Glossary

active life expectancy: the number of years a person can expect to live without disability

alarm reaction: first stage of the general adaptation syndrome; characterized as the body’s immediate physiological reaction to a threatening situation or some other emergency; analogous to the fight-or-flight response

andropause: age-related hormone changes in men due to lower testosterone levels

arthritis: arthritis is inflammation of one or more of the joints, characterized by joint pain and stiffness, which typically worsen with age

artificial insemination: the deliberate introduction of sperm into a female’s cervix in order to become pregnant by means other than sexual intercourse

biofeedback: stress-reduction technique using electronic equipment to measure a person’s involuntary (neuromuscular and autonomic) activity and provide feedback to help the person gain a level of voluntary control over these processes

blue zones: regions of the world where Dan Buettner claims people live much longer than average

cardiovascular disorders: disorders that involve the heart and blood circulation systemstage of exhaustion: third stage of the general adaptation syndrome; the body’s ability to resist stress becomes depleted; illness, disease, and even death may occur

centenarians: people aged 100 or older

chlamydia: a sexually transmitted infection caused by the bacterium chlamydia trachomatis

chronic inflammation: when the body’s immune system is working to fight off infections and toxins for prolonged periods of time, having a negative impact on tissues and organs

climacteric: term used to describe the menopausal period and hormonal changes associated with the gradual change in ovarian production

cochlear implant: electronic device that consists of a microphone, a speech processor, and an electrode array to directly stimulate the auditory nerve to transmit information to the brain

conductive hearing loss: failure in the vibration of the eardrum and/or movement of the ossicles

coping: mental or behavioral efforts used to manage problems relating to stress, including its cause and the unpleasant feelings and emotions it produces

cortisol: stress hormone released by the adrenal glands when encountering a stressor; helps to provide a boost of energy, thereby preparing the individual to take action

daily hassles: minor irritations and annoyances that are part of our everyday lives and are capable of producing stress

distress: bad form of stress; usually high in intensity; often leads to exhaustion, fatigue, feeling burned out; associated with erosions in performance and health

endometriosis: a condition in which the layer of tissue that normally covers the inside of the uterus, grows outside of it

eustress: good form of stress; low to moderate in intensity; associated with positive feelings, as well as optimal health and performance

fight-or-flight response: set of physiological reactions (increases in blood pressure, heart rate, respiration rate, and sweat) that occur when an individual encounters a perceived threat; these reactions are produced by activation of the sympathetic nervous system and the endocrine system

free radical theory of aging (FRTA): theory that organisms age because cells accumulate free radical damage over time

gamete intrafallopian tube transfer: involves implanting both sperm and ova into the fallopian tube which allows fertilization to occur naturally

general adaptation syndrome: Hans Selye’s three-stage model of the body’s physiological reactions to stress and the process of stress adaptation: alarm reaction, stage of resistance, and stage of exhaustion

generalized slowing hypothesis: the theory that processing in all parts of the nervous system, including the brain, is less efficient

gonorrhea: a sexually transmitted infection (STI) caused by the bacterium neisseria gonorrhoeae

Hayflick limit: the number of times a normal human cell population will divide before cell division stops

health psychology: subfield of psychology devoted to studying psychological influences on health, illness, and how people respond when they become ill
heart disease: several types of adverse heart conditions, including those that involve the heart’s arteries or valves or those involving the inability of the heart to pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs; can include heart attack and stroke

hypertension: high blood pressure that can lead to severe complications and increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, and death

hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis: set of structures found in both the limbic system (hypothalamus) and the endocrine system (pituitary gland and adrenal glands) that regulate many of the body’s physiological reactions to stress through the release of hormones

immune system: various structures, cells, and mechanisms that protect the body from foreign substances that can damage the body’s tissues and organs

immunosuppression: decreased effectiveness of the immune system

in vitro fertilization: this procedure involves removing eggs from the female, fertilizing the eggs outside the woman’s body, and then reinserting into the woman’s uterus

life expectancy: a statistical measure of the average time an organism is expected to live, based on the year of its birth, its current age and other demographic factors including gender

job burnout: general sense of emotional exhaustion and cynicism in relation to one’s job; consists of three dimensions: exhaustion, depersonalization, and sense of diminished personal accomplishment

job strain: work situation involving the combination of excessive job demands and workload with little decision making latitude or job control

lymphocytes: white blood cells that circulate in the body’s fluids and are especially important in the body’s immune response

Ménière’s disease: results in a degeneration of inner ear structures that can lead to hearing loss, tinnitus, vertigo, and an increase in pressure within the inner ear

menopause:  period of transition in which a woman’s ovaries stop releasing eggs and the level of estrogen and progesterone production decreases

osteoporosis: a condition in which the bones become brittle, fragile, and thin, often brought about by a lack of calcium in the diet

primary aging: aging that is irreversible and is due to genetic predisposition

primary appraisal: judgment about the degree of potential harm or threat to well-being that a stressor might entail

psychoneuroimmunology: field that studies how psychophysiological disorders: physical disorders or diseases in which symptoms are brought about or worsened by stress and emotional factorspsychological factors (such as stress) influence the immune system and immune functioning

osteosarcopenia: when someone has both sarcopenia and osteoporosis, or both muscle and bone tissue loss

Parkinson’s disease: long-term degenerative disorder of the central nervous system which mainly affects the motor system, first characterized by shaking, rigidity, slowness of movement, and difficulty with walking, but thinking and behavioral problems may also occur

perceived control: peoples’ beliefs concerning their capacity to influence and shape outcomes in their lives

pelvic inflammatory disease: an infection of the upper part of the female reproductive system, namely the uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries, and inside of the pelvis

peripheral slowing hypothesis: the theory that overall processing speed declines with age in the peripheral nervous system

presbycusis: age-related sensorineural hearing loss resulting from degeneration of the cochlea or associated structures of the inner ear or auditory nerves

presbyopia: farsightedness caused by loss of flexibility of the lens of the eye as a result of aging

quality of life: the general well-being of individuals and societies, including life satisfaction, physical health, family, education, employment, wealth, safety, security, freedom, religious beliefs, and the environment

relaxation response technique: stress reduction technique combining elements of relaxation and meditation

sarcopenia: the technical term for the loss of muscle tissue and function as we age

secondary aging: refers to changes that are caused by illness or disease

secondary appraisal: judgment of options available to cope with a stressor and their potential effectiveness

Selective Optimization with Compensation (SOC): a strategy for improving health and well being in older adults and a model for successful aging

senescence: biological aging and the gradual deterioration of functional abilities

sensorineural hearing loss: failure to transmit neural signals from the cochlea to the brain

Social Readjustment Rating Scale (SRRS): popular scale designed to measure stress; consists of 43 potentially stressful events, each of which has a numerical value quantifying how much readjustment is associated with the event

social support: soothing and often beneficial support of others; can take different forms, such as advice, guidance, encouragement, acceptance, emotional comfort, and tangible assistance

stage of resistance: second stage of the general adaptation syndrome; the body adapts to a stressor for a period of time

stress: process whereby an individual perceives and responds to events that one appraises as overwhelming or threatening to one’s well-being
stressors: environmental events that may be judged as threatening or demanding; stimuli that initiate the stress process

temporal theory of pitch perception: sound’s frequency is coded by the activity level of a sensory neuron

Type A: psychological and behavior pattern exhibited by individuals who tend to be extremely competitive, impatient, rushed, and hostile toward others

Type B: psychological and behavior pattern exhibited by a person who is relaxed and laid back

type 2 diabetes (T2D): diabetes characterized by high blood sugar, insulin resistance, and relative lack of insulin primarily from obesity or lack of exercise

vertigo: spinning sensation

zygote intrafallopian tube transfer: sperm and ova are fertilized outside of the woman’s body and the zygote is then implanted in the fallopian tube to allow the zygote to travel and embed in the lining of the uterus naturally