[Ch.3] Stress and Its Effects Flashcards

1
Q

Define stress

A

Any circumstances that threaten or are perceived to threaten one’s well-being and thereby tax one’s coping abilities

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2
Q

What is primary appraisal

A

An initial evaluation of whether an event is
1) irrelevant to you
2) relevant but not threatening
3) stressful

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3
Q

What is secondary appraisal

A

An evaluation of your coping resources and options for dealing with the stress

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4
Q

What does ambient stress refer to

A
  • Excessive noise, traffic, pollution
  • Crowding
  • Poverty
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5
Q

What is acculturation

A

Changing to adapt to a new culture

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6
Q

What are the three basic categories of stressors

A

Acute stressors, Chronic stressors, Anticipatory stressors

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7
Q

Acute Stressors

A

Threatening events that have a relatively short duration and a clear endpoint

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8
Q

Chronic Stressors

A

Threatening events that have a relatively long duration and no readily apparent time limit

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9
Q

Anticipatory Stressors

A

Upcoming or future events that are perceived to be threatening

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10
Q

What is internal conflict

A

Occurs when two or more incompatible motivations or behavioural impulses compete for expression

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11
Q

What are the three types of internal conflicts

A

> Approach-approach
Avoidance-avoidance
Approach-avoidance

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12
Q

What are the three levels in which we analyse people’s responses to stress

A

Emotional responses, Physiological responses, Behavioural responses

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13
Q

What is the relationship between emotional arousal and task performance

A

A moderate amount of emotional arousal is beneficial for performance - task performance should improve with increased emotional arousal (up to a point)

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14
Q

What is the optimal level of arousal for peak performance

A

As tasks become more complex, the optimal level of arousal tends to decrease

Lower for more complex tasks and higher for easier tasks

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15
Q

What is the fight-or-flight response

A

A physiological reaction to a threat that mobilizes an organism for attacking or fleeing an enemy

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16
Q

What is the Autonomic Nervous System

A

It’s made up of the nerves that connect to the heart, blood vessels, smooth muscles, and glands

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17
Q

What are the two divisions of the ANS

A

Parasympathetic and Sympathetic

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18
Q

What is the function of the parasympathetic division

A

It conserves bodily resources
(e.g. slows heart rate and promotes digestion)

19
Q

What is the function of the sympathetic division

A

It mobilizes bodily resources for emergencies
(the fight-or-flight response is mediated by the sympathetic division)

20
Q

Who is Selye

A

Hans Selye studied animals’ physiological reactions to unpleasant stimuli.
The pattern of physiological responses he observed was generally the same despite different stressful stimuli.
(he coined this response, stress)

21
Q

What is the General Adaptation Syndrome

A

It’s a model of the body’s stress response - it describes the pattern of physiological response all species experience when responding to stress

22
Q

What is the first stage of the general adaptation syndrome

A

Alarm - occurs when an organism recognizes the existence of a threat (shock; mobilizes resources)

23
Q

What is the second stage of the general adaptation syndrome

A

Resistance - occurs if threat continues (heightened physiological arousal as coping efforts get under way)

24
Q

What is the third stage of the general adaptation syndrome

A

Exhaustion - occurs if threat continues too long (bodily resources may be depleted and physiological arousal will decrease)

24
What is the function of brain-body pathways
They control our physiological responses to stress via signals to the endocrine system
25
Describe brain-body pathway 1
The hypothalamus activates the sympathetic division of the ANS which stimulates the adrenal glands which then release increased catecholamines into the bloodstream
26
Describe brain-body pathway 2
The hypothalamus sends signals to the pituitary gland which stimulates the adrenal glands to release increased corticosteroids (e.g. cortisol) into the bloodstream
27
Beilock (2010)
According to Beilock, choking under pressure tends to occur when worries about performance distract attention from the task at hand and use up one's limited cognitive resources
28
Keinan (1987) found that stress disrupted two specific aspects of attention - what are they
1) It increased participants' tendency to jump to conclusions too quickly 2) It increased tendency to not properly view all available options when solving a problem
29
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
Involves enduring psychological disturbance attributed to the experience of a major traumatic event Symptoms include: > Re-experiencing trauma via nightmares, flashbacks > Emotional numbing, alienation, problems in social relations > Elevated arousal, anxiety, and guilt
30
What is an acute stress disorder
PTSD symptoms but for a shorter duration following trauma (3 days - 1 month)
31
What is an adjustment disorder
Emotional or behavioural symptoms in response to one or more stressors, causes distress (once stressor is terminated, symptoms must remit within 6 months)
32
Seery (2011)
Seery found that those who experienced moderate amounts of adversity were healthier than those who experience little adversity
33
Posttraumatic growth
Stress can promote positive psychological change
34
Mental toughness
Exposure to a moderate amount of stress can increase stress tolerance
35
What are the three main moderator variables influencing stress tolerance
Social support, Hardiness, Optimism
36
Emotional responses to stress
Typically involve anger, fear, or sadness. But people also experience positive emotions while under stress
37
Physiological responses to stress
Autonomic arousal, hormonal fluctuation, neurochemical changes, etc. (e.g. pulse quickening, stomach knots) Originally called the fight-or-flight response
38
Behavioural responses to stress
Involves coping, which may be healthy or maladaptive
39
Baumeister (1984)
Theorized that pressure to perform makes us self-conscious which decreases performance in one of two ways: - Distraction - Over-focus
40
Hardiness
A disposition marked by commitment, challenge, and control that is associated with strong stress resistance
41
Optimism
A general tendency to expect good outcomes
42
Social support
Various types of comfort and aid provided by members of one's social network