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PSYC 203 > [Ch.3] Stress and Its Effects > Flashcards

[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
Q

What is the function of brain-body pathways

A

They control our physiological responses to stress via signals to the endocrine system

25
Q

Describe brain-body pathway 1

A

The hypothalamus activates the sympathetic division of the ANS which stimulates the adrenal glands which then release increased catecholamines into the bloodstream

26
Q

Describe brain-body pathway 2

A

The hypothalamus sends signals to the pituitary gland which stimulates the adrenal glands to release increased corticosteroids (e.g. cortisol) into the bloodstream

27
Q

Beilock (2010)

A

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
Q

Keinan (1987) found that stress disrupted two specific aspects of attention - what are they

A

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
Q

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

A

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
Q

What is an acute stress disorder

A

PTSD symptoms but for a shorter duration following trauma (3 days - 1 month)

31
Q

What is an adjustment disorder

A

Emotional or behavioural symptoms in response to one or more stressors, causes distress (once stressor is terminated, symptoms must remit within 6 months)

32
Q

Seery (2011)

A

Seery found that those who experienced moderate amounts of adversity were healthier than those who experience little adversity

33
Q

Posttraumatic growth

A

Stress can promote positive psychological change

34
Q

Mental toughness

A

Exposure to a moderate amount of stress can increase stress tolerance

35
Q

What are the three main moderator variables influencing stress tolerance

A

Social support, Hardiness, Optimism

36
Q

Emotional responses to stress

A

Typically involve anger, fear, or sadness.
But people also experience positive emotions while under stress

37
Q

Physiological responses to stress

A

Autonomic arousal, hormonal fluctuation, neurochemical changes, etc. (e.g. pulse quickening, stomach knots)

Originally called the fight-or-flight response

38
Q

Behavioural responses to stress

A

Involves coping, which may be healthy or maladaptive

39
Q

Baumeister (1984)

A

Theorized that pressure to perform makes us self-conscious which decreases performance in one of two ways:
- Distraction
- Over-focus

40
Q

Hardiness

A

A disposition marked by commitment, challenge, and control that is associated with strong stress resistance

41
Q

Optimism

A

A general tendency to expect good outcomes

42
Q

Social support

A

Various types of comfort and aid provided by members of one’s social network

PSYC 203 (4 decks)

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