B1: Stress Flashcards
Causes of Stress- Life Events and A03 Evaluation
Life events- major events, need readjustment in your everyday life, indirectly affect us, less often than a daily hassle.
E.g. marriage, divorce, moving house.
Strength- RTS; correlation between life events and stress relation illnesses.
Weakness- Individual differences; not everybody responds to a life event in the same way (personality types.)
Causes of Stress- Daily Hassles and A03 Evaluation
Daily hassles- minor irritations in everyday life, directly affect us, disrupt our normal routine.
E.g. stuck in traffic, losing keys
Strength- RTS; better prediction of stress because they cause more psychological problems compared to life events (add up throughout the day.)
Weakness- Methodological; research is based on retrospective data= low reliability.
Causes of Stress- Workplace Stress and A03 Evaluation
- Role conflict; Intra= two roles in the workplace, demanding. Inter= two roles with different demands ( one in work vs one outside of work.)
- Effect of the environment- physical conditions : temperature, noise, lighting, overtime, repetitive work.
- Level of control- how much freedom one has within the workplace. Low= more stressed.
Strength- RTS; high workplace stress and lack of control can lead to a stress related illness.
Weakness- Contradictory evidence; if an employee changes their job or role then stress should reduce- this is not always the case.
Personality- Hardy, Type A, Type B and A03 Evaluation
Hardy: can manage stress, better equipped to cope,thrive in stress, less likely to be stressed or suffer from a stress related illness.
Commitment, Challenge, Control
Type A- more likely to be stressed and suffer a stress related illness, less lie,let to cope/manage stress
Competitive, Time Urgency, Hostility
Type B- less likely to be stressed or suffer from a stress related illness, more likely to cope/ manage stress.
Laid back, Relaxed, Tolerant of others
Strength-RTS; participants who had suffered a stroke/ SRI were more likely to have a Type A personality.
Weakness-Contradictory evidence; not clear which parts of the Hardy personality are most important.
Physiological Responses to Stress- General Adaptation Syndrome
Alarm Reaction-
1.Hypothalamus 2.Adrenaline and Noradrenaline
3. Fight of flight 4. Sympathomedullary system in acute short term stress
Resistance
1. Stressor ends 2. Functioning goes back to normal
3. Stressor returns 4. Chronic and long term stress
5. HPA 6. Stressor uses up body’s resources
7. Body deteriorates 8. Immune system less effective
9. Immunosupression 10. Stress related illness
Exhaustion
1.Resources are used up 2. Original symptoms
3. Immunosuppression 4. Stress related illness
Physiological Responses to Stress- Sympathomedullary System in Acute Stress
- Hypothalamus
- Sympathetic nervous system
- Adrenal medulla
- Adrenaline and Noradrenaline
- Fight or flight
Physiological Responses to Stress- Hypothalamic Pituitary Adrenaline System in Chronic Stress
- Hypothalamus
- Pituitary gland
- ACTH
- Cortisol
- Glucose
- Immunosuppression
Physiological Responses to Stress- Role of Adrenaline in the Stress Response
- Prepares the body for fight or flight; activates the sympathetic nervous system; reduces parasympathetic.
Limitation of viewing Stress as a purely Physiological Response- Gender Differences and More than 2 Responses.
Gender differences- men respond to stress with fight or flight , high levels of testosterone WHEREAS women respond to stress by tend and befriend, high levels of oxytocin.
More than 2 responses- Freeze response and the role of cognitions. Not everyone responds to stress in the same way, suggesting there are cognitions (thought processes) involved in the stress response.
Limitation of viewing Stress as a purely Physiological Response- Fight of Flight is Maladaptive in Modern Society, Role of Personality, and Variation in level and type of Hormone
Fight or flight- maladaptive in modern society, stressors today are chronic and long term, hasn’t adjusted to the environment we live in today.
Role of personality- differences in Type A, Type B and Hardy; suggests there is a role for personality in the stress response.
Hormone- RTS; differences on the level and type of hormones released by different people and in response to different stressors, shows there are some psychological factors in the stress response.
The Link Between Stress and Physical Health - Short Term, Long Term, Immunosuppression
1.Short term- headaches,stomach upset,fatigue
2.Long term- stroke, heart attack, hypertension- cardiovascular disease
3. Immunosuppression-
Physiological Responses to Stress- The Freeze response
- Fight of flight will not help
- Cognitive paralysis
- Mind is paralysed with fear
- Brain shuts down
- Mind goes blank
- Until perceived threat has passed
