CH13: STRESS AND HEALTH Flashcards
what is stress?
o A psychological or physical response of the
body
o Adapt to changing conditions
oAdapt to any event or circumstance that strains or exceed an individual’s ability to cope
what are the sources of stress?
life events= Psychologically important events that occur in a person’s life
Ø Negative life events (violence, war, sexual assault, loss of a family member, natural disasters, daily hassles etc.)
ØPositive live events (birth of a child, college graduation, living on your own etc.)
are life evens the only stressors and why?
no, there is also effects of Daily Stressors:
what is frustration?
the result of being unable to satisfy a motive (e.g., Low-wage workers denied raises, girls not allowed to go to school)
what is the Approach-approach conflict?
choose between two positive goals of almost equal value
ex= (Going to a movie x theatre)
what is the Avoidance-avoidance conflict?
choose between two negative goals of approximately equal value
ex= (Getting an injection x toothache)
what is the Approach-avoidance conflict?
achieving a positive goal will produce a negative outcome as well
ex= (Going to summer school x separation from your home)
what is the Multiple approach-avoidance conflict?
choose between two alternatives, each contain positive and negative consequences
ex= (Alternative 1: 5 star, good location, not clean/Alternative 2: 5 star, located at the periphery, very clean)
what is pressure stress?
Stress that occurs from the threat of negative
events
what is Environmental conditions stress?
Physical environment–temperature, air pollution, crowd etc.
how do people react to stress?
We react to stress as a whole
o Both psychological and physiological aspects
o A general reaction to all types of stress occurs- regardless of its source
what are the Psychological reactions to stress?
ØAffective: anxiety, depressed mood,
irritability, interest in food and sex, anger
ØCognitive: difficulty in concentrating, difficulty in thinking clearly, repetitive thoughts
what are the physiological reactions to stress?
GAS (general adaptation syndrome) ØThe body reacts to stress as it reacts to injury/infection ØMobilization of the body to word off threats -Regulate stress responses 1. Alarm reaction 2. Resistance stage 3. Exhaustion stage
what happens in the alarm reaction stage of stress?
o Mobilize its stored resources
o Sympathetic division of the nervous system
Ø Controls the fight or flight response o Increase heartbeat and blood pressure o Increase perspiration
o Divert blood into muscles
what happens in the resistance stage of stress?
o The body resources’ are used
o Resistance to stress is high
o In the case of new stress, the body is less able to deal with stress
what happens in the exhaustion stage of stress?
o Prolonged exposure
o Resistance to stress and infection is lowered
what is the GAS?
General Adaptation Syndrome
oThe body’s protective response to dangers
ØWork best if emergencies oProblematic if prolonged
ØStress reduces the effectiveness of the immune system (the body’s disease- fighting system)
ØStressful life eventsàsuppression of the immune system
what are the individual differences when it comes to stress?
-prio experience, age, cognitive factors in stress reactions (less exposure to stress= less reactive to stress), interpretation of stress events, neuroticism (personality characteristics), predictability and control, social support, expressive writing, ethnicity (minorities have less advantages to shield from stress)
what are the 3 ways of effective coping with stress?
- Remove the source of stress
- Change the way one thinks
- Change stress reactions
what is cognitive coping?
cognitive strategies to
reduce the amount of stress
what is Reappraisal?
changing how one thinks about a potentially stressful event
what can one do to change stress reactions?
oManage psychological and physiological
reactions to stress ØRelaxing, hobbies
what are the ineffective ways to deal with stress?
• Provide temporary relief from stress • No long-term solution o Withdrawal o Aggression o Self-medication
