chap 3- stress Flashcards
what is stress
the automatic psychological and physiological arousal a person experienced in response to challenges
what does psychobiological process mean
will respond to stressors psychologically and physiologically
what elements is stress a combination of
a stressor
and stress response
what is a stressor
a change in the immediate environment of an organism
what is stress response
how the organism responds to the stress in both a psychological and physiological way.
what are the types of stress
acute and chronic
What is acute stress
state of brief but intense physiological arousal in response to an immediate stressor.
Are there usually negative effects of acute stress
usually no negative effects on health and wellbeing
What is chronic stress
state of prolonged physiological arousal in response to persistent stressor
Are there usually negative effects of chronic stress
yes it negatively affects health and wellbeing
what is eustress
a positive psychological response
what is distress
a negative psychological response
how is stress response triggered
the activation of sympathetic NS, following the perception of a threat
What is the Fight-Flight response
the automatic reaction of the sympathetic NS to stress that prepares the body to confront or escape a threat
What is the Fight-Flight-Freeze response
the automatic activation of both the sympathetic and parasympathetic NS simultaneously, causing us to freeze.
What happens physiologically during the freeze response
heart rate decreases. blood pressure drops, heightened muscle tension, vocalizations are reduced, heightened tension and awareness.
What is the role of cortisol
release of cortisol during activation of the sympathetic NS mobilizes the body and increases arousal to respond to the stressor.
what does sustained levels of cortisol promote
the effects of adrenaline and noradrenaline, reduces inflammation, and repairs muscle tension.
why can too much cortisol be a bad thing
it can suppress the immune system and therefore cause health issues.
what is the process of cortisol
1- when stressor identified, hypothalamus is activated releasing CRH into bloodstream
2- CRH activates pituitary gland which releases ACTH
3- ACTH travels through blood stream to adrenal glands to trigger release of cortisol
4- cortisol promotes effects of adrenaline and noradrenaline
What is General Adaption syndrome
a model to describe the body’s typical response pattern in terms of resistance to stress over time
What is stage one of General adaptation syndrome, and what does it involve
Alarm Reaction:
initial decrease in our resistacbce to stress when threat is percieved followed by an increase to levels above normal
What are the two subphases of alarm reactions stage & what do they involve
1- Shock: resistance to stress drops below normal and body acts as though its injured.
2- countershock: resistance to stress rises above normal levels due to activation of sympathetic NS
What is stage two of General adaptation syndrome, and what does it involve
Resistance:
resistance to stress remains above normal levels if threat remains. arousal is higher than normal as body attempts to stabilize its internal systems and cope with the threat.
when can signs of illness occur in General adaptation syndrome
state 2 and stage 3
What is stage three of General adaptation syndrome, and what does it involve
exhaustion:
if original threat continues the body’s resources are drained and stress hormones depleted. compromised immune system functioning means body moves into a state of exhaustion and illness occurs.
what are symptoms of exhaustion stage of general adaptation syndrome
fatigue, anxiety, depression, disrupted sleeping
What is the role of cortisol in general adaptation syndrome
stage 1- release of cortisol mobilizes body &increases arousal to respond to stressor.
stage 2- sustained levels of cortisol mobilizes body & increases arousal to respond to stressor
stage 3- depleted levels of cortisol reduce ability of body to respond to further stressors
strengths of GAS
-explains relationship between stress & its impact on physical/mental wellbeing
-explains physiological response to stress
weaknesses of GAS
-oversimplification of physiological stress response
-individuals perception of for stress not accounted for
-low explanatory power for psychological response to stress
what does the transactional model of stress and coping take into account
differences in the individuals appraisal of stressful situations and their coping skills
what does the transactional model of stress and coping mean
stress involves a transaction etween the individual and the external environment. coping will demand the appraisal of the situation by the individual and their ability to cope.
what are primary appraisals
judging the significance in a situation. is it irrelevant, benign-positive, stressful?
in primary appraisals if stressful what are things perceived as?
harm/loss (imminent)
threat (might happen)
challenge (potential for growth)
what are secondary appraisals
when we evaluate our coping options and resources (internal and external) and reappraisal.
what is reappraisal
going back over an earlier stressor to determine if it warrants further attention
what are strengths of transactional model
-focuses on importance of an individuals perception of stress
-high explanatory power for psychological response to stress
what are weaknesses of transactional model
-low explanatory power of physiological response to stress
What is the Gut-Brain Axis
the network of two-way (bidirectional) neural pathways that enable communication between bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract and the brain.
what is the vagus nerve and what is it responsible for
the longest nerve in the body connecting brain to intestines. is the main contributor of the parasympathetic NS. responsible for communication between the gut and brain
what does the enteric NS (part of he GBA involve)
millions of neurons within the digestive tract that regulate the major functions of the gut and communicate with the CNS to regulate these functions.
what does bidirectional mean
two-way pathways
how much of the vagus nerve fibers are sensory (afferent)
90%
what are the sensory nerve fibres on the vagus nerve controlling of
pain, movement in muscles for digestion, tension in muscles indicating fullness, chemical signals produced in the gut.
how much of the vagus nerve fibers are efferent
10%
what are the efferent nerve fibres on the vagus nerve controlling of
communication of info about incoming food, controlling saliva &stomach acid release, required changes in muscle movement to aid digestion
where do microbiota live
in the gastrointestinal tract
what are the gut microbiota
highly diverse and dynamic system of roughly 100 trillion beneficial bacteria and other micro-organisms that live in the gastrointestinal tract
what factors is the microbiota influenced by
genetics, diet, metabolism, age, illness, geography, changes in diet, exposure to antibiotics and stress.
what can disruption to a healthy balance cause
digestive illnesses, reduce immune functioning, and have been linked to changes in social behavior, stress, anxiety and depression.
what disorders can negatively influence the health of gut microbiota
chronic stress, depression and anxiety
are probiotics helpful to gut microbiota
probiotics appear to be promising in treating both disruptions to the microbiota and psychological disorders.
what is coping
refers to changing cognitive and behavioral efforts to meet stressors. management of stress
what does coping effectiveness refer to
the degree to which a strategy is successful in alleviating stress.
why is considering the context important when coping
context influences whether or not we perceive a stimulus as stressful, the intensity of the stress experiences and which coping strategies will be selected
what does coping-specific effectiveness refer to
a coping strategy being more effective when the strategy is well matched to the stressful situation
what is coping flexibility
the ability to stop an ineffective coping strategy and implement an alternative or evaluate the coping process and adapt it. It is very important
what are approach strategies
target the stressor and attempt to reduce the impact
what is problem focused coping
aim to fix the source of the stress or reduce the stressor
what is emotion focused coping
aim to change the unpleasant emotional responses to stress
what are avoidance strategies
attempt to escape painful or threatening thoughts, feelings, memories or sensations associated with the stressor
how can aerobic exercise help with stress
it lowers resting heart and breathing rate and causes less severe increases of these two measures in response to physical activity or stressors
what can exercise reduce
anxiety, tension, anger and low mood
what can exercise release
tension in muscles and endorphins
how is meditation a coping strategy
it distracts a persons focus away from everyday concerns
how is relaxation a coping strategy
any activity, either physical or psychological that reduces tension.
how is social support a coping strategy
can provide assistance and support at the time of stress and it can protect against stressors by raising resiliance
what is guy dysbiosis
when the guy na their becomes less diverse or there is no longer a healthy balance of bacteria
