Ch 10: Stress Flashcards
What is stress, and where does it come from?
Stress is the physical and psychological response of the body to any demand that requires adaptation, coping, or adjustment.
It can be caused by external or internal demands and may be positive (eustress) or negative, depending on the nature and duration.
What is the difference between eustress and distress?
Eustress is positive stress, which is pleasant and healthful.
- It can motivate and energize a person.
Distress is negative stress, which can affect both psychological and physical health, potentially leading to mood changes and physical harm over time.
How do daily hassles and life changes impact stress and health?
Daily hassles, like lack of time or money, accumulate and can have a significant health impact.
Life changes, such as the death of a loved one or graduation, can also be stressful.
- Both can lead to health problems like heart disease and mental health issues.
What are the main stressors for college students?
College students often experience stress from daily hassles rather than major life changes.
Academic pressure, lack of time, and financial concerns are common stressors that affect both mental and physical health.
How do conflicting motives contribute to stress?
Conflicting motives arise when making decisions between competing options.
There are 4 types of conflicting motives. What are they?
1) Approach-Approach: Both choices are desirable
- Ex: choosing between two fun activities
2) Avoidance-Avoidance: Both options are undesirable
- Ex: choosing between a dentist visit or dealing with dental problems
3) Approach-Avoidance: A choice has both positive and negative aspects
- Ex: choosing to eat a delicious but unhealthy food
4) Multiple Approach-Avoidance: Multiple options with both pros and cons
- Ex: deciding whether to study or go to a movie before an exam
How do irrational beliefs contribute to stress?
According to Albert Ellis, irrational beliefs, such as perfectionism or catastrophic thinking, can magnify stress.
These beliefs distort the way events are perceived, increasing emotional reactions like anxiety and depression.
What is the A → B → C Approach?
Ellis’s model suggests that stress occurs when an activating event (A) is followed by beliefs (B) that shape the emotional consequence (C).
Ex: someone loses their job, the event (A) might lead to misery (C), but the person’s beliefs (B) about the event—like feeling like a failure or fearing their family will starve—can amplify their distress.
What are the differences between Type A and Type B personalities?
Type A individuals are competitive, impatient, and often stressed, with higher health risks like coronary heart disease.
Type B individuals are more relaxed and calm, tend to experience less stress, and focus more on the quality of life.
What are the stages of the General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)?
GAS explains how the body reacts to stress in three stages:
1) Alarm Reaction
2) Resistance Stage
3) Exhaustion Stage
What is the Alarm Reaction?
The fight-or-flight response triggered by stress, with increased heart rate and heightened alertness.
This reaction is mediated by the endocrine system and the sympathetic nervous system (SNS).
- The body releases hormones like cortisol (from the adrenal cortex) and adrenaline (from the adrenal medulla), which prepare the body to respond to the stressor.
What is the Resistance Stage?
The body tries to adapt to stressors, maintaining heightened arousal.
Ex: after an initial shock from a minor accident, the body may calm down but still stay on alert.
What is the Exhaustion Stage?
Prolonged stress depletes the body’s resources, leading to fatigue and health problems.
What is the danger of prolonged stress?
Prolonged stress may overwhelm the parasympathetic nervous system, leading to health issues such as cardiovascular problems, weakened immune function, and diseases related to chronic stress (e.g., coronary heart disease and allergies).
How does stress affect the immune system?
Stress weakens the immune system by increasing cortisol levels, which can reduce inflammation and interfere with antibody formation. This makes the body more vulnerable to infections and illnesses.
What are Leukocytes?
white blood cells, which act as a defence in the body against infectious diseases and other toxins
True or false: Social Support plays a key role in buffering the effects of stress and enhancing immune functioning.
True
Studies show that people with strong social networks are less likely to experience the immune suppression that often accompanies stress.
What is secondary traumatic stress (STS), and who is affected?
Secondary traumatic stress occurs when individuals, such as paramedics or police officers, experience emotional distress from witnessing or hearing about traumatic events.
This can lead to symptoms similar to PTSD, affecting both professional and personal life.
What is Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)?
a disorder that follows a distressing event outside the range of normal human experience and that is characterized by features such as intense fear, avoidance of stimuli associated with the event, and reliving of the event
What are the symptoms of PTSD? (4)
Intrusion symptoms:
- Recurrent memories and nightmares.
Avoidance symptoms:
- Avoiding trauma-related activities.
Negative cognitions:
- Feeling detached or having poor memory.
Arousal symptoms:
- Irritability and difficulty sleeping.
What is acute stress disorder?
a disorder, like PTSD, that is characterized by feelings of anxiety and helplessness and is caused by a traumatic event; acute stress disorder occurs within a month of the event and lasts from two days to four weeks
Ex: Women who have been raped experience acute distress that tends to peak in severity a few weeks after the assault.
- Yet the same women often go on to experience PTSD
What is Lazarus’s Theory of Stress?
Lazarus’s Theory suggests stress is subjective and depends on how an individual perceives a stressor.
Difference bw primary vs secondary appraisal?
Primary appraisal: evaluating a potential stressor as a positive, negative, or neutral
Secondary appraisal: evaluating how to cope with a stressful event by using available resources
What is psychological hardiness, and how does it help with stress?
Psychological hardiness includes traits like commitment, challenge, and control.
People with high hardiness see challenges as opportunities, have a sense of control, and are less susceptible to stress.
- They tend to be more resilient in stressful situations.
