7) Stress 2

Question 1

Physiological stress reactivity comes from noradrenaline release, from where?

Answer 1

The Locus Coeruleus.

It can help enhance memory retrieval/formation

Question 2

What are some key effects of prenatal stress?

Answer 2

• In the Dutch Hunger Winter:
  The famine saw fouetus’ ‘learn’ that food was scarce= metabolisms permanently changed (metabolic imprinting)
• Finnish study on birthweight- Lower weight of sample of mean due to early stress exposure increasing their stress reactivity

Question 3

What did the experimental test of stress, snakes and fMRI scans find?

Answer 3

Those with a great fear chose to move away the snake further away. They saw reduced amygdala activity as it moved further away- lowered response linked to ANS calming down

Question 4

In what , stress study did amygdala activity increase

Answer 4

Detecting faces- neutral/fearful with pictures of house = slower to judge the house if a fearful face present (due to attention shift and focusing emotion centre)

Question 5

What did fMRI meta-analyses find about those with disorders like PTSD, social anxiety, phobias

Answer 5

They all have poor emotion regulation. Either showing increased amygdala activity or decreased medial prefrontal cortex.

Question 6

Provide so points on memory for stressful events

Answer 6

• Info encoded during a stressful event is often well remembered (Flashbulb memory i.e. remember the pool accident with bro)
• It has adaptive use, as recognizing the stressful event in the future ensures avoidance

Question 7

Relating to stress at the encoding stage of memory, what did Hencken’s fMRI study of violent/neutral films find

Answer 7

Those in violent condition had higher cortisol levels and more constricted pupils&raquo_space; had subsequent better memory of film pictures&raquo_space; better encoding took place

Question 8

What can the cold pressor test (hand in cold water) help with

Answer 8

The stressor (ice cold water) aids memory consolidation.
> Another study by Cahil similarly found this-
stress induced AFTER learning had a positive impact on memory > led to enhanced consolidation of emotional pictures, but not so for neutral pictures

Question 9

The psychosocial Trier Test involves what and what does it effect

Answer 9

P’s asked to given an unexpected talk followed by arithmetic test. Combined feelings of peer evaluation with forced failure.
This stress impairs memory retrieval (task difficulty), due to hippocampus receptors sensitivity

Question 10

Describe the 2 type of appraisal involved with coping with stress.
Lazarus: ‘cognitive appraisal’- some better than other at coping with stress

Answer 10

Primary appraisal- RELEVANCE of situation to own needs
Secondary appraisal- RESOURCES available to cope with event

Appraising dependent on type of conflict:
i.e. approach-approach / avoidance-avoidance conflict

Question 11

Enjoying stress involved what changes in the brain

Answer 11

Cortisol can trigger dopamine release in pleasure pathway - leads to pleasurable experience