14a - Stress, Coping, and Health Flashcards
What is stress?
A state brought on by a situation that threatens, or appears to threaten, one’s sense of well-being and ability to cope.
What two main factors affects the severity of stress?
- Perception of situation (appraisal)
- Ability to cope
What is a stressor?
Anything that triggers a stress response.
What are the two types of stressors?
- Acute stressor
- Chronic stressor
What is an acute stressor?
Short-term stress (psych test).
What is a chronic stressor?
Long-term pain (unemployment).
What type of stress is beneficial?
Short-term stress
Why may acute stress be beneficial?
It is often adaptive - mobilizes resources to overcome a threatening event.
What physical health problems can chronic stress cause? (3)
- Cardiovascular disease
- Hypertension
- Diabetes
What mental health problems can chronic stress cause? (3)
- Depression
- PTSD
- Substance abuse
What feelings can stress manifest as? (4)
Feeling…
- Frustrated
- Pressured
- Conflicted
- Endangered
When could a feeling of frustration arise from stress?
When goals are blocked.
When could a feeling of pressure arise from stress?
From the perception of having to live up to some expectation - set by either yourself or others.
When could a feeling of confliction arise from stress?
When goals or impulses appear to clash which means we often have to make a decision by weighing alternatives.
When could a feeling of endangerment arise from stress?
In life-threatening situations.
Give examples of acute and chronic stressors that may cause feelings of frustration.
Acute: Stuck in traffic when late for work
Chronic: Stuck in a job, passed over for a promotion
Give examples of stressors that may cause feelings of pressure (from yourself and others).
- A term paper due next week (others)
- Not knowing what to wear to a school social (yourself)
What are the three types of conflict?
- Approach-Approach
- Avoidance-Avoidance
- Approach-Avoidance
What is approach-approach conflict?
You must choose between 2 desirable options.
What is avoidance-avoidance conflict?
You have to choose between two aversive options.
What is approach-avoidance conflict?
When a choice comes with desirable and undesirable consequences.
Give an example of an approach-approach conflict.
You are choosing who to date between two good people.
Give an example of an approach-avoidance conflict.
One of the people you might decide to date has an awful friend group. (Often leads to protracted agonizing decision process)
Give an example of an avoidance-avoidance conflict.
You are choosing to study math or physics. (Often leads to procrastination)
What is a life change?
Major shifts in circumstance that require “adjustments”.
What is the SRRS?
Social Readjustment Rating Scale
How many items on the SRRS?
43
What are the units on the SRRS called?
Life change units
What are life change units based on?
Based on rankings of perceived stressfulness.
Are all items on the SRRS negative?
No - for example there is marriage, vacation, and outstanding personal achievement.
What is the highest scoring item on the SRRS?
Death of a spouse (100)
What can SRRS scores predict?
Stress-based illness - scores of people the year before they became ill were significantly higher than people who didn’t become sick (respiratory illness, cancers, etc).
What are the scores you can receive on the SRRS?
Little stress: <150
Mild stress: 150-199
Moderate stress: 200-299
Major stress: >300
What are some criticisms of the SRRS? (2)
- Has more negative than positive events
- Doesn’t include stress from non-life-changing events… e.g. not getting married or not getting a promotion
What are daily hassles?
Everyday annoyances or common experiences that may frequently produce stress, also called “micro-stressors”.
Give some examples of daily hassles.
Traffic, bad weather, unexpected data charges, no parking, tuition hikes, interpersonal problems, etc.
What is a better predictor of negative health effects, major life stressors, or daily hassles?
Daily hassles
What is used to measure a persons daily hassles?
Daily Hassle Scale
What are the three options for the frequency of experiencing each item on the daily hassles scale?
0 - almost never
5 - sometimes
10 - frequently
What score is considered ‘very low’ on the daily hassles scale?
40 or below
What score is considered higher than average on the daily hassles scale?
270 or more
What are the three levels of response to stress?
- Psychological
- Emotional
- Cognitive
Changes in _____ often accompany stress.
mood
What three psychological disorders have been linked?
Stress, anxiety, and depression.
What are some negative emotions that may accompany stress?
Fear, dejection, grief, annoyance, anger, rage, guilt, shame, disgust, or jealousy.
Who put forward the cognitive-mediational theory of stress?
Richard Lazarus
What is the cognitive-mediational theory of stress?
How stressful an event is depends on how we appraise the severity of the situation and our ability to manage it.
How many stages of appraisal do we go through when assessing a stressful situation?
Two
What happens during a primary appraisal of a stressful situation?
We assess the situation and determine its severity and implications for us.
Give an example of a primary appraisal of a situation.
I have a test next week worth 25% of
my final grade.
What happens during a secondary appraisal of a stressful situation?
We consider our ability to cope with the event (evaluate the resources we have).
Give an example of a secondary appraisal of a situation.
OK, I’ve been attending classes all along. I’ve been reading the text also and making study notes. I got this.
What is a major factor in the appraisal process?
The control we have over a situation - the more control we have over a stressful event, the less stressed we will be about it.
Describe the results of the executive monkey study (1950s).
Monkey who controlled the shock showed the most signs of stress (ulcers, weight loss, etc).
Are the results of the 1950’s ‘Executive Monkey Study’ representative of what we know to be true?
No
Describe the results of the 1970s Weiss study exploring control and stress.
Rats who could not control the shock were more stressed.
What are the four important factors in individual stress responses?
- Autonomic Nervous System reactivity
- Personality
- Explanatory style
- Social support
How does explanatory style effect individual stress response?
Our characteristic pattern of explaining events (including potentially stressful ones).
What are the two general explanatory styles?
Optimistic and pessimistic.
What is the optimistic explanatory style?
Despite setbacks and losses, things will improve.
What is the pessimistic explanatory style?
If things can go wrong, they probably will and negative effects will be enduring and global.
Is the executive monkey study representative of what we now know to be true about control and stress?
No
Describe the results of Weiss’ 1970s study on control and stress.
The rats who could not control the shock were stressed.
What four factors impact how susceptible people are to stress?
- Autonomic nervous system
- Personality
- Explanatory style
- Social support
What is an explanatory style?
Our pattern of explaining events.
Describe optimistic explanatory style.
Despite setbacks and losses, things will improve.
Describe pessimistic explanatory style.
If things can go wrong, they will and the negative effects will be enduring and global.
Whats the benefits of having an optimistic explanatory style? (2)
- Less likely to see situations as negatively impacting.
- More likely to adopt constructive coping strategies.
What are possible effects of social support on individual stress?
- May be a source of stress (shallow friends, unruly neighbours).
- People with strong social support stress less than those who are lonely.
Why does social support reduce stress? (4)
- Increased confidence/self-esteem
- Sense of control/optimism
- Others may provide positive appraisal of situations
- Presence of others reduces arousal
