PSY HW #10 - This is the homework assignment #10 on psychophysiological illnesses, why people PDF

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This is the homework assignment #10 on psychophysiological illnesses, why people smoke, the power of positive thinking, and the difference between type A and type B individuals. ...

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1. Distinguish between a psychophysiological illness and hypochondriasis. A psychophysiological illness is one that is a physical illness attributed to the amount of stress a person is under, like high blood pressure. Psychophysiological illness are real illnesses and hypochondriasis in the misinterpretation of normal sensation as one of a harmful disease. Further, a hypochondriac is a person who is obsessed about having an undiagnosed serious medical condition. 2. Explain why people smoke. Cigarettes contain a highly addictive drug which is nicotine. Nicotine stimulates the brain and it induces a state of increased alertness. With high levels of nicotine in the body, it relaxes muscles and triggers the release of neurotransmitters that can relieve stress. Nicotine triggers the release of epinephrine and norepinephrine which gets rid of your appetite. Also, for a short period of time, the nicotine can calm down anxiety and reduce one’s sensitivity to pain since it reduces the circulation to extremities. Even if a person wanted to stop smoking, it would be highly difficult because of the addictive substance of nicotine and the withdrawal symptoms that are negative. Some withdrawal symptoms are strong craving, insomnia, anxiety, irritability, and distractibility; these are all symptoms that will make a person relapse.

3. Nonsmokers are less likely to become depressed and get divorced. What type of research finding is this, and what explanations might it have?

This is a correlational research finding. One explanation could be that people who don’t smoke make healthier decisions and therefore maintain healthier relationships, so they don't have a need for divorce. Further, people who are depressed and have bad relationships with people may look at smoking as an outlet. Additionally, the environment that the person grew up in could play a role in their need for smoking and divorce.

4. A self-help book declares that you can prevent cancer through “the power of positive thinking.” How would you evaluate this claim? Positive thinking does not prevent cancer cells from forming in the body since they occur because of the person’s environment and biological makeup. Positive thinking does influence immune functioning because it seems to increase it. In some cases, positive thinking can slow the rate of growth for tumors. Positive thinking is seen as powerful because negative thinking can make health problems worse because it increases the amount of stress hormones in the body and it reduces the amount of T-cells in the body. Without a large amount of T-cells, people are more at risk for infections and an increase in cancerous cells. Therefore, positive thinking can’t stop you from getting cancer, but it can help you fight it by boosting your immune system.

5. A Chinese proverb warns, “The fire you kindle for your enemy often burns you more than him.” How is this true of Type A individuals? This is true for Type A individuals because they are prone to expressing negative emotions such as anger and when negative emotions are expressed frequently, the person is more at risk for heart disease and other health problems. When a person gets angry or feels depressed, the sympathetic nervous system takes blood away from the liver which makes fat and cholesterol in the blood stream. The fat and cholesterol usually goes near the heart and other organs which leads to severe health problems. Type A personalities constantly have problems with negative emotions which is the “fire” and it ends up burning the person with the type A personality because they are harming themselves more than the other person....