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
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
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 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