ch 4- stress as an example of a psychobiological process Flashcards
stressor
any event that causes stress or is perceived as a threat and a challenge to our ability to cope
stress
state of mental, emotional and physiological tension, resulting from a stressor
internal stressor
cause of stress originating within an individual, can be both psychological and biological/physiological
external stressor
a cause of stress originating from outside an individual like an event or sociocultural thing or environmental extreme
acute stress
stress that usually occurs because of a sudden threat and only lasts a short time
chronic stress
stress that lasts a long time
fight or flight or freeze response
automatic biological response to a perceived stressor that increases our chances of survival in our environment
cortisol
hormone produced by the adrenal glands regulating a wide range of bodily processes, including metabolism, and is released in response to stress
gut brain axis GBA
the connecion between the CNS and enteric nervous system, enabling bidirectional communication between the brain and gastrointestinal tract
enteric nervous system
subdivision of the autonomic nervous system; consisting of the nerve cells lining the gastrointestinal tract and controls the digestive system
vagus nerve
nerve connecting the brain to organs in the autonomic nervous system via nerve fibres that directly link organs and the intestinal tract
gut
the gastrointesinal tract or long tube that starts at the mouth then ends at the anus
gut microbiota
microbe population found in the gut
microbe
microscopic living thing found in water, soil and the air
general adaptation syndrome- GAS
biological model of stress that propses we have a non specific biological respons to stress that occurs in 3 stages
alarm reaction stage
the first stage of the GAS, in which we become aware of the stressor; consisting of two stages- shock and countershock
shock
first phase of the alarm reaction stage of the GAS, where the body’s ability to deal with the stressor, falls below normal
countershock
second phase of the alarm reactance stage of GAS where the bodys ability to deal with the stressor rises above normal
resistance stage
second stage of GAS where the stressor persists and the body’s resources are maximised to cope and adapt over time
exhaustion stage
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
appraisal
process of categorising an event on the basis of its perceived significance nad how it may affect our wellbeing
transactional model fo stress and coping
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
primary appraisal
when an individual determines whether a situation or event is significant to them and stressful or not
irrelevant- appraisals
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