2. Stress & Illness Flashcards
The three conceptions of stress :-)
- Stress as Stimulus 2. Stress as Reaction / Response 3. Stress as Transaction / Process
Stress as Stimulus: Three scales of Stressing Events
- Catastrophes 2. Major Life Events 3. Daily Hassles
Stress as Stimulus: Which stressor is the strongest predictor of well-being
Daily Hassles! Yet, very dramatic events (Traumas) slighlty higher effect, but comparable in effect!!
Stress as Stimulus: Sources of Stress?
- Within Person (conflict, illness) 2. Family (divorce, death) 3. Community (jobs, discrimination) 4. Environment (overcrowding, noise)
Stress as Process: Name a Model & Author
Lazarus: Transactional Model of Stress
Stress as Process:
Explain The Model
Stress as Process:
What influences appraisals?
Stress as Process:
What influences appraisals?
- Individual Characteristics
- Self-Efficacy
- Personality
- Situation Characteristics
- Ambiguity
- Timing
- Controllability
Definition Self-Efficacy
How well I PERCEIVE that I can organize and carry out behaviours necessary to cope with potentially ambiguous and stressful situations?
Elaborate:
Cold Pressure Task to Measure Self Efficacy
VP:
- Evaluate their self-efficacy
- Put Hand in Bucket with Cold Water
- Cognitive (self-efficacy) / placebo / no instruction groups
RESULT:
- Baseline self-efficacy to withstand pain significantly correlated with ability to withstand pain longer
- Cognitive group significantly correlated with ability to withstand pain longer
Stress as Process:
Which Personality Factors Impact Stress Appraisal?
- Hardiness
- Sense of Coherence
- Optimism
- Resilience
Stress as Process: Ambiguity
lack of clarity in a situation
Stress as Process: Timing
Events occur later or earlier than expected
♦ earlier: having a baby with 16
♦ later: starting university with 75
♦ other: become sick during exam period
Stress as Process: Controllability
- Personal Control
- Circumstances outside of Control
Distinguish between:
- behavioural control (to late for exam)
- cognitive control (eg unable to stop worrying)
- > perceived control more important than actual control
Define Stress as a Stimulus
Flight-or-Fight Response:
- innate reaction to threatening stimulus
- evolutionarily adaptive
- functions of physical indicators
- heart acceleration
- rapid breathing
- slowed digestion
- sweating
- feeling tense / jumping
Stress as Stimulus: GAS
General Adaptive Syndrom. 3 Phases:
- alarm reaction
- stage of resistance
- stage of exhaustion
Two definitions of Stress
- Stress = when demand exceeds resources
- Stress = the negative feelings and beliefs that arise whenever people feel unable to cope with demands from their environment
Stress and common cold
Correlative Studies. The higher the psychological stress index, the higher the percentage of people who caught the common cold.
Model: Stress and Health
Experience Stress –> Unhealthy Behaviours –> weaken Immune System
Experience Stress –> Stress hormones –> weaken Immune System
Weaken Immune System -> Illness
Experience Stress —> Illness
Stress and Heart Problems: Macaque
- subordinate macaque: show more atherosclerosis
- high ranking macaque: more coronary heart disease
Stress and Illness (3 Illnesses)
- Digestive System Disorders: Ulcer, Bowel Disease
- HD:
. constricted blood vessels = increased blood pressure
. clogging arteries (fatty acids, circulating plateles) - Cancer (several proposed mechanisms)
2 Ways to Measure Stress
- Physiological
- Self-report
Name to Self-Report Measures
- social readjustment Rating Scale (life events rated btw 0 - 100, 300+ at risk of illness)
- daily hassles
- perceived stress scale
Definition Coping
The process by which people try to manage the perceived discrepancy between the demands of a situation and the resources available to them.
Name 3 different coping styles
- Problem-focused coping
- Emotion-focused coping
- Avoidant coping
5 different kinds of Social Support
- Emotional
- Instrumental
- Informational
- Companionship
- Validation
Verankert im Lazarus Model: Name 3 ways of Coping
- Stressful Event -> Eliminate Event
- Primary Appraisal -> Change Cognition
- Secondary Appraisal -> Build Resources
How can Social Support lessen Stress (Name 2 Mechanisms)
- Buffering
- Direct Effects
Explain how Buffering Effects due to Social Support works
- Appraisal (influence how you perceive stressor, due to other interpretation of friend / expectation of social support of friend)
- Coping (the friend assists in coping)
Direct effects of social support
- more self-esteem, belongingness (benefits health independent of stress)
- lead healthier life-style
Common Cold and Social Support
People who have objectively more support or perceive more social report are less likely to catch the common cold.
Name 3 Personality Characteristics that influence stress
- Optimism
- Hardiness
- Personality Type
Define Hardiness
3 C:
- Control (belief that you can influence events in your life)
- Commitment (sense of purpose or involvement in in events, activities, and people in lives)
- Challenge (view changes as incentives or opportunities for growth rather than threats to security)
Personality Type and Stress
Type A personality: increased risk of CHD
- competitive
- impatient
- achievement orientated
- hostile
- confrontational
Locus of Control: 3 external factors
- Environment
- Powerful other
- Chance
How can Stress be Reduced?
- CBT
- Exposure
- Mindfulness
- Problem-Solving
- Progressive Muscle Relaxation
- Social Learning
Problem-Solving (7 steps)
Step 1: Define Problem
Step 2: Brainstorm Solutions
Step 3: Consider Pros & Cons of alternatives
Step 4: Select best alternatives
Step 5: Implement Strategy
Step 6: Evaluate outcome
Step 7: Try out alternative strategy
Mindfulness
Nonjudmental awareness of the present moment experience while encouraging openess, curiosity and acceptance.
