13 Human Overload And Underload Flashcards
What is the definition of stress?
Stress is caused when the perceived demand for a task outweighs the perceived ability to complete it
What is a Stressor?
What types of Stressors are there?
What is the biggest Stressor?
- Something which causes Stress
- Physiological / Environmental
- Emotional - Occupational and Domestic
- Death of a Spouse
What is the optimum room temperature?
20 degrees C
At what Max Body Temperature is death considered likely?
43 degrees C
How long does it take the body to adapt to a hot and humid country?
2 weeks
At what body temperature does the body STOP shivering?
34.5 degrees C
At what temperature is Hypothermia a serious risk?
35 degrees C
What level does Noise cause damage to the ears?
What effects does Noise have as a Stressor?
- 90 Db
- Hard to concentrate
- Disrupts the process of storing short term memory
At what thresholds do Vibrations (as a Stressor) have what effects on the body?
- 1 to 4 Hz: Breathing difficulties
- 5 to 10 Hz: Chest/abdominal pain
- 8 to 12 Hz: Back pain
- 10 to 20 Hz: Headaches, reduced visual acuity, speech difficulties, muscle pains
What is the optimum Humidity levels?
40% to 60%
What is the average cabin Humidity?
3% to 15%
What are the three models of Stress?
- Engineering Model: Focuses on the Stressors
- Phycological Model: Focuses on the bodies reaction to Stressors
- Transactional Model: Focuses on a combination of the Stressors and the bodies reaction to Stressors
What are the associated Behavioural and Personality changes associated with Chronic Stress?
Behavioural:
- Withdrawn / introverted
- More aggressive
Personality:
- Tearful
- Anxious
+ More for both
What are the traits associated with Cognitive Stress?
- Concentration tunnelling
- Information Bias
- Regression
Describe Arousal
A phycological or physiological response to a Stressor
What are the two components of the Anitonomic Nervous System which deal with Stressors?
- Sympathetic Nervous System: Increases Arousal to deal with Stressors
- Parasympathetic Nervous System: Decreases Arousal and prolongs the bodies ability to deal with a Stressor
Name and describe the stages of the General Adaption Syndrome (GAS)
Alarm:
- Brain first becomes aware of the Stressor
- Sympathetic NS raises Arousal
- Adrenaline and glucose released into the blood
- Faster reactions and decision making (which are good)
- Working memory improves
- Resistance to other Stressors reduces
Resistance:
- Parasympathetic NS begins to lower Arousal
- Prolongs the bodies ability to deal with the Stressor
- Cortisone and more glucose released into blood
Exhaustion:
- Bodies reserves of glucose depleted
- Can become hypoglycaemic
- Brain overrides the body to keep Arousal up
- Body tries to remove as much waste from previous stages as possible
What are the three reactions to GAS (General Adaption Syndrome?)
- Phycological: The brain first becomes aware of the Stressor
- Phycosomatic: Brain triggers sympathetic NS to release adrenaline and other hormones and glucose
- Somatic: How the body and the organs react to the release of hormones and glucose
What is Response Error and what is it also known as?
- Aka Error of commission
- Where a stimulus is expected and so a response is prepared. However a different stimulus occurs but the original response is still applied
What are the main ways of coping (short term) with stress?
- Direct action: remove the stressor
- Cognitive / Inhibition: ignore or rationalise the stressor
- Symptom Directed / Palliative: Cause is ignored but the symptoms are addressed
What does Adaption mean with regards to managing stress?
Adaption is the process of reaching a new equilibrium after having coped with a Stressor
What is the first thing to ‘go’ when stress builds in the cockpit?
Communication
What percentage of pilots have suffered from Fatigue?
93%
What strategy should be put in place when faced with an anticipated period of stress?
A strategy of preparing decisions
