By Emily Hooker and Sarah Pressman, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, University of Calfornia, Irvine. Our emotions, thoughts, and behaviors play an important role in our health. Not only do they influence our day-to-day health practices, but they can also influence how our body functions. This module provides an overview of health psychology, which is a field devoted to understanding the connections between psychology and health. Discussed here are examples of topics a health psychologist might study, including stress, psychosocial factors related to health and disease, how to use psychology to improve health, and the role of psychology in medicine.

Psychology is designed to meet scope and sequence requirements for the single-semester introduction to psychology course. The book offers a comprehensive treatment of core concepts, grounded in both classic studies and current and emerging research. The text also includes coverage of the DSM-5 in examinations of psychological disorders. Psychology incorporates discussions that reflect the diversity within the discipline, as well as the diversity of cultures and communities across the globe.Senior Contributing AuthorsRose M. Spielman, Formerly of Quinnipiac UniversityContributing AuthorsKathryn Dumper, Bainbridge State CollegeWilliam Jenkins, Mercer UniversityArlene Lacombe, Saint Joseph's UniversityMarilyn Lovett, Livingstone CollegeMarion Perlmutter, University of Michigan

By the end of this section, you will be able to:Appreciate the diversity of interests and foci within psychologyUnderstand basic interests and applications in each of the described areas of psychologyDemonstrate familiarity with some of the major concepts or important figures in each of the described areas of psychology

Opening image caption:Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. (credit "background": modification of work by Nattachai Noogure; credit "top left": modification of work by U.S. Navy; credit "top middle-left": modification of work by Peter Shanks; credit "top middle-right": modification of work by "devinf"/Flickr; credit "top right": modification of work by Alejandra Quintero Sinisterra; credit "bottom left": modification of work by Gabriel Rocha; credit "bottom middle-left": modification of work by Caleb Roenigk; credit "bottom middle-right": modification of work by Staffan Scherz; credit "bottom right": modification of work by Czech Provincial Reconstruction Team)Psychology is designed to meet scope and sequence requirements for the single-semester introduction to psychology course. The book offers a comprehensive treatment of core concepts, grounded in both classic studies and current and emerging research. The text also includes coverage of the DSM-5 in examinations of psychological disorders. Psychology incorporates discussions that reflect the diversity within the discipline, as well as the diversity of cultures and communities across the globe.

By the end of this section, you will be able to:Differentiate between stimulus-based and response-based definitions of stressDefine stress as a processDifferentiate between good stress and bad stressDescribe the early contributions of Walter Cannon and Hans Selye to the stress research fieldUnderstand the physiological basis of stress and describe the general adaptation syndrome

A short introduction to psychological approaches to regulating stress. Topics include coping strategies, problem focused coping, emotion focused coping, perceived control, health, social support, exercise, relaxation response technique, and biofeedback. Duration: 2:44.

A brief introductory lesson on the relationship between stress and illness. Topics include psychophysiological disorders, disease prone personality characteristics, immune system, psychoneuroimmunology, stress hormones, healing, heart disease, personality, emotional states, asthma, tension headaches. Duration: 4:51.

A brief introduction to the psychological construct of stressors. Topics include chronic stressors, acute stressors, traumatic events, life changes, social readjustment rating scale, hassles, workload stress, job strain, depersonalization, diminished personal accomplishment, relationship stressors, and health psychology. Duration: 2:41

A brief introduction to a specific emotion, happiness, and important concepts related to happiness. Topics include defining happiness, happiness levels, factors that affect happiness, wealth and happiness, positive psychology, positive affect, health effects, and flow. Duration: 3:06.