14.2 stress and its consequences for health Flashcards
stressors
events that provoke a stress response
the stress response
the physiological reactions that occur in stressfull situations
richard lazarus
susan folkman
the cognitive appraisal theory of stress
the cognitive appraisal theory of stress
primary appraisal
first, stress arises from our thinking of some aspect of the current situation as a threat to us or our goals
- if the primary appraisal doesn’t lead us to conclude that a threat exists we return to a calm and relaxed state
- if we do perceive a threat, that will stimulate the physiological changes that form part of the stress response
- the stress response also has an emotional component, resulting in our experiencing fear, anger, or perhaps even glee
secondary appraisal
once the stress response is underway, the next step is to engage in a secondary appraisal
the purpose of the appraisal is to develop a plan of action for dealing with the threat
-ex. if you are terrified of public speaking, but you must do a presentation for a class that might trigger a primary appraisal of a threat, and a stress response. during the secondary appraisal, an effort to resolve the threat might involve practicing to get more comfortable speaking to an audience
-ppl can find themselves in a constant state of stress when there is no way for them to resolve the threat during the secondary appraisal phase
common stressors
work
personal safety
social relationships
Holmes and Rahe’s social readjustment rating scale
provides a numerical stress value to each type of common stressful event that a person might experience
-collecting 300+ stress points in a year increases a person’s risk for developing heart problems, and other illnesses or infections
stress is not always a bad thing
the higher arousal that comes with the stress response tends to help us do better at performing simple tasks
choking under pressure
experiencing a stress response when trying to do something difficult
walter cannon
called the physical response to stress, the fight or flight response
-he thought that the biological changes that came with stress were for supporting either engaging in battle or running away
Hans selye
general adaptation syndrome
general adaptation syndrome
stage 1- alarm phase
stage 2- resistance phase
stage 3- exhaustion stage
alarm phase
our deciding that there is a threat results in a common arousal response
resistance phase
corresponds to the secondary appraisal phase
-seek a plan for dealing with the stressor that has put us into the alarm phase, then we will carry out that plan
exhaustion phase
if we are not able to resolve the source of our stress reaction
- in this phase are systems are too depleted to maintain the heightened level of arousal that we have achieved to give us the extra resources that we need to perceive threat
- at this point the strength of our arousal will eventually vanish
alarm phase begins in the brains..
hypothalamus, once hypothalamus receives info there is a threat that structure pulls the alarm by stimulating the sympathetic nervous system part of our autonomic nervous system
- in turn in inner part of the adrenal glands (adrenal medulla) secretes epinephrine and norepinephrine-> hormones that increase heart rate, perspiration, blood flow to muscles (physiological arousal)
- at the same time the hypothalamus stimulates the sympathetic nervous system, it also heightens arousal by participating in a neural circuit called the hypothalamic pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA axis)
hypothalamic pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA axis)
hypothalamus releases corticotrophin which stimulates anterior pituitary gland to release adrenocorticotrophic hormone. adrenal cortex detects the hormone and then releases hormone cortisol- suppress immune system (reduce inflammation,) increase availability of blood sugar
chronic stress
is a serious health risk
gender difference in stress response
diff happens in secondary appraisal phase
males usually engage in fight or flight repossess when under stress
females are more likely to engage in tend and befriend responses during stressful situations
Oxytocin
a hormone that seems important for generating feelings of trust, closeness and attachment toward other ppl
- women are more likely than men to secrete this hormone during stressful events
- heightened levels seem to suppress arousal-related hormones, such as adrenocorticotrophic hormone and cortisol
vasopressin
is a hormone that suppresses the release of arousal related hormones such as epinephrine and norepinephrine
ppl who are happy in their social relationships have higher levels of
oxytocin and vasopressin coursing through their veins
in a study of married couples,
couples who interacted in a positive way had higher levels of oxytocin and vasopressin than couples who had fewer positive and supportive responses to one another
-blister wounds healed more quickly in the participants with higher levels of oxytocin and vasopressin
psychoneuroimmunology
a blood analysis of medical students revealed that heir immune systems were weaker during the more stressful final exam period than earlier in the term
coronary heart disease
the more stress a person experiences in their life, the more at risk they are for developing this disease
- a study of 12000 men across 9 years revealed that chronic stress placed participants at a 30% higher risk of developing heart disease
- stress causes the cardiovascular system to work too hard for too long which causes damage to the arteries
female participants were asked to solve anagrams and had an opportunity to snack while they did the task
those participants with higher levels of the stress hormone, cortisol, also consumed more of the unhealthy snacks
snacking on fatty or sugary goods stimulates the reward systems that rely on the neurotransmitter dopamine
the stress reaction suppresses these pleasure centers, so snacking on empty calories might be a way for us to correct the imbalance
Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)
high norepinephrine levels (caused by chronic stress) can worsen the health of ppl with aids
Human immunodeficiency virus HIV
HIV is the virus that can lead to AIDS, the treatment for HIV positive individuals is less effective when they experience higher levels of stress
cancer and stress
elevated stress hormones enable cancer cells to grow faster and weaken our immune system response to cancerous cells
Type A personality
high on impatience and anxiety, they get frustrated and angry easily, extremely competitive, and extremely devoted to achieving at a high level
Type B personality
very easy going, non competitive, very patient and are not particularly motivated to achieve the highest level
people classified as type A are somewhat more likely than those classified as type B to develop ____________
coronary heart disease and to suffer from strokes
-however, the problem might be when type A ppl respond with frequent hostility when they experience stressful reactions or because they respond with unhealthy behaviours, like overeating, overconsumption of drugs and alcohol and not getting enough sleep
stress
a reaction that arises from the perception that our abilities or mental resources are insufficient for meeting the demands of a situation
-thinking that we wont have enough time to meet our obligations is one common cause of stress reactions
