AP Psychology · Unit 5
AP Psychology Unit 5: Mental and Physical Health Terms
Mental and Physical Health pulls together stress, motivation, emotion, disorders, and treatment. It is also the unit where careful, respectful language matters most.
These definitions describe how psychologists classify and study experiences. They are study material, not a way to diagnose yourself or anyone else.
Study tip
For every disorder term, learn one defining feature rather than a full symptom list. Distinguishing features are what most questions actually turn on.
20 terms, defined
Stressor
Any event or condition that a person perceives as threatening or demanding.
Example: Three deadlines landing in the same 24 hours.
General adaptation syndrome
Selye's three-stage response to prolonged stress: alarm, resistance, and exhaustion.
Example: The crash that arrives the weekend after finals rather than during them.
Problem-focused coping
Reducing stress by acting directly on the source of the problem.
Example: Building a study schedule instead of avoiding the syllabus.
Emotion-focused coping
Reducing stress by managing your emotional reaction rather than the stressor itself.
Example: Going for a walk when a situation genuinely cannot be changed today.
Intrinsic motivation
Doing something because it is satisfying in itself.
Example: Reading psychology articles no one assigned.
Extrinsic motivation
Doing something for an external reward or to avoid a penalty.
Example: Studying only because the quiz is graded.
Drive-reduction theory
The idea that biological needs create drives we act to reduce, restoring balance.
Example: Thirst pushing you to drink until the need is met.
Homeostasis
The body's tendency to maintain a stable internal state.
Example: Shivering to bring body temperature back up.
James-Lange theory
The theory that emotion follows from noticing our own physiological reaction.
Example: 'My hands are shaking, so I must be afraid.'
Cannon-Bard theory
The theory that physiological arousal and the emotional experience happen at the same time.
Example: Feeling fear and feeling your heart race as one simultaneous event.
Schachter-Singer two-factor theory
The theory that emotion requires both physical arousal and a cognitive label for it.
Example: Racing heart plus 'this is a first date' being read as excitement rather than fear.
Anxiety disorder
A category of disorders defined by persistent, excessive fear or worry that disrupts daily functioning.
Example: Avoiding classes for weeks because of the possibility of being called on.
Major depressive disorder
A disorder marked by at least two weeks of depressed mood or loss of interest, along with other significant changes in functioning.
Example: Persistent loss of interest in activities that were previously enjoyable.
Bipolar disorder
A disorder involving alternating periods of depressed mood and mania or hypomania.
Example: A period of little need for sleep and rapid, expansive plans following a depressive stretch.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder
A disorder involving intrusive, unwanted thoughts and repetitive behaviors performed to reduce distress.
Example: Rechecking a lock many times despite knowing it is locked.
Schizophrenia
A disorder involving disturbances in thought, perception, and behavior, which may include hallucinations or delusions.
Example: Speech that moves between loosely connected ideas.
Diathesis-stress model
The view that disorders emerge when a predisposition is combined with significant environmental stress.
Example: A genetic vulnerability appearing only after a period of prolonged hardship.
Cognitive behavioral therapy
A treatment approach that targets unhelpful thought patterns and the behaviors that maintain them.
Example: Testing the belief 'I'll fail no matter what' against actual recorded outcomes.
Systematic desensitization
Gradually pairing relaxation with increasingly close contact with a feared stimulus.
Example: Working from photos of dogs up to standing near a calm dog.
Biomedical therapy
Treatment that changes the body's functioning directly, most often through medication.
Example: Prescribed medication used alongside talk therapy.
Want these as illustrated flashcards?
The free 25-term Psychology Decoder gives you the foundational vocabulary as printable, illustrated cards — plus a study system and a self-quiz. No cost, no subscription.
Get the Free 25 Terms →Do this next — 2 minutes
For three disorders, write the symptom pattern rather than the label.
Watch the lesson
Keep going
Unit 1
Biological Bases
22 terms with examples
Unit 2
Cognition
20 terms with examples
Unit 3
Development & Learning
22 terms with examples
Unit 4
Social & Personality
20 terms with examples
Foundations
Perspectives & Foundations
9 terms with examples
Research Methods
Research Methods
12 terms with examples
Or browse every term in the glossary.