urgent wants for necessary things.
peer group
a groups of friends who are similar to yourself in age and stage of life.
peer pressure
the internal pressure one feels to behave as a peer group does, in order to gain its members' approval.
personality
the characteristics of a person that are apparent to others.
positive self-talk
the practice of making affirming statements to oneself.
psychology
the scientific study of behavior and the mind.
puberty
the period of life in which a person becomes physically capable of reproduction.
refusal skills
a set of social strategies that enable people to competently resist the pressure of others to engage in dangerous or otherwise undesirable behaviors.
self-actualization
self-actualization the realization of one's full potential.
self-esteem
the value a person attaches to his or her self-image.
self-image
the characteristics that a person sees in himself or herself.
sexual harassment
unwanted sexual attention, often from someone in power.
stereotypes
fixed pictures of how everyone in a group is thought to be.
variables
changeable factors that affect outcomes.
acute stress
a temporary bout of stress that causes alertness or alarm, which prompts a person to deal with a specific event.
adapt
to change or adjust in order to accommodate new conditions.
alarm
the first phase of the stress response, in which you recognize that you are facing a change or challenge.
chronic stress
unrelieved stress that continues to tax a person's resources to the point of exhaustion.
coping devices
safe, short-term methods of managing stress, such as displacement or venting.
defense mechanisms
automatic, subconscious reactions to emotional injury.
displacement
transferring the energy of suffering into something else.
exhaustion
a harmful third phase of the stress response.
gland
an organ of the body that secretes one or more hormones in response to information about changing body conditions.
hormonal system
the system of glands that control body functions in cooperation with the nervous system.
hormone
a chemical that serves as a messenger.
immune system
the cells, tissues, and organs that protect the body from disease.
immunity
the body's capacity for identifying, destroying, and disposing of disease-causing agents.
nervous system
the body system that manages the body's activities by sending and receiving messages between the brain, spinal cord, and nerves.
perception
a meaning given to an event based on a person's previous experience or understanding of it.
progressive muscle relaxation
a technique of learning to relax by focusing on relaxing each muscle group in turn.
relaxation response
the body's ability to reduce blood pressure, slow the pulse, quiet anxiety, and release tension.
resistance (in stress)
when the body mobilizes its resources to withstand the effects of the stress.
stress hormone
the hormones that control the body's reponse to stress.
stress response
the body's response to a demand or stressor.
stress
the effect of physical and psychological demands on a person.
stressor
a physical or psychological demand that reqiures a person to adapt to a situation.
venting
the act of verbally expressing one's feelings.
addiction
a physical or psychological dependence on a particular substance, habit, or behavior.
anxiety
an emotional state of high energy that triggers the stress response.
behavior therapy
therapy in which a therapist helps a person break from an unhealthy pattern of behavior through a system of rewards and desensitization.
bipolar disorder
extreme highs and lows of emotion.
codependent
focused on the needs of others to the extent that the person's own needs are neglected.
depression
a persistent feeling of apathy, hopelessness, or despair.
eating disorders
extreme, unhealthy eating habits, often related to an obsession with weight or appearance.
enabling
misguided "helping.
grief
the emotional response to a major loss, such as the death of a loved one.
guilt
the normal feeling that arises from the conscience when a person acts against internal values.
mental illness
disorders of thought, emotion, or behavior that cause distress and reduce a person's ability to function.
OCD
an uncontrollable fixation on specific thoughts and behaviors.
phobia
an extreme, irrational fear of an object or situation.
PTSD
a serious stress reaction in response to a terrifying event.
psychotherapy
a type of therapy in which a patient discusses problems with a trained therapist.
schizophrenia
a severe mental disorder that causes people to lose touch with reality.
shame
a feeling of being inherently unworthy.
therapy
any activity or treatment that helps a person cope with a mental or emotional problem.