coping - behaviors and thoughts that enable an individual to handle stress or anticipated stress

support group - people with a similar concern who band together to share their problems and help one another

relaxation training - set of techniques that teach individuals how to relac their muscles voluntarily as a way of reducing stress

meditation - altered state of conciousness used to achieve bodily awareness

biofeedback training - intervention procedure in which a person is taught to monitor and control an internal and normally automatic function such as heart rate

psychologically hardy - individuals who are especially resistant to illness in spite of increased stress

learned optimism - Seligman's description of a particularly effective explanatory style

explanatory style - "self-talk" we use to explain life-change events

behavioral medicine - new approach to health, incorporating knowledge from the medical, behavioral, and social sciences

dualism - philosophical position that assumes the mind and body are separate and distinct

health psychology - distinct from behavioral medicine in that it is specifically involved with the role of psychology in health and illness

The Paleolthic Prescription - approach that argues that understanding our health needs begins with understanding our evolutionary history

genetic predesposition -  hereditary tendency

behavioral control - belief that one has available responses that can affect health status or the experience of stress.

cognitive control - belief that one has cognitive strategies that can affect outcomes related to health and stress.

information control - communications about the nature of health-related situations given to the potential recipient of stressful events.

behavioral self-blame - perceiving one's self as the cause of misfortune

Type A personality - highly motivated to achieve, competitive, impatient, fast paced, and more prone to heart problems.

Type B personality - calm, relaxed, patient, and at a lower risk for heart problems that a Type A personality.

specificity theory - in health psychology, the view that certain personality traits may predispose individuals to specific health problems

generality theory - in health psychology, the view that psychological characteristics can leave individuals vulnerable to a variety of illnesses