15: Stress, Coping, and Health - Vulnerability and Protective Factors

Question 1

Vulnerability and Protective Factors

Answer 1

• Vulnerability factors – increase people’s susceptibility to stressful events (includes lack of a support network, poor coping skills, tendencies to become anxious, etc.)
• Protective factors – environmental or personal resources that help people cope more effectively (includes social support, coping skills, and personality factors such as optimism)

Question 2

Social Support

Answer 2

• One of the most important environmental resources that people can have
• Enhances immune system functioning
• Discussing traumatic incidences can enhance immune system functioning

Question 3

Focus on Neuroscience

The Neuroscience of Social Support

Question 4

Cognitive Protective Factors: The Importance of Beliefs

Hardiness

Answer 4

a stress-resistant personality pattern that involves the factors of commitment, control, and challenge

• believe what they are doing is important
• View themselves as having control over outcomes (strongest stress buffer)
• Appraise demands of situations as challenges or opportunities, rather than threats

Question 5

Cognitive Protective Factors: The Importance of Beliefs

Coping Self-Efficacy

Answer 5

beliefs relating to our ability to deal effectively with a stressful stimulus or situation

Question 6

Cognitive Protective Factors: The Importance of Beliefs

Optimism

Answer 6

Optimistic people are at lowered risk for anxiety and depression when confronted with stress

Question 7

Cognitive Protective Factors: The Importance of Beliefs

Personality Factors

Question 8

Cognitive Protective Factors: The Importance of Beliefs

Finding Meaning in Stressful Life Events

Question 9

Physiological Reactivity

Physiological Toughness

Answer 9

relations between two classes of hormones secreted by the adrenal glands in the face of stress

• Catecholamines (which includes epinephrine and norepinephrine) and corticosteroids (cortisol) mobilize the body’s fight-or-flight response
• Cortisol’s arousal affects last much longer, seem more damaging than those produced by catecholamines
  
  • Reduces immune system functioning and helps create fatty deposits in arteries that lead to disease
  • Catecholamines increase immune system functioning
• Fact that physical exercise entail catecholamine-produced arousal may help account for exercise’s health-enhancing effects

Question 10

Physiological Reactivity

Physiological Toughness includes:

Answer 10

• A low resting level of cortisol, low levels of cortisol secretion in response to stressors, and a quick return to baseline level of cortisol after stress is over
• A low resting level of catecholamines, but a quick and strong catecholamine response when the stressor occurs, followed by a quick decline in catecholamine secretion and arousal when the stressor is over

Question 11

Fronteirs

Stress and Working Memory