Ch.2 Stress

Question 1

What is stress?

Answer 1

Is a state of mental or physical tension that occurs when an individual must adapt to their environment but they do not feel they have the capacity to do so

Question 2

What is a stressor?

Answer 2

Is any person, object or event that challenges or threatens someone

Question 3

Eustress

Answer 3

Is a positive psychological response to a stressor

Question 4

Distress

Answer 4

Is a negative psychological response to a stressor

Question 5

Acute stress

Answer 5

Is the most common form of stress and is the body’s immediate response to a perceived stressor

Question 6

Chronic stress

Answer 6

Is the body’s response to a persistent or long-term stressor

Question 7

Daily pressures

Answer 7

Are everyday occurrences that consist of the little annoyances. This can be missing the bus, arguing with friends, trying to meet deadlines or losing your keys

Question 8

Life events

Answer 8

Refer to significant events that don’t occur as often in an individual’s life. This can be getting married, starting a new job, death of a loved or a break up with partner.

Question 9

Acculturation

Answer 9

Involves a person changing their behaviour to adopt the new traits or social patterns of the culture they have moved to

Question 10

What is a catastrophe?

Answer 10

It is a sudden, unpredictable, uncontrollable event that causes large-scale damage and suffering for a group

Question 11

Examples of life events

Answer 11

Marriage
Divorce
Death of loved one
Job loss

Question 12

Examples of daily pressures

Answer 12

Travel
Traffic jam
Losing an item

Question 13

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

Answer 13

Is a pattern of symptoms following exposure to a stressful life event that sets off significant distress or impairment of human functioning

Question 14

Symptoms of PTSD

Answer 14

Flashbacks of the event
Avoiding reminders of the event
Feeling detached from others 
Negative thought pattern 
Disruption to sleep
Prolonged arousal

Question 15

What is a stress response

Answer 15

It is a set of physical and psychological responses that are automatically triggered as a result of the sympathetic nervous system activation following the perception of a threat

Question 16

Fight-flight-freeze response

Answer 16

Is the body’s response to a threat in its presence.

Question 17

Cortisol

Answer 17

Is an important steroid hormone produced by the adrenal glands. It is essential to the maintenance of homeostasis

Question 18

Physiological stress reactions

Answer 18

Skin rashes
Headaches
Colds/flu 
Heart palpitations
Heart attack 
Stomach ulcer

Question 19

Psychological stress reactions

Answer 19

Behaviour

• changes to eating habits
• changes to sleep

Emotional

• irritability
• aggression

Cognitive

• decreased concentration
• memory impairment

Question 20

What is General Adaption Syndrome?

Answer 20

Selye proposed that most people experience stress in a similar way.

Question 21

What are the 3 stages of GAS?

Answer 21

Alarm reaction

• shock
• counter shock

Resistance

Exhaustion

Question 22

Alarm reaction

Answer 22

Shock - when initially exposed to a stressor

Counter Shock - body’s resistance to the stressor creates high arousal levels

Question 23

Resistance

Answer 23

Body attempts to cope with the stressor; body may adapt to high levels of cortisol

Question 24

Exhaustion

Answer 24

Body’s resistance is further weakened and is more vulnerable to illness.

Question 25

What are the functions of cortisol?

Answer 25

Regulation of blood pressure
Proper glucose metabolism
Maintains blood glucose
Burst of energy

Question 26

What happens when we have too much cortisol?

Answer 26

If stress becomes prolonged, it supresses our immune system which causes illness.

Question 27

Primary appraisal

Answer 27

Is when we decide if a situation is threatening or positive, relevant or irrelevant to our situation.

Question 28

Secondary appraisal

Answer 28

Is when we assess what resources are available to us to help cope with the stressor.

Question 29

Coping

Answer 29

Is a process that involves constant changes in thoughts and behaviour so we can manage the demands of the stressor.

Question 30

Coping strategies

Answer 30

Consist of the behavioural and psychological responses a person makes to a stressor. This helps people function effectively even though the stressor remains.

Question 31

What is the Lazarus and Folkman`s transactional model of stress and coping?

Answer 31

It is a model that proposes that stressful experiences are a transaction between a person and their environment.

Question 32

Approach strategies

Answer 32

Consist of behavioural or psychological responses designed to change the nature of the stressor or how one thinks about it.

Question 33

Avoidance strategies

Answer 33

Involve choosing your response to a stressor based on trying to either avoid a painful or threatening thoughts.

Question 34

Coping flexibility

Answer 34

Is the ability to stop an ineffective coping strategy and implement an alternate strategy.

Question 35

Emotion focused strategies

Answer 35

Approach strategies aimed at managing the emotional distress caused by a stressor by changing the unpleasant emotions associated with it.

Question 36

Problem focused strategies

Answer 36

Approach strategies that directly target the stressor and aim to reduce it.

Question 37

Benefits of exercise

Answer 37

Physical benefits - improves physical condition and increases energy levels.

Psychological benefits - It promotes positive mood and alleviates pressure for a short time.

Question 38

FFF response

Answer 38

Releases two substances noradrenaline and adrenaline when the organism senses a threat. These substances prime the body for a brief burst of physical activity by directing blood and energy from the tissues to the heart, lungs, muscles and brain.

Question 39

Benefits of meditation

Answer 39

Gaining a new perspective on stressful situations
Building skills to manage your stress
Reducing negative emotions
Increasing patience and tolerance