ch 4- stress as an example of a psychobiological process

Question 1

stressor

Answer 1

any event that causes stress or is perceived as a threat and a challenge to our ability to cope

Question 2

stress

Answer 2

state of mental, emotional and physiological tension, resulting from a stressor

Question 3

internal stressor

Answer 3

cause of stress originating within an individual, can be both psychological and biological/physiological

Question 4

external stressor

Answer 4

a cause of stress originating from outside an individual like an event or sociocultural thing or environmental extreme

Question 5

acute stress

Answer 5

stress that usually occurs because of a sudden threat and only lasts a short time

Question 6

chronic stress

Answer 6

stress that lasts a long time

Question 7

fight or flight or freeze response

Answer 7

automatic biological response to a perceived stressor that increases our chances of survival in our environment

Question 8

cortisol

Answer 8

hormone produced by the adrenal glands regulating a wide range of bodily processes, including metabolism, and is released in response to stress

Question 9

gut brain axis GBA

Answer 9

the connecion between the CNS and enteric nervous system, enabling bidirectional communication between the brain and gastrointestinal tract

Question 10

enteric nervous system

Answer 10

subdivision of the autonomic nervous system; consisting of the nerve cells lining the gastrointestinal tract and controls the digestive system

Question 11

vagus nerve

Answer 11

nerve connecting the brain to organs in the autonomic nervous system via nerve fibres that directly link organs and the intestinal tract

Question 12

gut

Answer 12

the gastrointesinal tract or long tube that starts at the mouth then ends at the anus

Question 13

gut microbiota

Answer 13

microbe population found in the gut

Question 14

microbe

Answer 14

microscopic living thing found in water, soil and the air

Question 15

general adaptation syndrome- GAS

Answer 15

biological model of stress that propses we have a non specific biological respons to stress that occurs in 3 stages

Question 16

alarm reaction stage

Answer 16

the first stage of the GAS, in which we become aware of the stressor; consisting of two stages- shock and countershock

Question 17

shock

Answer 17

first phase of the alarm reaction stage of the GAS, where the body’s ability to deal with the stressor, falls below normal

Question 18

countershock

Answer 18

second phase of the alarm reactance stage of GAS where the bodys ability to deal with the stressor rises above normal

Question 19

resistance stage

Answer 19

second stage of GAS where the stressor persists and the body’s resources are maximised to cope and adapt over time

Question 20

exhaustion stage

Answer 20

third stage of GAS where teh continued depletion of energy stores and high levels of hormones like a cortisol decrease resistance to the stressor and impair the immune system

Question 21

appraisal

Answer 21

process of categorising an event on the basis of its perceived significance nad how it may affect our wellbeing

Question 22

transactional model fo stress and coping

Answer 22

model that suggests a stress response is only elicited if an event is perceived to exceed our ability to cope and is based on our appraisal of the situation

Question 23

primary appraisal

Answer 23

when an individual determines whether a situation or event is significant to them and stressful or not

Question 24

irrelevant- appraisals

Answer 24

a situation that has no implications for an individuals wellbeing, as nothing will be gained or lost, or they aren’t invested in the situation

Question 25

benign/positive

Answer 25

describes a situation or event that is perceived as having a positive outcome for an individual, either maintains (benign) or enhances their wellbeing (positive)

Question 26

threat

Answer 26

the anticipated harm/loss in the future because of an event

Question 27

harm/loss

Answer 27

the damage to the indiviual that has already occured as a result of a stressor

Question 28

challenge

Answer 28

perceived potential for personal gain or growth from an event

Question 29

secondary appraisal

Answer 29

when an individual considers the available resources and their own coping strategies to decide the best way of dealing with a stressor

Question 30

coping

Answer 30

all the things we do to manage and reduce the stress we experience

Question 31

coping strategy

Answer 31

method we use to manage or reduce the stress produced by a stressor

Question 32

coping flexibility

Answer 32

the ability to modify our coping strategies to adapt and meet the demands of different stressful situations

Question 33

context specific effectiveness

Answer 33

when a coping strategy matches or is appropriate to the stressful situation

Question 34

approach strategy

Answer 34

an effort to confront a stressor and deal directly with it and its effect

Question 35

avoidance strategy

Answer 35

an effort to avoid a stressor and not deal directly with it and its effects