Ch 11: Stress, Coping & Health Flashcards
clinical’s illusion
11.0 Intro
stress
the tension, discomfort, or physical symptoms that arise when a stressor strains our ability to cope effectively.
stressor
a type of stimulus that strains our ability to cope effectively
traumatic event
11.1 Introduction
corticosteroids
stress hormone that activates the body and prepares us to respond to stressful circumstances
posttraumatic growth
the perception of beneficial change or personal transformation in struggle to overcome adversity
Folkman and Lazarus
coined the concept of cognitive appraisal and reappraisal. They believed that coping with stress is a complex process that involves assigning meaning to a situation
primary appraisal
initial decision regarding whether an event is harmful; the initial evaluation of a situation’s relevance to one’s moral norms and personal preferences and to the likelihood of reaching one’s goals. The situation (or other stimulus) is** identified as a threat**, harm, or challenge and is followed by secondary appraisal
secondary appraisal
perceptions regarding our ability to cope with an event that follows primary appraisal; one’s evaluation of their ability to cope with the consequences of an interaction with the environment, which follows a primary appraisal
emotion-focused coping
a stress-management strategy in which a person focuses on regulating their negative emotional reactions to a stressor. Rather than taking actions to change the stressor itself, the individual tries to control feelings
* used primarily when a person appraises a stressor as beyond their capacity to change.
* Compare problem-focused coping.
problem-focused coping
a stress-management strategy in which a person directly confronts a stressor in an attempt to decrease or eliminate it.
* used primarily when a person appraises a stressor as within their capacity to change.
* Compare emotion-focused coping.
David Holmes
Social Readjustment Rating Scale (SRRS)
Social Readjustment Rating Scale
(David Holmes) effort to measure life events systematically; based on 43 life events ranked in terms of their stressfulness
hassle
minor annoyance or nuisance that strains our ability to cope
Hassles Scale
: measures how stressful events, ranging from small annoyances to major daily pressures, impact our adjustment
ecological momentary assessment
(EMA)
the process of examining the behavior of individuals at random, multiple time points to get a clearer picture of how they behave in various real-world settings
general adaptation syndrome (GAS)
stress-response pattern proposed by Hans Selye that consists of three stages: alarm, resistance, and exhaustion
Joseph LeDoux (1996)
identified the seat of anxiety within the** limbic system** (aka the emotional brain) that includes the amygdala, hypothalamus, and hippocampus
hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis
(HPA)
- hypothalamus (H) receives fear signal
- the sympathetic nervous system activates the adrenal gland (A)
- the adrenal gland secretes the stress hormones epinephrine (adrenaline) and norepinephrine (noradrenaline).
steps 1-3 ready organism for fight-or-flight
- the hypothalamus and pituitary gland (P) orchestrate the adrenal gland’s release of cortisol, which floods system with energy
meanwhile hippocampus retrieves terrifying images
fight-or-flight response
first described by Walter Cannon in 1915
Walter Cannon
first person to describe fight-or-flight response
resistance
Selye’s 2nd stage of the GAS; organism adapts to the stressors and finds ways to cope with it
exhaustion
Selye’s 3rd stage of the GAS: When the body is unable to maintain its resistance to a stressor due to depleted resources, leading to a state of physical and mental breakdown; results can include damage to an organ system, depression and anxiety, immune system breakdown
PTSD and Vietnam War veterans
(Study):
40 years after combat; PTSD was more prevalent among those who were African Americans, attained lower educational levels, and experienced a negative homecoming reception and lower current social support
flashbacks
George Bonanno 9/11
(Study):
evidence for psychological adjustment: 65.1% of the sample was resilient (reporting 0-1 PTSD symptom); 25% in the WTC developed probable PTSD but more than half were resilient; people who display relatively high levels of functioning before the traumatic event tend to cope well in the aftermath of a serious stressor; people who report a history of ACEs, depression, and other emotional problems prior do not cope so well
Resilence
the most common response to traumatic events; the rule rather than the exception
Prevalence of PTSD
- 5% men,
- 10% women;
- 7-8% military personnel who served in wars in Iraq and Afghanistan
Social support
the provision of assistance or comfort to others, typically to help them cope with biological, psychological, and social stressors; may take the form of practical help (e.g., doing chores, offering advice), tangible support that involves giving money or other direct material assistance, and emotional support that allows the individual to feel valued, accepted, and understood
James House, Cynthia Robbins, and Helen Metzner (1982)
11.2 Social Support
Thomas Strentz and Stephen Auerbach (1988)
11.2 Social Support
exposed airline pilots and flight attendants to a simulated hijacking attempt and four days of captivity
Behavioral control
the ability to do something to reduce the impact of a stressful situation or prevent its recurrence; problem-focused coping (PFC is generally more effective in relieving stress than is avoidance-oriented coping)
Cognitive control
the ability to think differently about negative emotions that arise in response to stress-provoking events; type of emotion-focused coping
Decisional control
the ability to choose among alternative course of action
Informational control
the ability to acquire information about a stressful event
proactive coping
a stress-management strategy that reflects efforts to build up resources that facilitate promotion toward challenging goals and personal growth; Stress is interpreted as eustress—that is, productive arousal and vital energy—and coping thus becomes goal management instead of risk management
Emotional control
the ability to control emotions in a flexible way to best meet the demands of a situation
fallacy of uniform efficacy
Bonanno and Burton (2013); phrase to describe the assumption that certain ways of coping and regulating emotion are consistently beneficial. Rather, the ability to adjust coping strategies as the situation demands is critical to contending with many stressful situations
acceptance-based coping
a coping mechanism that involves accepting emotions and situations without trying to control or avoid them. It’s a way to tolerate unpleasant experiences and behave adaptively