3 stress as an example of a psychobiological process

Question 1

Stress

Answer 1

a psychobiological response produced by internal or external stressors perceived as challenging, or exceeding their ability or resources to cope

Question 2

Distress and eustress

Answer 2

Distress: a form of stress characterised by a negative psychological state

Eustress: a form of stress characterised by a positive psychological state

Question 3

Acute and chronic stress

Answer 3

Acute stress: a form of stress characterised by intense psychobiological symptoms in a brief duration

• Episodic acute stress: acute stress occurs over and over again

Chronic stress: a form of stress that endures for several months or longer

Cumulative stress: when multiple stressful events occur within a relatively short period of time

Question 4

Stressor

Answer 4

a stimulus that produces stress

Question 5

Internal and external stressors

Answer 5

Internal stressor: a stressor that originates within the individual

External stressor: a stressor which originates outside the individual from situations and events in the environment

Question 6

Fight-flight or freeze response in acute stress

Answer 6

involuntary, physical adaptive response to a sudden threat (stressor) in readiness to:

• fight: confront the threat
• flight: escape the threat
• freeze: keep still/silent

occurs before brain’s visual info. processing interprets what is happening

Question 7

Fight or flight reactions

Answer 7

Part 1: hypothalamus » activates sympathetic NS » stimulates adrenal glands (adrenal medulla) » secrete adrenaline & noradrenaline (stress hormones)

Part 2: hypothalamus » stimulates pituitary gland » release hormones to stimulate adrenal glands (adrenal cortex) » secrete cortisol (stress hormone)

Question 8

Freeze reaction

Answer 8

• avoid detection & conserve energy until predator loses interest
• energy conserving actions of the parasympathetic NS dominate

Question 9

Role of cortisol in chronic stress

Answer 9

• used to deal w stressor over a long time
• adrenaline & noradrenaline DON’T last long so HPA axis is activated
• energises body to increase blood sugar (metabolism)
• activates liver » releases glucose » activate muscles
• anti-inflammatory effect on the body
• leads to impaired immune system (e.g. diabetes)

Question 10

Gut-brain axis

Answer 10

• bi-directional, multi-faceted communication b/w central & enteric NS
• gut disruptions affect our mood, emotional arousal, motivation, behaviour & cognitive abilities

Question 11

Gut microbiota

Answer 11

• microorganisms (e.g. bacteria, viruses and fungi) present in an individual’s digestive tract
• microbiome can be affected by both internal & external factors (e.g. diet, infection, disease, age & lifestyle choice)

Question 12

Links with stress

Answer 12

stress can disturb the GBA, gut microbiota composition & gut brain microbiome interaction, influencing development of:

• gastrointestinal disorders
• changes in psychological processes & behaviour
• vulnerability to mental health
• various other disorders

Question 13

Selye’s General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS) as a biological model of stress

Answer 13

• aim: long-term effects on stress on rats
• findings: physiological arousal pattern in response to a variety of stressors was the same
• conclusion: stress is a condition that is non-specific

Question 14

Stages of the GAS

Answer 14

Stage 1: Alarm reaction (immediate response)

• shock - decreased bodily arousal for a brief period of time
• counter shock - sym NS responses occur that mobilise the body to respond to stressor

Stage 2: Resistance (maximise resources to cope & adapt) - parasym NS activated but arousal lvl remains above normal, unncessary physiological processes shut down, cortisol released, immune system weakened

Stage 3: Exhaustion (vulnerable & weak) - physical wear & tear (e.g. extreme fatigue & if stress persists, death)

x-axis: time
y-axis: resistance to stress

Question 15

Strengths and limitations of the GAS

Answer 15

strengths:

• recognises relo b/w chronic stress n illness
• recognises a predictable pattern of physiological repsonses associated w certain stages

limitations:

• conducted on rats so CANNOT generalise to human population
• DOESN’T recognise subjective nature of stress response

Question 16

Lazarus and Folkman’s Transactional Model of Stress and Coping

Answer 16

stressor »

1. primary appraisal: individual’s evaluation of the significance of a stressor & whether anything is at stake in the encounter, resulting in a decision that it is either:

irrelevant
benign-positive
stressful »

harm/loss —assess damage already done
challenge — assess opportunity for a positive outcome
threat — assess possible additional harm in the future »

2. secondary appraisal: individual’s evaluation of their ability to control or overcome a stressful situation

coping resources are adequate » reduced stress or reappraisal
coping resources are inadequate » stress

Question 17

Strengths of the Lazarus and Folkman model

Answer 17

• explains why individuals respond in diff ways to the same types of stressors
• acknowledges that stressors & the circumstances under which they occur can change over time
• allows us to change our thinking about a stressor & our response

Question 18

Limitations of the Lazarus and Folkman model

Answer 18

• difficult to test thru experimental research bc of the subjective nature of stress responses
• we can experience a stress response w/o ever having thought about a situation (i.e appraisal isn’t essential)
• overlooks physiological responses to a stressor

Question 19

Strategies for coping with stress

Answer 19

• Context-specific effectiveness
• Coping flexibility
• Approach and avoidance coping strategies

Question 20

Context-specific effectiveness

Answer 20

in relation to coping, when there is a match or ‘good fit’ between the coping strategy that is used and the stressful situation

Question 21

Coping flexibility

Answer 21

the ability to effectively modify or adjust one’s coping strategies according to the demands of different stressors

Question 22

Approach and avoidance coping strategies

Answer 22

approach coping strategy: an effort to cope with stress by confronting the stressor and dealing directly with it and its effects

avoidance coping strategy: an effort to cope with stress by evading the stressor and dealing indirectly with it and its effects